The Grateful Dead

[worldrecordplayer]

I guess live he was easier to listen to.

Ha! Well again, I couldn't disagree more.

[jw harding]

Vince was mainly chosen for his harmony vocals, right? 

 

Mydland was chosen because he was in a band with Weir, Garcia may have seen him once, so they went with him.

 

Keith asked to join the band and he was in.

 

These guys really didn't give a shit about keyboard players. 

[Vacant Horizon]

Vince was mainly chosen for his harmony vocals, right? 

 

Mydland was chosen because he was in a band with Weir, Garcia may have seen him once, so they went with him.

 

Keith asked to join the band and he was in.

 

These guys really didn't give a shit about keyboard players. 

 

Good point!

 

Incidentally, anyone check out the first two Dead/Co shows? Pretty slow and a bit sloppy, but they sound pretty good to my ears. Very mellow. I'm going to the Atlanta show. For some reason, I'm in the mood. I'm so hot and cold with the post-Jerry stuff. This is quite the summer for couch tour with Dead/Co now and then Phish soon after.

[jw harding]

Not interested in Dead and Co., but surprised at the lack of a Gregg Allman tribute, given the history and Oteil being in the band. Knockin on Heaven's Door? Fuck off, I could play that in my sleep. Lazy band, cashing in. 

[Lammycat]

Not interested in Dead and Co., but surprised at the lack of a Gregg Allman tribute, given the history and Oteil being in the band. Knockin on Heaven's Door? Fuck off, I could play that in my sleep. Lazy band, cashing in. 

Not interested in Dead & CO, either (though will go to at least 1 Boulder show) but, seriously, what the fuck are they supposed to do in tribute to Allman, dedicate a set, a show to him? Play several unrehearsed ABB tunes? It's not exactly a surprise that the he was on his way out, either. 

[Winston Legthigh]

Not interested in Dead & CO, either (though will go to at least 1 Boulder show) but, seriously, what the fuck are they supposed to do in tribute to Allman, dedicate a set, a show to him? Play several unrehearsed ABB tunes? It's not exactly a surprise that the he was on his way out, either. 

 

They could (should!) have done a Cher song, like Gypsies Tramps and Thieves. Shees. 

[Lammycat]

They could (should!) have done a Cher song, like Gypsies Tramps and Thieves. Shees. 

Ha. They had a nice montage (according to folks who were there) of Gregg up on the screen, too, for "Knockin'" That's about as much as I'd expect to honor the guy.

[Winston Legthigh]

Now THIS is a tribute:

 

 

Lovely. Special artists can take someone else's song and make it sound like their own.

[jw harding]

Ha. They had a nice montage (according to folks who were there) of Gregg up on the screen, too, for "Knockin'" That's about as much as I'd expect to honor the guy.

Well, after Jerry died the Allmans were doing St. Stephen jams pretty regularly in their sets. That meant a lot to see that. You can't play a few notes of Mtn. Jam? Gimme a break.

[worldrecordplayer]

They did their tribute via the video screen throughout Knockin. Nice shot of a younger Gregg at the B-3, and one of the Allman Brothers Band logos. Could they have done a song, or weave some Mt. Jam theme into a song? Sure. But they paid him a nice visual tribute in an appropriate and meaningful song. I'm not complaining.

[winterland121072]

For those interested...

 

2017_05_31_Edited__Garcia__et__al__Batch_04

 

1971-10-24.gd.sbd.detroit Dark Star

1972-08-24.gd.sbd.berkeley Bird Song

1973-12-12.gd.sbd.atlanta Playin’ In The Band

1974-05-17.gd.sbd.vancouver Truckin' > Nobody's Fault > Eyes > China Doll

1974-07-19.gd.aud.fresno Bertha Deal BIODTL Scarlet

1975-09-28.gd.mtx.san_francisco The Music Never Stopped

1976-05-28.gd.sbd.san_rafael Attics Of My Life

1976-06-12.gd.mtx.boston Mission In The Rain

1979-08-14.gd.sbd.denver Stella Blue

1988-03-16.gd.mtx.oakland Scarlet > Fire

1988-04-26.jgab.aud.san_rafael Oh, Babe It Ain't No Lie...Oh, The Wind And The Rain...Ballad of Casey Jones

1989-07-07.gd.aud.philadelphia Little Red Rooster

Batch05 Teaser

 

            The selected Dark Star from 24 October 1971, as a whole, is a bit average with a fantastic 8 minute portion near the conclusion. Thus, I selected this exceptional portion. It really is an interesting ride as the band wanders through a very interesting Star apex, followed by a nice drift, into a near circus-esque theme led by Lesh, and followed by hybrid jam with Jerry manically going in his own direction and Lesh dropping Star related bombs. Really interesting stuff here from the very underrated Fall 1971 tour…

            The Truckin’ Nobody’s Fault Eyes China Doll from 17 May 1974 again shows the band exceptionally cruising at light speed. It was as if Jerry could do no wrong. The extended 1974 jams with several songs intertwined really highlight how the band really wasn’t just one instrument or performer but truly was a collective effort. I guess the appropriate word might be “synergism” – taken alone each member was impressive, but taken together the combined effort is more impressive than the sum of each individual part. The Eyes soars with tightness and flavor – including the post verse jam. The China Doll is stunningly beautiful.

            Attics of My Life, from a 24 May 1976 studio session, is surprisingly well done. Donna stands out as being quite in tune. Yes – cliché. But, still, it is nice to hear her sound so good. Keith’s rhythmic piano works well too. This tune was probably on the edge of making the June 1976 repertoire…but alas…didn’t make the final cut.

            The Bertha Deal BIODTL Scarlet from 19 July 1974 is hard not to really enjoy. I’ve loved this show for years, but I truly believe the first set is equally as impressive as the well known second. Each of these songs stands, in my opinion, as some of the finest versions ever. Listen and enjoy. I intentionally chose the audience version to get a better “feel.” The soundboard version gets a bit soporific. The audience is crisp and alive, albeit not the best audience recording on record. Occasionally you can really hear the ecstatic screaming erupting from the crowd. Jerry’s high pitched voice sails through the Bertha and the Deal, and Keith is nuts on the BIODTL. Each chord change in the song feels like a true punch. Juxtaposing the audience and board versions of these songs leaves the listener thinking they are not from the same date. The Scarlet is a true masterpiece. Indeed, the Scarlet jam features Jerry sprinting to and fro through numerous themes and apexes.

            The selected Bird Song from 24 August 1972 gets way out there. Jerry switches effortlessly from driving themes to careful drifts while the rhythm paves a direction. Interesting and complicated stuff.

            The 26 April 1988 Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band featuring the Oh Babe, Wind / Rain, and Ballad of Casey Jones provides a glimpse of what Jerry’s future might just have been but for Vitamin H.

            The 28 September 1975 Music Never Stopped is a lot of fun. Weir and Lesh lay a thick base and Jerry’s guitar soloing is sassy and arrogant…and there is the Matt Kelly harmonica.

            Continuing with sassy, the 07 July 1989 Rooster has Jerry again sounding almost arrogant with his soloing. This is another show that has very obvious and well known highlights that leaves songs like this a bit hidden. This is a fantastic and powerful and nearly delirious Rooster.

            The 12 December 1973 Playin is a masterpiece. It’s fascinating that upon reaching December of 1973, and the band having played Playin’ on most of their shows from 1972 and 1973, that the band could still deliver a completely unique reading as the 12 December version. The jam wanders through numerous intricate jams that are really impressive. The ending return to earth is marked with a Jerry tiger-esque meltdown laced with massive Lesh feedback. Wow…Again, the Grateful Dead…Wow…oh…and this version is unique in that Donna took the night off to have a baby – so we get the full Playin’ song without her, with all due respect, cacophony…

            The Mission in the Rain from 12 June 1976 begs the question of why the band stopped playing this tune after the paucity of June 1976 versions. Indeed, this versions swings with passion and groove (e.g., listen to Jerry sing, “There’s some satisfaction in the San Francisco rain…”). At least we have the few versions that exist...

            Finally, there is a great rendition of Scarlet Fire from 16 March 1988. The transition from Scarlet to Fire features a frantic Jerry for 1988 that really darts back and forth. Nice…

            And, there is a teaser for Batch05…

            Enjoy…

          

 

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ueelr6x7km5rl40/AADvNa3cgvFVjmDSJLEwXfqUa?dl=0

password rogerrafa

[jw harding]

They did their tribute via the video screen throughout Knockin. Nice shot of a younger Gregg at the B-3, and one of the Allman Brothers Band logos. Could they have done a song, or weave some Mt. Jam theme into a song? Sure. But they paid him a nice visual tribute in an appropriate and meaningful song. I'm not complaining.

Cool tribute, video guy.

[John Smith]

Wolf sold for $1.9m at auction.

[calvino]

Not interested in Dead & CO, either (though will go to at least 1 Boulder show) but, seriously, what the fuck are they supposed to do in tribute to Allman, dedicate a set, a show to him? Play several unrehearsed ABB tunes? It's not exactly a surprise that the he was on his way out, either. 

 

Not to mention or be petty, but Gregg didn't really have very nice things to write about the members of the Dead, either. And lets be honest, it was good for business in the mid to late nineties for the Allman's to toss in a Franklin's tease. I saw them perform it a few times and it was always fun. They always threw up a Garcia image on the screen during No One Left To Run With, too.

 

From Gregg's book "My Cross to Bear"

 

Not that the Grateful Dead had a trick passing out a bunch of crazy pills so that people would like their music-that's not what I'm saying. I'm just saying that that was part of their whole culture, part of their whole deal. I don't know their story, and I don't know any one of them well enough to ask them, "What's the deal with this?" but I really don't give a fuck that much. I just know that there's the Grateful Dead, and they have their place. They're pretty good people, I liked them all right. Garcia called me a narc at one point, so I never really gave two shits for him, but him and my brother got along because they were guitar players. Mostly I just ignored them."

Gregory Allman

 

[jw harding]

Not to mention or be petty, but Gregg didn't really have very nice things to write about the members of the Dead, either. And lets be honest, it was good for business in the mid to late nineties for the Allman's to toss in a Franklin's tease. I saw them perform it a few times and it was always fun. They always threw up a Garcia image on the screen during No One Left To Run With, too.

 

From Gregg's book "My Cross to Bear"

I've heard interviews with Alan Paul, the Allman's biographer, where he discusses the relationship between the bands. Dickey and Berry were definitely fans and respected the Dead. It was Dickey who brought in the Franklin's teases pre-Blue Sky, and it was not done for business. Dickey Betts was not that kind of guy. There are pictures of Berry wearing Stealie shirts out there. Dickey also compared the Dead as a band that would wait for the magic to happen, while the Allmans would go after it and make it happen.

 

Had an interesting twitter exchange with Mr. Paul on the origins of Mtn. Jam, as the Dead's tease of the Donovan tune appears on Anthem of the Sun, pre-dating the Allmans version by a few years. None of the remaining brothers recalled how they started doing the song. Seems likely they first got the riff from a back stage jam with Garcia at the Fillmore East, per Bill Graham's autobiography. Or they got it from a Herbie Mann album, where he does an instrumental cover of the tune. Tom Down, Allmans legendary producer, also produced the Mann album, so that seems likely. 

 

As for Gregg's thoughts on the Dead, that boy could sing, but he was one dumb hick. Same goes for Butch Trucks. Don't mean to speak ill of the departed. Seemed like there was a lot of envy and jealousy playing into their attitudes about the Dead.

 

Certainly an interesting dynamic between the two bands, and I wonder if the Allmans will ever experience the reevaluation and renaissance that the Dead are now experiencing. I don't think they were ever as far out of the mainstream, or ultimately have as much cultural impact, so likely not. But the Duane era band was every bit as great, and later incarnations certainly had an impact too.

[Analogman]

He is talking about that trial he went through in the early 70s. You can read more than you want to know about that whole deal in that book Midnight Riders: The Story of The Allman Brothers Band. 

[calvino]

Yeah - the business bit was a bit much on my part -- I figured Dickey brought in the Franklin tease and Gregg just went along with it. My point was I am not sure if Gregg would have introduced a Dead tune into the mix, but perhaps he did at one point and I am not aware of it.

[calvino]

He is talking about that trial he went through in the early 70s. You can read more than you want to know about that whole deal in that book Midnight Riders: The Story of The Allman Brothers Band. 

 

Not only did members of the Dead not like his testimony, but his talking did not sit well with some of the members of his own band, either. I think that is what caused their first hiatus in the late 70's --- in addition to the copious amount of drink and drugs.

[Analogman]

I can't recall how much of that is in that recent book. Not as much as that other guy goes into - 

 

Yea - they were all pretty messed up. One good thing I read is that apparently he and Dickey had straightened things out before he passed. Dickey really gets hammered on in that One Way Out book.

[Lammycat]

Wolf sold for $1.9m at auction.

$3.2 total with the matching donor bid. Amazing.

[calvino]

Sure is amazing.

[Lammycat]

Not to mention or be petty, but Gregg didn't really have very nice things to write about the members of the Dead, either. And lets be honest, it was good for business in the mid to late nineties for the Allman's to toss in a Franklin's tease. I saw them perform it a few times and it was always fun. They always threw up a Garcia image on the screen during No One Left To Run With, too.

 

From Gregg's book "My Cross to Bear"

"They're pretty good people, I liked them all right. Garcia called me a narc at one point, so I never really gave two shits for him, but him and my brother got along because they were guitar players. Mostly I just ignored them."

Gregory Allman

 

Garcia calls him out....

[mountain bed]

 Dickey also compared the Dead as a band that would wait for the magic to happen, while the Allmans would go after it and make it happen.

 

 

That's a fairly good summation in describing the difference in approach between the two bands. When  you went to see the ABB you just KNEW they would come out and tear your face off, where with the GD it was so much more a relaxed, casual vibe. Like, "we have you all night long, no rush, relax. The inspiration will eventually arrive. Or not". I kind of prefer the latter philosophy, even though I love both bands. I mean, we're talking about (arguably) the two best live American Rock bands to ever hit the stage.

[jw harding]

That's a fairly good summation in describing the difference in approach between the two bands. When  you went to see the ABB you just KNEW they would come out and tear your face off, where with the GD it was so much more a relaxed, casual vibe. Like, "we have you all night long, no rush, relax. The inspiration will eventually arrive. Or not". I kind of prefer the latter philosophy, even though I love both bands. I mean, we're talking about (arguably) the two best live American Rock bands to ever hit the stage.

Maybe the two best American bands period. Grateful Dead were certainly the most important American band, due to their genius and impact.

 

Other contenders would be: CCR (were they really a band or more of Fogerty and support), Beach Boys (I don't think so), the Band (eh?), Talking Heads, Nirvana. Who else? I'd put Dead and Allmans above all those by a long shot.

 

I guess you can't include solo artists in the band category, so no Dylan, Elvis, Chuck, etc.

[Winston Legthigh]

^The Band's Canadian*. *Levon Helm being the sole exception.

 

I would include a vote for Los Lobos on my ballot, if I were given one.