A little Friday Grateful Dead gem
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Sparky472
Tele-Afflicted
I’ve always felt that the Dead were pretty much running on fumes in those last few years following Mydland’s death. But there still were some bright moments. This is surely one.
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Too many folks including many Dead Heads dismiss anything after 1977. There are definitely some late period gems, even from the 80’s, when there were some rough moments to say the least. Many would disagree but Brent is probably what held the band together in the late 80’s until his passing.
To me the 90’s seemed like the band would have turned the corner and recaptured some of the old magic had Jerry not passed. The side projects, especially the acoustic projects seemed to be revitalizing to Jerry.
To me the 90’s seemed like the band would have turned the corner and recaptured some of the old magic had Jerry not passed. The side projects, especially the acoustic projects seemed to be revitalizing to Jerry.
The last few years always get downgraded but there are so many great moments. This one being one of them, which they first performed in 1992. It's one of my favorites and it came out three years before the end and 27 years after the beginning. And of course, to go along with the downgrading, people certainly dismiss the last show but in fact this song was a magical gem that night. Jerry put his all in it and played it to perfection. So much emotion and his guitar playing sounds beautiful! And to think he'd be dead exactly one month later.
Jazzcaster21
Tele-Holic
One of my favorite late-era Hunter/Garcia tunes.
This and "Days Between" could only be done by Jerry. One of the reasons I can't get into Dead and Co. now - besides the really slow tempos - is because seeing Bob Weir trying to sing the heartbreaker Jerry tunes just isn't the same.
This and "Days Between" could only be done by Jerry. One of the reasons I can't get into Dead and Co. now - besides the really slow tempos - is because seeing Bob Weir trying to sing the heartbreaker Jerry tunes just isn't the same.
A little gem is exactly what that is. Had not seen either of these before, thanks for posting. I agree, for us "lovers of licorice", there is a lot after 77 worth finding. Some of the later JGB recordings from the 90s are very good too. These slower more delicate songs were some of his favorites.
Well.....
These long pondering "poems" were too much for me. It was great the first time then quickly bored me.
Last show I saw was '93 and was bored out of my skull (and roses!) By that time Jerry was simply digging through his bag of tricks and riffs and hardly creating anymore.
That said through 1990 shows could be amazing! People are starting to discover the greatness of the 1980s. 1979-1980 shows in particular just rocked! Not as creative as 1970s less long jams but more rockers.
Here's a great one from 1980!
These long pondering "poems" were too much for me. It was great the first time then quickly bored me.
Last show I saw was '93 and was bored out of my skull (and roses!
) By that time Jerry was simply digging through his bag of tricks and riffs and hardly creating anymore. That said through 1990 shows could be amazing! People are starting to discover the greatness of the 1980s. 1979-1980 shows in particular just rocked! Not as creative as 1970s less long jams but more rockers.
Here's a great one from 1980!
I do agree regarding Bob. I love Bob and so many of his songs. But, I have seen Dead & Co. a few times and will again this year and Wolf Bros twice. What I care for the least is Bob's liberty with Jerry's melodies that are too good to be creative with and he essentially removes or kills the melody. He tries to reinvent the wheel too much unnecessarily.
Jazzcaster21
Tele-Holic
To that point, John Mayer does a better job of singing Jerry tunes IMO. It's funny to think that this is even an issue and by that I mean that "The Dead" is still performing 27 years after Jerry died.
Money talks as they say.
I'd rather Oteil sing them all. I'm 100% with John's guitar playing. The best I have ever heard someone play Jerry's parts. But, I still can't dig his singing. Trust me, I am a die hard Jerry fan. He's my favorite guitarist by miles and has been for decades but I do acknowledge that the songs are bigger than just Jerry. I saw him live and will love his playing and singing for the rest of my life. But, those songs, and those lyrics by Hunter, deserve to be played by these guys and whoever else for years and years to come. I'll go listen to anyone play those song competently. And as long as Billy is on the kit, I'm happy.
Flat6Driver
Poster Extraordinaire
Yes, but:
I never listened to the Dead when Jerry was a alive. I have now listened to old showed, the GD channel, etc. a ton, been to D&C shows, learned them myself, etc. The songs transcend. I don't care as much about Jerry's guitar playing...it's the songs.
For some reason, the Dead has stuff that can last 20 minutes and still be enjoyable because the songs are good. I listen to the Phish channel on XM and some of the other jam band (if they allow themselves to play them) and the lyrics are just silly in comparison.
I totally agree about Phish. From 1990-2000 I saw them at least 30 times and even traveled to Amsterdam in the summer of 1996 to see them play at the Melkweg. But their songs are definitely not lasting on me and I think a big part of it are the silly nonsense lyrics. I'm actually not a big jam band fan. I love the Dead and I really loved Widespread Panic until Mikey Houser died and saw them numerous times. I've seen them about 6 times since he passed and I just don't dig it as much. His guitar playing really spoke to me and was so original. I liked Phish in that decade I saw them a lot but all the others never appealed to me...Leftover Salmon, Tea Leaf Green, String Cheese, Umphrey's etc.. It's really just the Grateful Dead to me. I have loved them since my best friend's brother introduced them to me in 1986 when I was just a beginning guitar player in the 6th grade.
Jazzcaster21
Tele-Holic
100%. The Dead weren't a jam band like so many people think. Yes they improvised BUT, the songs that they improvised with were good songs and could stand on their own. The improvisations were an organic process too. Yes, they were fueled by drug use to begin with but the songwriting, for the most part, was still strong. They did write some terrible songs. However, the great Dead songs far outweigh the bad ones. Those great songs will live on for a long time.
I saw the Dead from 89-95 and I still listen to them on ReListen when the mood strikes me. Now, I really love the 72-77 period. Once Persian heroin became an issue for Garcia, things became more spotty.
Now too many jam bands IMO, write weak songs: harmonically and lyrically as an excuse to jam. Not all but a lot of them do. It's like: "here's my lame song now, we can jam on one chord for 20 minutes" because everyone is tweaking on whatever chemical.
Phish is the main offender in this respect. When they started out they had silly songs but with some kick-ass musicianship so, it worked. As they got older they decided to try and become serious singer-songwriters, rely less on their virtuosity, and create at best mediocre material. Not to mention, that were never great singers to begin with. Big problem. I lost interest in them around the time "Billy Breathes" for this reason. I tuned in during the pandemic to see some of the live streams and yeah, sometimes it was good but a lot of times not. This is primarily because they focus their sets less and less on the good classic stuff and more and more on the stupid one word song titles that they write now. Even their jams are kind of boring now to me. I get it; they are older and don't have the chops they once did but, hearing a V-I jam for 10-15 minutes, maybe longer? I will pass.
BelindasShadow
Tele-Meister
To that point, Ryan Adams does a better job of singing Jerry tunes, IMO.
I guess I don't really know what the definition of a jam band is. I figured it was any band that had longer type of improvisational jamming. But, that being said, if the Grateful Dead was not a jam band, then maybe that's why I love them so much lol. I can't listen to more than a few minutes of most of these bands/guys but for some reason I can listen to Jerry Garcia play his guitar for hours on end or even days on end, months and years on end. It never gets old to me. I think it comes down to that clean tone and his choice of notes and his style of soloing. It's the perfect mix of country style guitar mixed with whatever else he wanted to play.
Chip
Friend of Leo's
I was there!!!
The only thing hotter than the weather was the show!!!
Thanks for posting that memory
Jazzcaster21
Tele-Holic
I like Adams although he's gotten some flack in the last few years for abusive relationships, etc. The material he did with the Cardinals was excellent and "Cold Roses" was very Dead-ish.
He also played one of Jerry's guitars when he was in Phil and Friends for a bit.
Fenderdad1950
Friend of Leo's
Touch of Grey era?
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