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    heatherlew
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    RFK Stadium 1989 Box

    LESS THAN 5000 LEFT

    The Grateful Dead battled the elements in July 1989, enduring drenching rains and stifling humidity during back-to-back shows at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium in the nation’s capital. In spite of the bleak weather, the band thrilled the massive crowds both nights with triumphant performances that rank among the very best of a busy year that included 74 shows and the release of the group’s final studio album, BUILT TO LAST.

    ROBERT F. KENNEDY STADIUM, WASHINGTON, D.C., JULY 12 & 13, 1989 includes two previously unreleased concerts taken from the band’s master 24-track analog recordings, which have been mixed by Jeffrey Norman at TRI Studios and mastered in HDCD by David Glasser. The collection’s colorful slip case features original artwork by Justin Helton and a perfect-bound book with in-depth liner notes written by Dean Budnick, editor-in-chief of Relix magazine. The set will also be available as a digital download in Apple Lossless and FLAC 192/24.

    When Jerry Garcia, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh, Brent Mydland, and Bob Weir rolled into D.C. in July 1989 for the Dead’s two-night stand at RFK, the band hit the stage running with a stellar rendition of “Touch Of Grey,” the group’s biggest hit from its only Top 10 album In The Dark, which was released in 1987. The following night, the band returned to its double-platinum commercial breakthrough when it opened the show with a fiery version of “Hell In A Bucket.”

    “RFK Stadium '89 fell right in the middle of one of the best tours of the last 15 years of Grateful Dead performances, with these shows being the sixth and seventh of an 11-show tour. This tour is widely considered the start of a nine month period of sustained excellence, which ran from Summer '89 through Spring '90. The RFK shows are as good as any of the more famous shows from this period, including July 4 in Buffalo, July 7 in Philadelphia, and the Alpine run,” says David Lemieux, Grateful Dead archivist and the set’s producer. “When Bob Weir has asked me to provide copies of Grateful Dead songs to give to his bandmates to learn and rehearse, he almost always requests Summer '89, and I've often drawn upon the RFK shows for this purpose. It's really that good!”

    Both shows feature standout moments, but the July 12 show is notable for a few reasons. Perhaps the biggest is that the first set featured at least one song sung by each of the band’s four lead singers – Garcia, Weir, Lesh and Mydland – something that rarely happened. Another surprise came when the band opened the second set with “Sugaree,” a song that almost always appeared during the first set.

    Pianist Bruce Hornsby — who briefly joined the band between 1990 and 1992 — is featured on both shows. He played accordion during “Sugaree” and “Man Smart (Woman Smarter),” with a touch of keyboard-tinkling, on July 12, and then played more accordion the following night for “Tennessee Jed” and “Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again.”

    For fans of Mydland’s tenure with the Dead – which began in 1979 and ended in 1990 with the keyboardist’s tragic death – these stellar shows capture that incarnation in peak form. Among the long list of highlights are performances of live staples such as “Eyes Of The World,” “Wharf Rat” and “I Need A Miracle,” along with rarities like “To Lay Me Down,” which was played only a few times in 1989. The July 13 show also features the band road-testing “I Will Take You Home,” a track Mydland wrote with Dead lyricist John Perry Barlow that would appear later that fall on Built To Last.

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  • Gary Farseer
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    off topic...album covers
    Always interesting. A few I did not know. https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/gallery/hidden-messages-on-classic-albu…
  • Gary Farseer
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    Bela
    Had tickets for Bela and Abigail last new year's eve but did not get to go. Rats.
  • Vguy72
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    You want off topic?....
    ....how about this. What's up with this Bitcoin news lately. I googled and Wikipedia'd it to death, and I still don't get it. Am I dumb? I don't understand.
  • Vguy72
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    I wish I could pony up for Dead vinyl....
    ....but I'm not made of Money, Honey. Eighty bucks is not ridiculous, but I would counter with sixty, because I like to barter. Speaking of bartering, the price tag of the "lost" Dead show with the Buffalo Philharmonic show from '70 has mushroomed to 2K. If there's a GoFundMe account for that diamond in the rough, I'll pitch in fifty bucks easy....http://buffalonews.com/2017/12/05/reward-for-elusive-bpo-grateful-dead-… ....all in for Bela. You have grate taste....
  • muleskinner_blues
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    zxtttxz
    Awesome, thanks for the great info! I will do some shopping around, appreciate the leads. For some reason it seemed like a good day to listen to '79, and that made me think of that release. I hadn't even thought of the LST soundtrack, that would be very cool as well. Off topic - Bela Fleck and his wife Abigail Washburn are currently on Prairie Home Companion. Killing it. He's playing a baritone banjo with a slide, wild.
  • zxtttxz
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    Hampton '79 records
    Hi Muleskinner - I got the Hampton '79 records. I think they sound good. The cover is great. You are aware it's not the full show? The first few songs from the first set are excluded due to time constraints I suppose. That didn't bother me. Also drums was edited out. Also not too important to me. You should check on discogs. I'm seeing several for sale on there for $45-50, plus shipping from Europe. That was how I got my copy - shipped from someone in Europe. The Long Strange Trip anthology on vinyl is really great. The 6-disc set on Amazon. It has the Dark Star from 02/14/70 on one side and it's worth the price of the box. Good luck with your decision-making!
  • muleskinner_blues
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    Hampton '79
    Anyone partake in the vinyl Hampton '79 for RSD a few years ago? Stupid question. What are folks opinions on that one? Worth ~$80 bucks on Ebay? I don't have any live Dead on vinyl. Would be cool, though that's very expensive for one show and would get alot more plays with a digital copy.
  • Vguy72
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    It's a Dave's anniversary!....
    ....of the DaP Boulder show. I know a lot of you didn't like the pick. I like it though, so good for me I guess....
  • Diggey
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    Daves Picks and RFK Boxset
    It's my annual CD sale. All of these are excellent condition and are either duplicates or cd sets where I have most or all of the songs. Some have been played once. I'll combine shipping and if you buy a bunch I'll make some deals. I can also send pictures if needed. USA only. They include: Grateful Dead- Daves Picks- limited releases- Volume 20 12/9/81 University of Colorado (2 copies, one opened $20 and one sealed $30). Volume 22 12/7/71 Felt Forum ($20) with Bonus disk 12/6/71 Felt Forum ($25) or $45 for both. Volume 24 8/25/72 Berkeley Theatre ($20). Grateful Dead-2 Show RFK Boxset-$40-includes 7/12/89 RFK Wash DC and 7/13/89 RFK Wash DC. Led Zeppelin- $8 each- all of these are the recent reissue/remastered deluxe editions with extra bonus disks: for sale is: Presence, Physical Graffiti, Coda, In Through the Out Door, Led Zep II, Led Zep III. $8 each.
  • wilfredtjones
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    Dancin' Sandwich!
    http://www.dead.net/show/october-3-1976 Dancin'>NFA>Dancin'
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RFK Stadium 1989 Box

LESS THAN 5000 LEFT

The Grateful Dead battled the elements in July 1989, enduring drenching rains and stifling humidity during back-to-back shows at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium in the nation’s capital. In spite of the bleak weather, the band thrilled the massive crowds both nights with triumphant performances that rank among the very best of a busy year that included 74 shows and the release of the group’s final studio album, BUILT TO LAST.

ROBERT F. KENNEDY STADIUM, WASHINGTON, D.C., JULY 12 & 13, 1989 includes two previously unreleased concerts taken from the band’s master 24-track analog recordings, which have been mixed by Jeffrey Norman at TRI Studios and mastered in HDCD by David Glasser. The collection’s colorful slip case features original artwork by Justin Helton and a perfect-bound book with in-depth liner notes written by Dean Budnick, editor-in-chief of Relix magazine. The set will also be available as a digital download in Apple Lossless and FLAC 192/24.

When Jerry Garcia, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh, Brent Mydland, and Bob Weir rolled into D.C. in July 1989 for the Dead’s two-night stand at RFK, the band hit the stage running with a stellar rendition of “Touch Of Grey,” the group’s biggest hit from its only Top 10 album In The Dark, which was released in 1987. The following night, the band returned to its double-platinum commercial breakthrough when it opened the show with a fiery version of “Hell In A Bucket.”

“RFK Stadium '89 fell right in the middle of one of the best tours of the last 15 years of Grateful Dead performances, with these shows being the sixth and seventh of an 11-show tour. This tour is widely considered the start of a nine month period of sustained excellence, which ran from Summer '89 through Spring '90. The RFK shows are as good as any of the more famous shows from this period, including July 4 in Buffalo, July 7 in Philadelphia, and the Alpine run,” says David Lemieux, Grateful Dead archivist and the set’s producer. “When Bob Weir has asked me to provide copies of Grateful Dead songs to give to his bandmates to learn and rehearse, he almost always requests Summer '89, and I've often drawn upon the RFK shows for this purpose. It's really that good!”

Both shows feature standout moments, but the July 12 show is notable for a few reasons. Perhaps the biggest is that the first set featured at least one song sung by each of the band’s four lead singers – Garcia, Weir, Lesh and Mydland – something that rarely happened. Another surprise came when the band opened the second set with “Sugaree,” a song that almost always appeared during the first set.

Pianist Bruce Hornsby — who briefly joined the band between 1990 and 1992 — is featured on both shows. He played accordion during “Sugaree” and “Man Smart (Woman Smarter),” with a touch of keyboard-tinkling, on July 12, and then played more accordion the following night for “Tennessee Jed” and “Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again.”

For fans of Mydland’s tenure with the Dead – which began in 1979 and ended in 1990 with the keyboardist’s tragic death – these stellar shows capture that incarnation in peak form. Among the long list of highlights are performances of live staples such as “Eyes Of The World,” “Wharf Rat” and “I Need A Miracle,” along with rarities like “To Lay Me Down,” which was played only a few times in 1989. The July 13 show also features the band road-testing “I Will Take You Home,” a track Mydland wrote with Dead lyricist John Perry Barlow that would appear later that fall on Built To Last.

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Ice Cream - I dig that triple post - and you post-edited to give it flow. Kinda like a '73 Eyes of the World with that angular 3rd section.... Space - your play-by-play is a great read and spot-on - much appreciated. Glad we got a good slug 'o '80's. We have our differences, but you have a great ear for the music (or at least it gybes with my thoughts...). But ultimately we both know that that I am obviously SO much DEADer than thou....:) Wait, where's RV3? Hopefully listening to this at full volume with a huge smile right now... :) Kayak - see ya Friday at the "Gahden".... reviews of Dead and Co. so far seem ok, no?
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Yes Friday at the "New Gahden" :)
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....how great a song Memphis Blues was when the boyz nailed it, and they nailed it that night. Older me is smacking younger me for using this song as an excuse to visit the port-a-lets. I'm sorry guys. And those were not fun to be in when tripping balls. I had to gather myself up tight before venturing in. Brrrrr. Chills....
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Yep.. I always liked their cover of Memphis Blues. I was amazed Bobby remembered all the lines. Desolation Row too.
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I hadn't purchased an 80s show in awhile, but got caught up in the hype. Everyone sounds great, but Brent's vocals had gotten so bad by the late 80s, they ruin most songs. He was better in his early 80s supporting role, but like Donna, he became involved on way too many songs. Musical genius? Lol, no, that's a cheerleader talking. He's a capable player at best, in the right place at the right time. He's nothing special in the world of keyboardists, and you can find people of his caliber all overy the country (including the Dark Star Orchestra). He was nothing special in the way of writing and arranging, but he could hold his own on the B3, which even Pigen could do, and he was adaptable to the road, which was essential for the Grateful Dead - so he got the job. He would have been fine in the later years if he stuck with the Hammond and sung far less. He doesn't belong on Mississippi Half Step, Cassidy, and Terrapin Station, or a number of tunes beyond his scope. I think he knew it. Jerry once said that Brent had a complex, that he couldn't get past being "the new guy". As Phil drank more, and Jerry slid into his mind numbness, the Dead began to need someone to pick up the slack and BE more involved. Unfortunately, that extended him well beyond his capabilities. There were some great shows, I saw a lot of them, but they didn't compare to the 70s. Anyway, I mention it for a couple of reasons. One, this is an album review blog, and I'm here to say it's mediocre in the scheme of things, and two, there is clearly a lack of understanding as to why a great many people turn away from 80s Dead, but in a word, it's Brent. Now Hornby was the real deal. If only they'd adopted him in 1979. Writer, arranger, vocalist, jazz/jam capable. Enthusiasm for something you love is great, but lol, let's not casually throw around terms like musical genius. They're reserved for people like Jerry Garcia, and John Lennon, and Pete Townshend. That's just the way it is.
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My RFK’89 Box finally landed today. Here’s a link to hot-off-the-press, high-res, color corrected scans of Justin Helton’s art. Spread it around if you have a chance.https://www.dropbox.com/sh/caogjpqr1x9lxqj/AADUFrfe59DtqkpQKABG55sSa?dl… As clip-art, cut-and-paste collage, not sure this ranks up there with Disraeli Gears or Sgt. Pepper’s or even some of Helton’s other work. But more importantly, I’m looking forward to soaking up the shows this box contains along with all the other great music that’s swirling around. Onward!
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On Bobby remembering all the lyrics... I remember back then the poking joke about Bobby can't remember the lines to Truckin' after 20 years, but he's going for Memphis Blues?!
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Everyone can have their favorite "era". Just don't call me an asshole if mine ain't yours. That's not asking too much, is it?
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...yet, with Brent onboard, the Dead sold more albums and concert tickets than at any other time in their prior history. More people were turned onto the Dead when Brent was in the band than anytime prior in their history. Not only that, he was a brilliant songwriter, arranger, vocalist and keyboardist. Bruce is brilliant in his own right, yet in his tenure with the Dead, he lifted Brent's idea's most of the time, as opposed to making his role in the band his own. Did somebody mention Katy perry's "left shark"?... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZ7II-uFxkU ...I think her 2015 left shark was way better than her 2016 left shark. Maybe it's an invasion by the Steve Hoffman forum folks. Lot's of left sharks in those waters.
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Dear Mind Left Body,Please send me your "Almost Enjoyable" Grateful Dead at once. I know a generation of beautiful, positive, people that will enjoy it immensely. Please enjoy your Euro 72' box the rest of yer days. This is a comment forum not a review blog. I respect your right to voice yer opinion here...please remember that opinions are like butt-holes...everyone has one and most people don't care to see the other's. If you or anyone you know personally can play as well, with as much soul as Brent...please post the link for all the rest of us to compare so that we become as enlightened about Brent being "nothing special".
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Spacebrother Interesting points you make. While I don't subscribe to the idea that Brent was responsible for the skyrocketing popularity in the later 80's, it was after all Jerry's song that went top 10, I think the critical remarks on him were off base. He did write some good songs his singing was a nice addition, Donna he was not.As for Bruce being a permanent member I don't think that was ever in the cards. Something to be said about captain of his small ship than a lt. on the good ship Grateful Dead. Frankie lee although I disagree with his thoughts about Brent and think he went over the top. To suggest he not express himself on the release we're talking about doesn't make sense
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Referring to Brent as a "musical genius" seems a bit absurd. There surely aren't that many people in music, or in any field, for that matter, who could be described as a genius. Within rock music, I would say that Jerry was a genius-maybe also Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan..The Beatles collectively. Perhaps one or two others. But Brent? I would also say that a bands commercial success has no bearing on their artistic success. The fact that The Dead sold more tickets, or sold more albums after 1987 was not because they were making artistically more satisfying music to that played in earlier, less commercially successful years
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Just look at popular music today, and in the past..... I like Brent and 80’s Dead, but I wouldn’t call Brent a genius, and I wouldn’t give him the credit for the surge in popularity in the 80’s. Love Bruce. When are we getting that Bruce Box?
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First day home alone with the RFK box. What to do, what to do? Man, if there were 2 dvds included I'd never get any chores done today!
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Not my favorite, even tho I saw more Brent shows than anyone else, he was called back then "random factor" by most of the circle of deadheads I knew in those days. Don't you think that it is ironic that the Dead, even in summer 89 were looking around for another keyboard player? Why was that? was it because Brent had become a loner, a loose cannon, someone who could not be trusted to just play the tunes and had to break down and insult his wife and women in general when he was going thru his bad time with his significant other? Maybe the rest of the band said, "wait a minute, who needs this guy spilling his guts all over the stage when ever him and his family have an argument?" The dueling pianos on this release is a good jump off point, I can see Phil and Bobby saying" let them duel it out, see who's best" Don't get me wrong, there were some good shows with Brent, but they were better with Keith, just as they got better with Bruce. I believe that if they had continued, Brent would have been replaced and Vince would have been just as good as Brent if not better. I would have loved to have had Bruce join the band back then, but he had his own thing going on, he just wanted to be a part of the greatest show on earth, and play with Jerry. It was all abut Jerry, the rest was just color.
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Who had the longest tenure,on the keyboards, with the Grateful Dead? Does a band normally, have a member, who they don't enjoy playing on-stage with and recording music. Much less the incredible time on the road, spent with each band member. Its sad to see, our opinions, should out weigh the bands, on keyboard. Each player brought a vital element, to the Grateful Dead...without, no more Grateful Dead. I always thought of it as a better planet with the Grateful Dead then without, any incarnation. Glad to see, the band's opinions, don't apply.
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I didn't realize Bruce was on this RFK box. I thought those keyboards that I really liked were odd for Brent. I wrote earlier that I really like when Bent is in "sustained synth mode", adding smooth texture and atmosphere, as opposed to zippy "synth-piano" fills. Evidently that was Bruce's playing. Yeah, would have been cool to have him on board full time when everyone else was healthy. Those synth on Eyes are great.
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I pre-ordered and have 12,400+......
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Never sure what board to post on and always seems I'm one topic off but....I've held off seeing Dead and Co after so many mixed reviews from old touring buddies. Finally jumped in at MSG on Sunday and holy shit it was amazing and way better than anticipated. The sound was crystal clear and perfectly mixed one row off the floor on Chementi's side. Scorching Shakedown>Greatest Story>Bertha opener and I knew it was gonna be a great night. The tempo was way faster than shows I've seen on youtube. According to the guy behind me, Bobby's been working out and I gotta admit he looked well groomed and in amazing shape and was jumping around the stage w/ 1980's like energy and with strong voice. Highlights IKYR they build as always to "IWIW a Headlight" but the rooms response was thunderous, Cumberland was tight, Ship of Fools w/ Oteil brought a huge ovation, emotional SOTM and a powerful Casey Jones. My personal peak was drums/space as good as ever with these red vertically placed drums that have a predefined sound for each..created crazy cool stoner sound!! The new MSG is great, largest selection of Beers Ive ever seen. Saw a bearded guy in a tye dye, was convinced it was Kayak, than realized "wrong garden"...fuhgetaboutit ohh Next up electric Hot Tuna Asbury Park NJ
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I like your taste...... I am enjoying these two shows. The sound is wonderful. I could do with less Brent, he just never did it for me. I also wish Bob would have screamed less....ruins certain songs for me. BUT I have found moments in both shows that I dig a lot. I am glad that those of you who love this period have gotten a release you love. I buy all releases and always find something to enjoy about each one. Peace.
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I feel like just as there are Sets 1 and 2 in each show, that these 2 shows are like Set 1 and Set 2 in and among themselves. 7/12 is lighter, the setlist less exploratory. 7/13 is heavier with a little more danger to the setlist, and hearing the 2 shows back to back feels cathartic to me the same way that the 2nd set of any night is a trip that comes home. So I'm glad this was released as a box. The 2 shows belong as one. I don't know if that makes sense to you the way it does to me. Oh and also my # is in the 13,000s and I preordered mine several months ago. I think they print 15k copies and the number you get is random.
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It's one thing to be incredibly talented such as Jerry Jimi quite another to be in the genius level. Possibly Dylan not quite sure there is only one hands down no question genius, love him or hate him Frank Zappa is that person
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Bach? Mozart? Clearly. Haydn? Beethoven? Dylan? I guess. The term is 100% subjective but to use it too loosely is hyperbole. Hyperbole is the last refuge of a failed argument. As is defining musical genius in terms of record sales and concert attendance. Is Taylor Swift a musical genius? It could be argued our friend has "Jumped The Shark".
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Quote from the booklet... ... "Jerry then acknlowledged with a laugh that, given the fact the keyboard player had been in the band for a decade, "he's been pretty conservative about getting comfortable in it, but now--I mean this record, it's nice to be able to show off what he can do on a lot of different levels. And his contribution to this record is really outstanding all over. Not just his tunes and vocals-all the keyboard paryts, and just ideas and general stuff". ... Of course everybody is aware of Bob thoughts on this point of their career being his favorite. "The best era for my money." ~ Bob Weir Excerpts from Bill kreutzman's book "Deal", page 253... ... "From his very first note with us, Brent was as much a member of the Grateful dead as any of us. His piece just fit the puzzle.... ... "Brent's B3 playing was really spectatcular.I was always energized watching him play; he was always in motion....He was one of my favorite Grateful dead keyboard players. Brent and Keith - those are the two for me." ... "Brent's energy and style was a catalyst to discover new realms ithin our own material. He really kick-started us as a unit and by bringing in a new element to all these songs we had been playing for so long, he really opened up possibilities for new jams. New sensibilities...." ... Phil on Brent, from his book "searching for the Sound", page 249... "For some time, Jerry had been concerned by Keith's musical devolution, and when playing with the Jerry Garcia Band double bill with Bob's band, The Mindites, he had been impressed by Bob's keyboardist, Brent Mydland. Jerry asked Bob to contact Brent, ask him if he was interested, and send him some tapes so he could learn the stuff. The answer came affirmative; so when Keith and Donna left the band, Brent was ready to step right in and start working with us at a very high level. His superb playing and singing brought a new energy to the band, as if we were firing on all cylinders again, and his vulnerability and sweetness added a welcome ingredient to the gumbo of curmudgeonly abrasiveness that the band had become." ... They all agreed that Brent was a musical genius, and in their own words, and I agree with Jerry, Bob, Bill and Phil. edit - Zappa was a true musical genius. The depth and scope of his music goes far deeper than almost anybody else in the rock music industry. Some of his sidemen also shared that level of genius...Steve Vai and Mike Keneally to name a couple. Regarding Taylor Swift, some people here might get more out of her than the dead, based on some of the commentary shared here. Sorry if people are bothered that I don't share the view that the Dead were only good in one or two eras. They were great from the beginning all the way up until Jerry checked out. Their level of greatness varied depending on their creativity and good health peaks.
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Add Trey Anastasio to the incredibly short list. Trey is my generations answer to Zappa.
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@JeffSmith thanks for the cover art! regarding Eras - I never cease to be surprised by 30 days of dead with what I find - sometimes tracks sound like a different era than you'd expect...
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Space I don't think anyone's bothered that you think the Dead was great in the 80s. They were great. I think what some people are saying is that they didn't think they were as great as they were in the 70s, and many feel that Brenthe was the weak link. Sure the band loved him! They hired him. But that doesn't make him a genius. Phil loved Heineken, but that wasn't good for the band. Jerry loved heroin, but that wasn't good for the band. Bobby loved Ibanez guitars and playing slide, but that didn't make the band sound better than the Gibson hollow body he played prehiatus. You just need to accept some pepole don't like him. It's not personal. BTW, book and interview quotes don't really do much to sway people. When I think of things, these are the comments I think of, that resonate with my experience with the band. But it won't change your mind about how you feel about Brent. Jerry Garcia: Brent had this thing that he was never able to shake, which was that thing of being the new guy. And he wasn't the new guy; I mean, he was with us for ten years! That's longer than most bands even last. And we didn't treat him like the new guy. We never did that to him. It's something he did to himself.....he could have gotten better, but he just didn't see it. He couldn't see what was good about what he was doing, and he couldn't see himself fitting in. And no amount of effort on our part could make him more comfortable Phil Lesh: From October 16 – 20, 1974 the Grateful Deadplayed a series of five shows at Winterland in San Francisco that marked the end of the era. The band took a break from touring after the Winterland run and only played a handful of shows in 1975 before returning to their hard-touring ways in June of 1976. According to bassist Phil Lesh, “something was missing” after the band came back. Phil is featured on the last page of the latest issue of Rolling Stone’s print magazine. Within Lesh’s The Last Word chat with David Fricke, the bassist was asked “what was the best part of the Grateful Dead’s success for you?” The bassist had a surprising response, “It was wildly successful for me until we took the break from touring [in 1975]. When we came back, it was never quite the same. Even though it was great and we played fantastic music, something was missing.” Fricke pressed Lesh on just what was missing and Phil responded, “It’s hard to pin down – a certain spirit. It would come back now and then, on some awesome evening, some particularly great performance. But that was even more frustrating, because it would disappear again for X number of shows, just disappear.” This isn't proof that one period was better than another, or that one player was. It's just life.
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"They all agreed that Brent was a musical genius, and in their own words, and I agree with Jerry, Bob, Bill and Phil." Well there you have it, I guess. Not sure Space why you feel the need to have your opinion validated. This isn't a contest that you have to be proved right about Brent or anything else. Yes indeed you are taking it personally as Dark Star stated. But why waste time on this yet again?Are you actually going to sway the non Brent believers? Some love him, some tolerate him & some just hate on him. Many people love this particular era & many people don't because of Brent, Midi, less improvisations, Bobby's shorts, etc. I agree that it's kind of not fair that he gets crapped on just because he is not Keith. He had a much bigger role in the sound by adding vocals & original tunes. Regardless it's all part of the story & I'm glad it keeps getting released. So happy to read that the Dead & Co Sunday MSG show had some pace to it. I have found a couple of the previous shows way too slow for me. That is kind of why I prefer JRAD as of late. I'll be at MSG tonight & I'm sure it will be fun.
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While I certainly don't hate Brent, his Rooster rap sounds out of place in the middle of this classic, subtle Willie Dixon tune. "Yeah and the little red rooster, well you ain't shit to me Think you're a stud boy, well I doubt you'll ever be While your away I'm gonna fuck with your hens, boy I'm just bein' neighborly"
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Yes, I agree in principle with what you are saying. The more people who are considered to be a genius, the less it actually means. There are only one or two in any given field-though who those one or two are varies from person to person. Incidentally, I would never criticize Frank Zappa for the simple reason that I have never really listened to him much. But from what I have heard, it surprises me a bit to read that he is so highly thought of here. Of the albums I have heard, I think "We're Only In It For The Money" is great. But the others haven't really made much impact on me. Obviously something there that I haven't heard! Yet..
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10 years 2 months
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Yes, that Brent rap is truly horrible. Maybe it didn't sound so crude at the time, but it sounds ghastly taken out of its original context and preserved on recordings.
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13 years 4 months
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Reijo is onto something with his shorts comment. It was the shorts.. that should put this to bed once and for all. Now back to my regularly scheduled listening.
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How about Jerry's soloing in Hell in a Bucket? Holy cow he smokes. At some point in the early 90s it seems like Jerry stopped using overdriven tone and feedback, and his tone sounds neutered to me in those later shows. He stopped shredding; maybe it was his health and age kicking in. In this RFK box, he's still got fire. As far as the genius nomenclature goes, I reserve that for folks like Mozart and Einstein. While the folks in the Dead were practiced and proficient, I'm hesitant to label them as genius. Certain moments, perhaps, but not as a whole. Perhaps Jimi, but he as well might have simply been well practiced coupled with natural talent. The work of geniuses is uncommonly prolific, and usually beginning at a very early age: In modern music, Prince and Stevie Wonder come to my mind. Maybe there needs to be a distinction between mastery and genius. Jeff Beck is certainly a master, but is he a genius? Of the Dead members, I think Phil and Jerry were masters. All right, that ought to fan the flames a bit.
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Brent's playing is beautiful here. Complements the band really well. Full with lots of runs but doesn't overstep his bounds. Jerry clearly loved playing with Brent and I feel that Brent's passing played a huge role in Jerry's emotional and physical demise in the 90s. I'm not a huge fan of MIDI and neither do I like the toy-piano tones that Brent used in this period. But seriously... it was the 80s. All that stuff was new technology and fun to play with. Check out Miles Davis' Amandla. A lot of the same technology there and I find that it's aged really well even with the same ridiculous MIDI sounds.
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12 years 2 months
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I really like the sonics on this release. But you'd expect that with the 24 track recording and Jeffrey Norman's production values. The package is nicely done and I really like the fact that it's a standard size that fits well on the shelf. Two complete shows is a nice touch that makes it affordable for just about everyone. The performances are solid and include nice versions of just about every song played that was played on those two nights, but there is nothing that really knocks my socks off. Overall, I'd give them a solid B. Although good performances, it's easy to understand why it hasn't flown off the shelves. I'm sure it will eventually sell out but it may take awhile.
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Homer Simpson I rest my case....of beer... Can’t get enough of that wonderful Duff I took that advice (from one of these boards) and am playing 11-14-71.
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Musically, the mid to late 80’s pretty much sucked.Probably catalyzed by MTV. I would attribute the suckiness of the 80’s to helping with the explosion of the Dead during that time, it wasn’t just Touch. Not everybody was embracing the 80’s sound, many wanted rock n roll. With Bonham and Moon dead, DLR left Van Halen, Waters left Floyd, the pickings were getting slim. But the Dead were Truckin’ on.....
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This is a really good version of Estimated Prophet. It really builds. And that transition to Eyes. Nice stuff. Really nice stuff.
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16 years 6 months
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Welcome but be prepared. I have been listening to FZ since Sept. 1967 when John Kulberg who sat next to me in English class turned me onto him. To understand where his fetishists (his term for us diehards) are coming from will be a lot of work. Listening and reading. A warning geniuses are frequently not nice people. On top of that with today's sensibilities Frank may well offend. That said with over a hundred legitimate releases be prepared to be exposed to an incredible body of work. May I suggest starting with his Bizarre label (1968-1972) materials. Read what his former band members have to say....Aynsley Dunbar, Flo and Eddie, George Duke etc. have to say. You won't regret it
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I haven't heard anything by Zappa but I think he may be a genius. I've been reticent to go down that rabbit hole because... well it's a rabbit hole and he's got metric shit-tons of albums, all of which are supposedly masterpieces.
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Another candidate for genius. Discuss.
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lol at least DEVO understood what was going on. They got their name from de-evolution. By the mid-to-late 80s, this kind of self-awareness seems absent from the zeitgeist. Too much cocaine?
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10 years 2 months
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Present-day genius. When does the man sleep?
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16 years 6 months
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You're right he was nothing if not prolific. But if you dare it's worth it. Give you something to do for the rest of your life lol. I've been at it for 50 years and have no intention of stopping until I'm dead. I once went 30 days playing Frank and nothing else. The neighbors were impressed
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