Grateful Dead

kvetchmeister sez: why repeat 7/7/89 at MUATM? are there that few shows that can be shown in theaters? I'll probably wind up going. but a different show would be welcome.

Jerry’s contribution to GD is unmistakable, but if it were all about him then JGB would be indistinguishable from GD. History shows that the keyboardist can change but the bus will keep on truckin’, although some people refuse to listen to eras that don’t have their favorite keyboard player. The band was also able to morph from 2 drummers, to 1 drummer, and then back to 2; but some people prefer one of those incarnations over others. History also shows that the band could function with a female singer, although some people aren’t necessarily pleased with that era. What didn’t change was the 3 guys holding guitars. Any change in any of those 3 would have ended the band. In my opinion Jerry is the greatest guitarist ever (and I love Hendrix), but it’s his combination with Bob and Phil that made the band. The way Bob works his way in and out of Jerry’s Playing is amazing, and without Bob’s singing about half the songs would be gone. And Bob has a lot of good songs (and a few crappy ones - Eternity comes to mind) Phil is amazing. I posted a few days ago that Jeff and Oteil are the stars of D&C, and I think Oteil is great and hope he sticks with Jeff after D&C ends. But Phil’s presence is why FTW was so much better than D&C will ever be. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts. I love Grateful Dead, and routinely listen to all years. And per suggestions a few days ago 6-18-74 is currently playing. Now where’s that new Box announcement?

I'm an artist and I own a Corgi. She turns eight this July. Hands down the best dog we've ever had. Makes those days of creative not-quite-right seem a bit less daunting...

Someone needs to figure out how to hack into all the telecommunication satellites and broadcast "Morning Dew" from 10/18/74 (GD Movie) throughout Singapore on June 12 for the USA/NK summit. Not only is it an appropriate song for the occasion (and a top version, imo), but can you imagine the thunderous bass lines and drums from that particular mix being played at "11" over a wide expanse of real estate? Mind-blowing. While you're at it, do the same synchronously over Moscow, Beijing, Tehran, Damascus, Kabul, etc., etc. And, of course, Washington D.C. Might just change everything. I was originally thinking about the "Dark Star" from Veneta, but that might initiate widespread mechanical breakdowns and cause the world leaders to soil themselves.

Rolling Stone has a list of the top 100 songs from 1998. I recognized or remember hearing 4. FOUR. only one is diggable: Harvey Danger "Flagpole Sitta" of course i don't seek out pop music, but a lot filters down to me. but only 4 songs. I was a new dad with 1.5 year old twins; maybe that's why. my mind was a "skullful of mush", lusting for sleep. Wonderful, wonderful sleep.

My only Corgis are my collection of Corgi toy cars from about 50 years ago -- Sgt. Snorkel's hook and ladder, James Bond's Aston Martin DB5 with the ejector seat and pop out machine guns up front, a 1968 Grenoble Olympics ski wagon with detachable skier, skis, and poles, Mr. Softee's ice cream truck, a Lincoln Continental with a built in faux TV screen in back, the Batmobile with costumed caped crusaders and firing projectiles out the top tubes and a fake flame that rolls in and out of the exhaust pipe with the wheels turning, and the E type Jaguar 4.2, among others. 'Twas the Cadillac collection compared to the Chevy Matchboxes, back in the day. As far as artists go, it's lucky that I'm not one, I suppose. All I have to do is set low expectations for myself, which I seem to achieve regularly :).

I get the impression that its quite a common characteristic of artists that they feel frustrated with their work, even if it is praised by other people. They often seem to feel that the work they produce falls short of the ideal standard they set for themselves. I can remember an interview with Jimi Hendrix, in which he stated dissatisfaction with his music. To people who liked him, his music was/is extraordinary-but only he knew what he was aiming for, and how the finished product stood in relation to that. Its not just famous or renowned artist who feel this way, either. My best friend is an artist, and she paints fantastic landscapes that almost explode with colour. She earns her living selling these paintings-but even after about 30 years experience, she has yet to feel that she has produced anything like what she sees in her own minds eye. She loves doing it though-her paintings seem almost an extension of her self.

What Jerry intended to be and what he ultimately became, despite those intentions, are two completely different things. The same can be said for the band itself as history has proven and continues to prove. That's often the struggle for many artists who find themselves celebrated and revered beyond their own expectations. I interpreted AJS's statement to mean that on stage, in performance, live, Jerry was musically the dominant component (which, with no disrespect to Hunter's brilliance, would have little or nothing to do with him as Jerry's writing partner). So, yes -- while the synergy of the band and the interplay between individual members is absolutely vital to its collective sound, Jerry was the proverbial linchpin that kept the Grateful Dead's synergy intact. That said, my path was similar to Jim's. I stepped away for awhile after Jerry's passing, until I realized that I missed the experience of hearing those songs live. After my first "Dead" show, I was pleasantly surprised. No, the shows weren't (and aren't) the same. But the spirit is still there. And like all things that grow and evolve, I adapted along with my favorite band.

While I wouldn't mind a '79 box, I'm not campaigning for one. Just noticing 1979 is conspicuous in it's absence.

Nice sentiments Jim, I agree with you that brilliant and illuminating light can still shine through the clouds even to this day. Hope is not lost but it may not be as easy to come by. Grass ain't greener, the water ain't sweeter, either side of the hill.