Grateful Dead

All this talk about Santana brings back a really fond memory. When I was about 12-13, and just discovering that I was total music nerd, I had a friend named George who a) was learning the bass guitar and b) owned a couple Santana records. I can remember, like it was yesterday, figuring out Evil Ways together and trying to jam on those two chords. What a thing it was to discover, for the first time, as my fingers fumbled around on the fifth fret, that I could find notes that fit over those chords, and put them together to make up a new little melody, and then another. A life-changer, that.

Bobby W said that songs are entities that have always existed, and they’re just out there looking for the right people to bring them to this plane of existence. That seems true of, say, Black Peter. Kind of disturbing, though, to think that My Lumps always existed, and was just waiting all those eons for Fergie to come along. Or that damned song from Cats. Which is now ear worming through my brain.

I'd be really surprised if they did the Winterland '74 run as a box: so much of that material has already been released (and to not always ecstatic reviews, it must be said, even tho I love it SYF and the move soundtrack) that I've got to think they'll look elsewhere. Still wondering why there never has been a Berkeley Greek box. Seems like it would work perfectly in the same way the StL box works: ie, same venue, different runs from different years. But I get the idea they kinda like to surprise us by avoiding obvious choices like that. So who knows.

Last five:
Messiaen: Quartet for the End of Time
Weather Report: The Legendary Live Tapes
Dexter Gordon: Swiss Nights
GOGD: DP 36
King Crimson: Thrak Attack

I haven't got round to playing it yet, but I notice Santana do a version of this at the 7/4/71 show included in the Legacy Edition of the 3rd album.

for the Santana suggestions. Caravanserai yesterday and Santana 3 the day before. I was only really familiar with the first two albums. I really enjoyed Caravanserai, big hints of In A Silent Way at times. I've been listening to both through Tidal, I'm really getting into streaming these days. It's cd quality and better and saves me buying a load of stuff I'll only ever listen to a couple of times.

Last 5 all streamed

Manassas
Caravanserai
Santana 3
Decemberists - The Hazards of Love
NY_Time Fades Away

This is true. And it's not always good.

Hey rockers!!!

Back in the land of the living, gotta eat lunch...........

We were---and still are---huge Santana fans, especially the first album (still a favorite of mine, sounded very exotic to my young ears), Abraxas, III, and Caravanserai.

First Carlos show, October 29 1972 at the old Boston Music Hall. Saw many more after that, always very interesting. Carlos has always played with a lot of heart and feeling.

Lotus may be their/his best live album. Features some very fine and fierce guitar work..............

Everybody sooner or later has to drop the luggage and the baggage of illusions.......

Rock on,

Doc
Some songs are just like tattoos for your brain... you hear them and they're affixed to you.........

First turned on to Santana when I was out in SanFran summer of 1969 on a family road trip. All set to go to Woodstock but the 'rents said no way, we have a family expedition planned and you are only 17. So... visiting friends of theirs in the bay area, their same age son said, ditch the folks, lets spin some music, pulled out Santana's first album. A fan ever since. Lucky to see them twice later on, the Shango Tour at SPAC August '82 and a very wild scene at Ile des Vannes, just outside Paris, April '83. Suggest listening to Abraxas with headphones. Aquamarine on Marathon, with Jaco on bass, must listen on a full range system with a good sub. Borboletta for Airto's percussion. Prayers for Carlos health after recent issues.

I was fortunate enough to see Santana play live in June 1970. A superb high-energy set that impressed me.

Set list:
Se A Cabo
Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen
Jingo
Oye Como Va
Incident At Neshabur
Toussaint L'Overture / Evil Ways
Persuasion
Soul Sacrifice
Encore: Gumbo

Great stuff. Hard to believe it was almost 53 years ago.

Hey rockers!!!

3-23-23, Happy National Palindrome Day!

Eva, can I see bees in a cave?

Rock on!

Doc
Off to morgue, death takes no holidays

Reading up, I notice that the bonus disc on Santana 3, the 7/4/71 show, came from the closing of the Fillmore West shows. I can remember seeing the film of that, but only once, about 1977. I wonder if all the shows were filmed and recorded - if so, that would make a good box set. The Dead's show on 7/2/71 came out unofficially as part of that so called "Yellow Box" of 1971 shows a few years ago. I can't say it's stuck in my memory particularly - and looking at the set list doesn't help - but it would be great if the whole set of that came out on dvd.

Yes, "Lotus" is a great live album. Another one that had maximum impact on vinyl in the 70's - but I have the cd of that here for later on.

So March 22, 1969 I was at the Rose Palace in Pasadena CA to see The Butterfield Blues Band, Grateful Dead and some new weirdo English group name of Jethro Tull... cost a whole $4...the Rose Palace was a pit...a sheet metal hangar type of a building that was mainly used to build the floats for the Rose Parade...this venue became the spot in So Cal after the Shrine Expo Hall had been closed down due to police harassment...there were a bunch of great shows there before the locals pressured the powers that be to shut it down too...