Grateful Dead

Doing...I got the impression that somewhere along the line, for Jerry, The Dead became a job and the JGB a hobby. That is purely on the basis of listening to recordings, and probably has no basis in fact. Towards the end of my working life, I enjoyed my hobby more than my job- but I was better at my job.
I had never heard of Bruce until I saw him with The Dead, so it felt mighty strange at Wembley 10/30/90, when he started playing that solo piece. Who he?

Gary - yes, it seems to me that it can be a mistake to over identify with our bodies.

....I love discovering new bands. Somali Yacht Club was recommended by a friend.
Pretty cool, pretty cool.

Seemed to be as bored as the rest of us during the 49ers - Giants game this evening. So he started talking about some of the older stadiums where the 49ers played.

That prompted me to listen to 3/23/75 at Kezar Stadium. The SNACK benefit show.

A short set, but Good Lord. I can’t imagine what the Doobie Brothers were thinking to themselves when they had to follow that performance.

Purely for personal feels… Two shows I’d love to have as Dave’s Picks.

Merriweather Post 06/30/85
Richfield Coliseum 09/08/90

I suspect these are well embedded in many tape collections. They were two early entries during my burgeoning tape trading forays. Both are available in exceptional quality at the usual repository. These facts lead me to believe that even if folks were like minded in their appreciation of the two performances, no official release will happen any time soon. Too available and too good a quality of sound to warrant special treatment. Mores the shame.

Merriweather’s Shakedown could be on repeat all night long and I’d be happy. The Richfield, in my mind, is just about THE perfect home stretch Dead show. I have enjoyed Bruce’s tenure, but I find myself less enthusiastic as time passes for some reason. Like many a Dead phenomenon, when he hit, he really nailed it. But when he was hovering I find his playing just adds a distracting layer in the “jangly” part of the mix. He’s just a little too percussive and concussive too often, and it almost feels like there needs to be a “Hornsby Dolby Reduction” setting that needs to be switched on. He, dare I say, grates! To the point of distraction. In fact I’d be comfortable enough to say that it’s my opinion that there isn’t a Dead show that would miss him. Yes, there are some great moments, but they don’t warrant the detracting and distracting “crunching tin foil” mush that he brings to the table nearly 100% of the time. And, how many times do we need a bloody squeezebox solo tearing a new one through yet another generic standard. The novelty wears thin quickly. Again, just one chaps opinion and no malice intended. Hey, I’d give body parts for an 11/01/90 release because that was my one and only show (and an absolute maelstrom of primal electronic bedlam)! Seriously, any bad (and there’s enough of it believe you me) is more than balanced by the sort of Dead show you really didn’t get “to that extent” once the basic first set - second set start - drumz - and night y’all format became the template. That show is not that show without Bruce.

However! Richfield is not Richfield with Bruce… And Richfield is sublime! Fluid, beautifully improvised, absolutely THE show to demonstrate that 90’s Dead was yet one more brilliant facet of this bands prowess and heart. No Bruce. Just Vince, riding shotgun, occasionally spelling when the journey demanded it but otherwise content to listen and compliment and learn. The mix is stunning. I don’t think you could get closer to a “Whithout a Net” like sound field if you tried. The jams are long and liquid. The whole second set is seamless. The Space is scary and haunting and the old warhorse of Stones/Fade is so solid it demands to be listened to, hard. Likewise the Deal set one closer… Perfect! The MIDI work is sublime and complimentary with Eyes and Estimated clocking in almost a half hour of faultless and considered playing before we ease into yet another perfectly realised little ditty. Terrapin… OK I’ll just get it off my chest and say it… yes, I would shag this show if it were possible (and consensual… obviously. Come on, I’m not an animal!) So, as you can probably tell, I really, really like this show. A LOT!

Second topic. I have been super impressed with the way the Jerry site has been handling its retail experience. Pricing has been incredibly reasonable. Shipping seems to involve a competent courier and they manage things like duty and tax at point of sale which is hugely appreciated by Johnny Foreigners like myself. It’s nice to be able to pick up releases that for the most part aren’t time or volume limited. Being able to pick up the occasional piece of associated art, a t shirt here or there… And to double take at the price not in fear but with incredulity at how reasonable it is… Top marks and I thought I’d just add to the comments bigging up the Jerry releases. You won’t be disappointed.

I’ll leave you with a remark my wife made yesterday… “I really like listening to the Jerry releases. It just sounds like he’s having a lot more fun than he does with the main band.”

Now she listens to the Dead because that’s what I play… a lot. And I’m a bastard music tyrant. She’s OK with the Dead, but she likes the Garcia band releases on their own merit, and I think she’s nailed it to be honest. There’s something about Jerry unencumbered by the all consuming Grateful Dead beast that he definitely displays when playing in his side hustle. Feel free to disagree and educate me otherwise.

PS. I haven’t spell checked or proofed this. It’s too long to do on an iPad and it’s late, and I’m one month away from two years sober and feeling a little chatty. Apologies. If one person enjoys 1% of this splurge… hey. Job done.

Take care all.

Peace

Stephen.

1972

Love Denmark! Wife's uncle lived about 15 min from Tondor .... loved Ribe, Skagen, and other ones I can't recall .... and can't get enough of Copenhagen ... been there at least 4x and have a couple of trips planned in the next 2 years .... tcc

Hi Danehead and welcome! My Denmark anecdote - in the mid 90s my wife was trekking through Europe with her then hubby, and travelling by train in a lovely area just north of Copenhagen, when she runs into her brother-in-law on the train, who was touring over there as a wanna be musician. She had no idea he was there, because he was living in South Carolina (still does), and she was living in Toronto. Small world.

Gary - Your mention of Oteil makes me think of an album I played the other day that features him - Vida Blue (who was a great pitcher in the day, but I digress). An interesting little band with Page McConnell from Phish, a pretty jazzy sound. Worth a listen if you find it.

Played Bombino “Live in Amsterdam” this morning- one heck of a guitarist, thanks again DHBrewer for the heads up on this guy.

As for unruly people at concerts, you see it constantly at movie theatres, but I find venue makes a difference - if it is one of the 100+ year old opera style houses that every town has, with ornate Victorian design, I find the bands they book tend to draw a better group of fans, less disruptive. The arena shows are a free for all. Noise, talking, phones. I don’t go to many shows anymore, more because the ticket business would be more honest if it was run by the Mob, just crazy now, but truth is, most of the performers I like have either hung it up, or shook this mortal coil. I actually feel bad that young people didn’t have the joy of lining up for tickets, meeting other like minded fans in the line (not scalpers), and the joy of walking away with actual tangible tickets you could flash like a badge to your buddies.

When we were young, "Why am I here?" was the big existential question.
Now it's what I ask myself when I walk into the other room and can't remember what I went in there for. Wife laughed when I told her this a few minutes ago and said you gotta tell the Deadheads that. So I did. Pretty good, I remembered why I started this post. Score!
Cheers

Welcome! As others have said "You Can Jump Right In."

Speaking of Roger Glover, I post on here about a great show I saw at the Saenger Theater in New Orleans, in May (?) 2003. It was a Govt Mule show in tribute to Allen Woody, bass player for the Allman Brothers Band and then Govt Mule. Allen Woody had passed away three years earlier and it was a devastating loss. So Warren Haynes had this tribute called "The Deepest End." He invited bass players from many genres to join the tribute for Allen Woody. I always recommend people get the dvd/2cd set as it is an incredible journey in music. Here is a list of the bass players that played that night:

Jack Bruce
Oteil Burbridge
Bootsy Collins
John Entwistle
Flea
Roger Glover
Mike Gordon
Larry Graham
Stefan Lessard
Dave Schools
Mike Watt
Willie Weeks
Chris Wood
Jack Casady
Les Claypool
Billy Cox
Alphonso Johnson
Phil Lesh
Tony Levin
Me'shell Ndegeocello
Jason Newsted
George Porter, Jr.
Rocco Prestia
Dave Schools
Chris Squire

Maybe that will entice some bass players (Alvarhonso?, maybe OB Wan)) to give it a listen. It was a great show but it was Jazz Fest, so it was long, clocking in at over 8 hours. No way I could do that today.

Edit: Walked away and then confused Roger Clover for Glenn Hughes. Hate that the ole control panel circuits are fraying.

Dave Rock: I agree 100%. Even though the body breaks down, I too am happier today than any other time in my life. Well, except in shorts bursts of Grateful Dead shows and all its accoutrements.

I had a good time in Copenhagen during my brief visit many decades ago. 1981, in fact. Jesu, the days we have seen.