• https://www.dead.net/features/blairs-blog/blair-s-golden-road-blog-rainbows-unicorns-and-picky-dead-heads
    Blair’s Golden Road Blog — Rainbows, Unicorns and Picky Dead Heads

    We live in a cynical age. Believe it or not, “rainbows and unicorns” is a term that is used pejoratively online to describe that segment of Grateful Dead fans (and those of the post-Garcia bands) who believe that the Dead were, in a sense, beyond criticism. These folks believe that what the Dead did musically, coupled with the experience of being at shows with other Dead Heads was (is) so profoundly positive that it seems somehow unfair to complain about it in any way. They would really prefer you not say a negative word, thank you.

    I was that guy for many years. From the time I first saw the band in the spring of 1970, through about 1981, I really didn’t have anything bad to say. Were there songs I didn’t like and times I was a little bored? Absolutely! But I can’t recall ever coming away from a Dead show during that period feeling disappointed. I just loved everything about the band and the scene. Going to Dead shows was Magic Time for me. “Rainbows and unicorns” isn’t exactly an apt description of what my Grateful Dead worldview was — I was more “lightning and dragons” — but I felt a kinship with the utopian idealists who believed that the Dead environment could be a paradigm for a New Age, even with the hustlers and hucksters and burnouts and shady types who were always part of the scene.

    And that never changed for me. I never took the Grateful Dead experience for granted. It always remained Magic Time for me — even when the shows became something less than consistently magical the last couple of years. What changed, though, is that sometime in the early ’80s I encountered — and soon became —“ANOTHER PICKY DEADHEAD” (as a bumper sticker of the time said).

    Two things happened in the early ’80s that fostered the rise of the PDH: 1) More and more people went on tour, seeing multiple shows in different cities, along the way becoming more critical about song selection, repeated tunes and such; and 2) Tape collecting exploded, so suddenly fans were making more direct comparisons between, say, the 1980 Dead, and the 1977 or ’69 Dead. Hit four or five or six shows on an ’81 or ’82 tour, and chances are you’d get a few “Lost Sailor-Saints,” “Alabama Getaways” and either “Black Peter,” “Wharf Rat” or “Stella” in the late second set ballad slot. What’s wrong with that? Nothing, of course! The band still mixed up their sets more than any other band on the road (in fact no group was even close in those days), and the fact is, look at almost any earlier era of Dead music — when very few folks toured — and you’d find much more similarity in the song selection from night to night. In ’77, they played “Estimated” at 51 out of 60 shows. In ’71, they played “Casey Jones” and “Sugar Magnolia” almost every night. I didn’t hear anyone complaining about “Row Jimmy” turning up at 61 out of 72 shows in 1973. But by the mid-’80s a significant number of Dead Heads had become jaded.

    In my own case, starting my Dead ’zine The Golden Road is what really pushed me down the path of PDH-dom. Before ’84, I had never cared about what the band was playing night to night on tour, much less attempted analyses of trends in the group’s repertoire. It never occurred to me. I went to shows, I had a great time, I went home a better person! Before 1982, though, I also wasn’t going to between 20 and 30 shows a year, so every concert seemed more special, I suppose. I will say, though, that I never compared whatever version of the Dead I was seeing with earlier incarnations I'd enjoyed. I definitely accepted that they were what they were in that present day, not some pale comparison with the Dead of '72 or '77. Because fundamentally, it still hit me the same way.

    However, by the mid-'80s for me, it became a game of anticipation: “They opened with ‘Scarlet’ two nights ago, so we probably won’t hear that. We’re about due for another ‘Throwing Stones’ > ‘Not Fade Away’ closer, but I’d rather hear ‘Sugar Mag.’ I can’t believe Bob chose ‘Looks Like Rain’ instead of ‘Playing.’” It wasn’t pretty, people. I’m not proud of thinking those thoughts. (And admit it, some of you had those notions, too.) Still, very rare was the show that didn’t get me off, no matter what was played. If I had a moment’s thought of “Gee, ‘Throwing Stones’ again?” it never prevented me from enjoying a well-played version to the fullest. We all have our favorites, but if there’s passion in the effort, I can enjoy pretty much any song, and that continues to be true for me.

    The last several years of going to shows definitely tested my generally positive outlook. There were a few “new” songs I thought were actually bad (no names here), and then there was the whole matter of Jerry’s decline, which had to have been apparent even to the extreme “rainbows and unicorns” types. There were shows that left me … disturbed. And yet, to the bitter end I was upbeat about the next tour and the renaissance I was sure was coming around the bend. I guess I couldn’t see the dark clouds through my own rainbow glasses.

    Since Jerry’s death, I have moved back toward the “rainbows and unicorns” camp when it comes to the post-GD groups. In the process, I’ve been subjected to the slings of arrows of the new breed of PDH—hyper-critical Internet critics for whom nothing short of an appearance by Mr. Garcia himself could quell the relentless and at times disturbingly personal sniping at the surviving band members and their efforts. The level of vitriol in their commentary is shocking. The Internet is a take-no-prisoners war zone.

    But I feel that Phil, Bob, Mickey and Bill have admirably dedicated themselves to thoroughly exploring the Grateful Dead’s incredible repertoire and taking the Dead approach to playing in many new and unexpected directions with an amazing variety of players. At the same time, they’ve made a conscious attempt to keep the Dead Head community spirit alive, for veterans like me and for the young ’uns coming up. And that’s why I’m no longer jaded. Just grateful.

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  • Mike Edwards
    12 years 8 months ago
    Everyone's a Critic
    > Grateful Dead may be my absolute favourite band of all time but I still don't love them unconditionally deadmike, your comment sums up my take on this discussion pretty well. It's going on 20 years since the GD stopped making new music and yet, GD music is still mostly what I listen to, but that doesn't mean I'm not critical. While the GD were still touring, I was another Picky Deadhead at times; there were so many classics that I hadn't heard performed (like St. Stephen, until Hartford 1983, or Dark Star, until 1991 at Soldier Field), so yeah, regularly performed songs like Day Job and Hell in a Bucket got kicked around a bit for not being what I wanted the band to play. Quite simply, I figured that I had invested heavily in the GD, like those nights when the band was struggling to achieve lift-off and my dosed mind became convinced that if I danced harder, the music would get better, which it sometimes did, and thus I had some say in what the band was playing, or not playing. On the matter of rainbows and unicorns, I'll add that my personal peeve was those damn dancing bears. They looked good on the back cover of Bear's Choice, but in just about every other application since, I've found them to be wishful, rather than experienced. I prefer a bone white skull over a cartoon bear; strip away the skin and what's left is what we all share in common.
  • deadmike
    12 years 8 months ago
    Btw ...
    It may seem off-topic but I will pass on a link to an episode of a Swedish TV program, broadcast this week. Four minutes into the program it features almost 8 minutes on the Dead. The series is called The Songs That Changed The Music and the reason to why they covered the Dead in this program is because the series gets to San Francisco. The topic is Viola Lee Blues - a short song getting longer in the hands of the Dead. They also cover the Dead as an example of a band with a prominent bass player, arguing that putting the bass more forward in the mix is something the San Francisco bands was first in doing. Bobby is interviewed and also take play some guitar while explaining himself. http://urplay.se/166704 (Hope it's viewable for all, if not all together understandable.) Micke Östlund Växjö, Sweden
  • deadmike
    12 years 8 months ago
    I recognize this ...
    I seem to have been spot on this time since writing on the subject with friends on Facebook the last two days. I have explained Grateful Dead may be my absolute favourite band of all time but I still don't love them unconditionally. They have their flaws and as I get older och get to listen to more shows I also become more and more critical. Also reading about how Jerry went downhill for all those years before he finally left us, makes me feel less charmed. Of course I'm grateful for all those archival recordings being released on records but I do not purchase them all. Some because I have had them on tapes for many years and have listened to them many times in the past and some because I might think they're not as good as I would like them to be. Yesterday I made the parable to avantgarde jazz musicians who play with their elbows. If you have heard ten musicians play like that it doesn't sound as adventuroes when listening to another ten like them. But every now and then somebody might be ON doing something done many times before, and that's how I feel about the Dead as well - even in the later years as Garcia was trading off. To tell you the truth - I havent listened through the Complete Europe '72 box set yet. Actually I have only listened to the first three shows so far because I don't feel any rush. Also I haven't purchased more than seven volumes of Dick's Picks and even though I'm a subscriber to Spotify where they all can be listened to (as well as the downloads from a a few years back), I haven't done that either. Neither have I been taken the opportunity to listen to a multiple shows through Internet Archives. It doesn't mean I'm not a Dead Head anymore - it means I have become picky. ;-) Now being a record collector I would very much like to own everything released by the Dead or almost everything that is. And I hope I live long enough to being able to listen to everything released at least once but then on the other hand, I will not be dissappointed if I never get to hear it all. Micke Östlund, Växjö, Sweden
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We live in a cynical age. Believe it or not, “rainbows and unicorns” is a term that is used pejoratively online to describe that segment of Grateful Dead fans (and those of the post-Garcia bands) who believe that the Dead were, in a sense, beyond criticism. These folks believe that what the Dead did musically, coupled with the experience of being at shows with other Dead Heads was (is) so profoundly positive that it seems somehow unfair to complain about it in any way. They would really prefer you not say a negative word, thank you.

I was that guy for many years. From the time I first saw the band in the spring of 1970, through about 1981, I really didn’t have anything bad to say. Were there songs I didn’t like and times I was a little bored? Absolutely! But I can’t recall ever coming away from a Dead show during that period feeling disappointed. I just loved everything about the band and the scene. Going to Dead shows was Magic Time for me. “Rainbows and unicorns” isn’t exactly an apt description of what my Grateful Dead worldview was — I was more “lightning and dragons” — but I felt a kinship with the utopian idealists who believed that the Dead environment could be a paradigm for a New Age, even with the hustlers and hucksters and burnouts and shady types who were always part of the scene.

And that never changed for me. I never took the Grateful Dead experience for granted. It always remained Magic Time for me — even when the shows became something less than consistently magical the last couple of years. What changed, though, is that sometime in the early ’80s I encountered — and soon became —“ANOTHER PICKY DEADHEAD” (as a bumper sticker of the time said).

Two things happened in the early ’80s that fostered the rise of the PDH: 1) More and more people went on tour, seeing multiple shows in different cities, along the way becoming more critical about song selection, repeated tunes and such; and 2) Tape collecting exploded, so suddenly fans were making more direct comparisons between, say, the 1980 Dead, and the 1977 or ’69 Dead. Hit four or five or six shows on an ’81 or ’82 tour, and chances are you’d get a few “Lost Sailor-Saints,” “Alabama Getaways” and either “Black Peter,” “Wharf Rat” or “Stella” in the late second set ballad slot. What’s wrong with that? Nothing, of course! The band still mixed up their sets more than any other band on the road (in fact no group was even close in those days), and the fact is, look at almost any earlier era of Dead music — when very few folks toured — and you’d find much more similarity in the song selection from night to night. In ’77, they played “Estimated” at 51 out of 60 shows. In ’71, they played “Casey Jones” and “Sugar Magnolia” almost every night. I didn’t hear anyone complaining about “Row Jimmy” turning up at 61 out of 72 shows in 1973. But by the mid-’80s a significant number of Dead Heads had become jaded.

In my own case, starting my Dead ’zine The Golden Road is what really pushed me down the path of PDH-dom. Before ’84, I had never cared about what the band was playing night to night on tour, much less attempted analyses of trends in the group’s repertoire. It never occurred to me. I went to shows, I had a great time, I went home a better person! Before 1982, though, I also wasn’t going to between 20 and 30 shows a year, so every concert seemed more special, I suppose. I will say, though, that I never compared whatever version of the Dead I was seeing with earlier incarnations I'd enjoyed. I definitely accepted that they were what they were in that present day, not some pale comparison with the Dead of '72 or '77. Because fundamentally, it still hit me the same way.

However, by the mid-'80s for me, it became a game of anticipation: “They opened with ‘Scarlet’ two nights ago, so we probably won’t hear that. We’re about due for another ‘Throwing Stones’ > ‘Not Fade Away’ closer, but I’d rather hear ‘Sugar Mag.’ I can’t believe Bob chose ‘Looks Like Rain’ instead of ‘Playing.’” It wasn’t pretty, people. I’m not proud of thinking those thoughts. (And admit it, some of you had those notions, too.) Still, very rare was the show that didn’t get me off, no matter what was played. If I had a moment’s thought of “Gee, ‘Throwing Stones’ again?” it never prevented me from enjoying a well-played version to the fullest. We all have our favorites, but if there’s passion in the effort, I can enjoy pretty much any song, and that continues to be true for me.

The last several years of going to shows definitely tested my generally positive outlook. There were a few “new” songs I thought were actually bad (no names here), and then there was the whole matter of Jerry’s decline, which had to have been apparent even to the extreme “rainbows and unicorns” types. There were shows that left me … disturbed. And yet, to the bitter end I was upbeat about the next tour and the renaissance I was sure was coming around the bend. I guess I couldn’t see the dark clouds through my own rainbow glasses.

Since Jerry’s death, I have moved back toward the “rainbows and unicorns” camp when it comes to the post-GD groups. In the process, I’ve been subjected to the slings of arrows of the new breed of PDH—hyper-critical Internet critics for whom nothing short of an appearance by Mr. Garcia himself could quell the relentless and at times disturbingly personal sniping at the surviving band members and their efforts. The level of vitriol in their commentary is shocking. The Internet is a take-no-prisoners war zone.

But I feel that Phil, Bob, Mickey and Bill have admirably dedicated themselves to thoroughly exploring the Grateful Dead’s incredible repertoire and taking the Dead approach to playing in many new and unexpected directions with an amazing variety of players. At the same time, they’ve made a conscious attempt to keep the Dead Head community spirit alive, for veterans like me and for the young ’uns coming up. And that’s why I’m no longer jaded. Just grateful.

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We live in a cynical age. Believe it or not, “rainbows and unicorns” is a term that is used pejoratively online to describe that segment of Grateful Dead fans (and those of the post-Garcia bands) who believe that the Dead were, in a sense, beyond criticism. These folks believe that what the Dead did musically, coupled with the experience of being at shows with other Dead Heads was (is) so profoundly positive that it seems somehow unfair to complain about it in any way. They would really prefer you not say a negative word, thank you.

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I too became a picky Deadhead in the 80's. For me 1972 (and all the years leading up to it) was the peak of the Grateful Dead. Everything else paled in comparison. I started seeing them heavily from 1976 on. Like Blair, I caught about 30 shows a year in the 80's, hearing the same songs over and over again. I have to say though that if I had the world to give, I'd give it to hear Jerry sing Day Job one more time. So many folks I ran into hated that song. It didn't bother me. I though it was just Deal or Might As Well with different lyrics. By the end of the 80's, I looked at my pickiness and realized I was seeing too many shows. I scaled back a little after '89 and tried to see shows at places that were special. Knowing full well that a special place could have been Cedar Rapids, IA or Richmond, VA. Seeing about a dozen shows a year, gave me a much better appreciation for the band that I loved.
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X~~~~~~for ya Professor.Thanks for noticing and delivering such a fine articulation of my true experiences and unwavering camp status...there's more but A-XO will do! I love you, Grateful Prof - syawlA, xo! And Blair- I love you
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It was a comment you made about picky Deadheads recently in response to a personal attack someone else made about Robert Hunter on one of my long-ago blogs about RH that inspired me to write this one. So thanks for that! (And to MaryE for pointing it out to me last week.) For the benefit of those who didn't see it, what Sherbear gently pointed out was: Deadheads used to be very picky; very, very, very picky. But it was a different picky. Bitchyness about how a song turns out or a setlist that didn't have their pick in it. Or the quality of what show they wanted or that the guys were buzzed. But it wasn't feelingless it was bitchyness or ranting at least as I recall it. Things have changed...
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After 1978, Terrapin appears 4 times after Drums- 7/7/84, 4/6/87, 12/30/90 and 3/28/91- and the 91 show an incredibly rare Terrapin Encore. Thanks to DeadBase- hope I didn't miss one.
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Ahhhh, what a correlation.Yes, indeed. Thanks for the great article. I wanted to throw a healing vibe on your experience; you were not alone- I know others. I am crying with love, unexpectedly.
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What I meant was that I never liked Row Jimmy. In fairness, I've heard some that were OK but it's just not a song I ever cared for.

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Gotcha. I'll plead sleep deprivation for my dufusness. So, ok, you ARE picky....NO GSET after 72? Lincoln 2/26/73 (Dick's 28), my friend ~ though admittedly, that's only two months past 72. Though I don't agree with the others, either, I do understand them. There's a fire to the original incarnations of the songs you mentioned that was indeed singular. It's a revelation how inspired Jerry is on the Tivoli '72 OMST (speaking of videos begging release.....though the circulating quality is quite good, so I'd be far more excited about the Beat Club performances ~ the new video grail as far as I'm concerned). Applying skwimite terms to the Brent era, the Spring 87 tour saw the last pure versions of Touch of Grey, and the most exuberant ~ when Jerry sang "I will survive," he meant it....("give me five, I'm still alive" took on a whole new gush that tour, too). Never the same after, even (especially?) that very summer. Throwing Stones after 87 (maybe Spring 88) was never the same beast, either ~ Bob started quieting things down, I guess for dynamics, but after you've had 80 proof it's hard to be satisfied with 40. No epic Sugaree (for me) after Spring '88, either. And Bird Song jams got less adventurous after '87, the peak got standardized and then the way(s) to it were limited to its inevitability ~ it was a sad day in '93 encountering one I actually thought was weak....something I'd never have thought possible. Never saw a weak Let It Grow, though ~ and that includes '95.
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Blair, in defense of your Picky Self as Golden Road's chief writer, you asserted then that the most likely explanation for the constant performance of "Day Job" as an encore was that Aliens made Jerry do it. I still find this to be the most plausible explanation.

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I'd've been less picky if only those aliens would've kept convincing Jerry to play Day Job instead of When Push Comes to Shove (and in place of the last 80 times Bob went into Memphis Blues AGAIN*)..... *loved it the first time....two years later, Jerry was so bored he wouldn't even sing on the choruses anymore....and I didn't blame him. Like, where's Brother Esau or Lazy Lightning? (Of course, then Black-Throated Wind came back out of nowhere....)
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I wasn't that picky about songs until the late 80's early 90's and even then i could just wait till it was over and the next song started. Bobby screaming into the mike those years was extremly irritating and until this day I don't under how the rest of the band could listen to a tape of the show and think it sounded good.. Ater seeing the band from 74' on I never didn't have fun. I think what got to me and maybe it was my advancing years was the scene. I became picky about the scene. I was sick of the deadbeats walking around with their finger in the air looking for a "miracle" ticket- to this day that term makes me cringe. It seemed like more and more little kids were showing up pretending they new all about the whloe thing. Maybe I'm turning into my Dad.
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and that includes me. On the archive yesterday, I listened to set one of 5/7/77 and set two of 3/26/83. polar opposites. 77 sparkles and 83 is tedious. I like anything before 80, and select material after 80. I dreamed (seriously) last night that I was at a show (onstage) and the band was so bored-looking and "going through the motions." Seemed like 87 or 88. Then I found 6/10/73 on the archive this morning, and my GD spirit is shining brightly again. The boys did the best they could for a LONG time. Being there made the difference in later years. What's my point? For good or ill, I am a picky Deadhead. Be sure to listen to 6/10/73 soon. AAAOOOHHHHHYYYEEEEAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! pitb
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...Stoltzfus, but speaking only for myself, "the band was so bored-looking and going through the motions" doesn't sound like '87 or '88 Dead to me. I recall the band having a pretty damn good time onstage in that era... And like I said, I don't compare '73 Dead to '88 Dead. Different time, different band. There are shows from every era I love and shows from every era I have no interest in hearing again.
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While I can understand those who have no desire to attend shows by any post-Jerry lineup, I strongly disagree with them.The post-Jerry lineups may not be the GD, but they are the closest we're ever going to get. Plus, they keep the spirit - musical and otherwise - of the GD and the GD community alive. Personally, I've been to Ratdog, Furthur - and yes Blair - even Dark Star Orchestra shows that have been as good as some GD shows I attended. Recorded music-wise, I of course continue to listen to vintage GD with Jerry, but I have a few Furthur, Ratdog, Phil and Friends discs too. (Love the way Furthur mixes things up as Blair commented in a blog several months ago) As for the haters - fuck 'em. Let 'em continue to live in the past and blindly worship at the altar of their perception of Jerry as a God-like figure (which Jerry would be mortified by). Jerry may have been the head Dead, but the GD were a band, a musical collective, most of whose founding members continue to make thrilling music today that channels the GD. So, can't wait for that next Furthur, Ratdog or yes, DSO show (Friday April 13th in nearby Agoura Hills, Ca. HEY NOW!).
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seriously, it was in a dream. Brent was the keyboardist. The only show I was able to get to in GD87 was 7/19...the GD's sets were a bit bland, with a 2 minute jam out of Playin' or something. The set with Dylan is one for the ages. (anyone remember the "Impeach Reagan" banner flying behind the airplane?) I remkeber from the Golden Road, Blair, that even your comments were something like "the audience seemed like it had been zapped with a stun ray". GD88 I saw 8/26 (ok) and 8/28 (ugh.) remember, re my comments...it was all a dream. 7/2/71!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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All eras of the GD had their moments - including my least favorite era (the post-Brent era). Stoltzfus - you may have thought that 83 show was tedious, but what about the shows that year from MSG? Hartford? LAKE ACID?!There are some serious gems from 80-90. Spring 90 being my personal pinnacle of the GD.
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Nice article. I found myself viciously attacked for making criticisms of Furthur, high ticket prices and Bobby. I must say that I think Furthur has finally come around and are sounding good. I do find the Unicorns and Rainbow folks strange. Jerry used to say that Deadheads knew when they had an off night. In a Rolling Stone interview, the interviewer said to Jerry something to the effect of "Your fans see to go crazy about anything you do." And Jerry's response was "They are more critical than that."I liken the U&R crowd as those who have no critical standards which I find a scary way to go through life and to listen to music. But hey, that's coming from a PDH. I see nothing wrong with demanding high quality. Some do. Oh well.
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Nice article Blair. I was once attacked viciously by people on the Golden Road FB for making a criticism of Furthur, high ticket prices and Bobby,. One of my criticisms of Bobby at the time was that he wrote many great tunes that he should play instead of singing Jerry tunes. Well great to see he brought Brother Esau back out recently. A minor attack even came from a member close to the Dead who said the FB was no place to level criticism. I am a PDH and proud of it. I think the last Furthur show I was was fantastic. That being said, I find many of the Dead releases to be harsh sounding on the high end. I feel that has been true since early on in the Dick's Picks days. I myself want people to be critical and express their opinions. I'll read it and decide for myself if I think the criticism has merit. I just doesn't see going through life with no standards as any way to live. I think it is extremely negative to have a U&R attitude.Oh well, that me, another PDH.
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.... ..with the FB Golden Road page, but did want to say I have nothing to do with it, whatever it is (in case anybody was wonderin'). FB not really my scene, though I see many of its positive qualities...
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what is FB?
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lot of different levels to being picky, i'd say...you could want particular songs or just wish they mixed things up more in the second set...as for discussing what they might play before the show based on what they had played the previous nights-i always enjoyed that aspect of things...of course, you could get bummed out if you heard they played scarlet>fire the night before & knew you had no chance of hearing it...myself, i liked when they'd end the first set w/ sat. nite or box of rain (not sure if they ever did that) instead of the standard deal or let it grow (though i love both those songs)...the one song i did not want to hear in the later years was row jimmy-it just dragged-love the '73 versions...like most of you never left a show unhappy though i do know i too did leave some of the later shows feeling a bit "disturbed" like blair says...sometimes due to the band's performance, sometimes the scene...as for bob's screaming at the end of estimated i enjoyed it, especially in the big stadium shows like giant's stadium-it filled the hot summer air nicely & freaked out the newbies & straights...this is my first post so i'm kinda all over the place...i haven't seen any dead since bob & rob in ft. lauderdale in 2011 (maybe 2010 before jam cruise)...i have seen plenty of ratdog & phil & friends, but nothing recently...i'm not against what any of them are doing & purchase any releases, but not sure i want to get on the further bus though if they come to my neighborhood i will surely check it out...
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After seeing "View from the Vault" from 7-8-90, I was struck by how bored the band was. Maybe just a bad day, but still. The last show I attended was the earthquake benefit in Oakland (great show) and wondered what I might be missing. Apparently not much but I was spoiled by the 70's. As a study in contrast, I was lucky enough to be at Winterland for 12-29-77 & 12-30-77. The 29th needs no further description but the next night they looked positively out of it. Either seriously pissed at each other or a tragedy had occurred. You would never know they played one of the best shows of their lives the night before. Never saw them before or since in such a state. I found my picky self getting pretty annoyed at their lousy attitude. I guess the show was OK (haven't listened to it in years) but the bad vibes killed it, although my slides came out better that night. For me at least, my PDH syndrome had extended way beyond just the music to the day of the week, time of the show, reserved seats or not, and the list goes (went) on. But I love what I love and I want it that way.
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You know, when I was getting deep into the Dead from Fall '89 to Spring '90, it was the PDH in Golden Road Magazine that was my basic literature. We had Relix, and they fluffed every show regardless, and then the tapes would arrive and I'd be pissed at them for being deceptive. On the other hand, Golden Road told the truth (except on the relatively lifeless 12.27.91 show). The reason I appreciated Golden Road was that all too often, the show reviews were spot on, and the tapes shared that. I didn't get into the Dead by attending shows. My brother played clips from the GD Hour in the car on the way to school, as well as Reckoning and the 12.31.89 NYE show that he had on tape. I was captivated by the 2/23/74 Eyes of the World, Bird Song from 2/11/89 at the Forum (where the band finds its way to chaos and back into order without sacrificing the groove), the first Scarlet->Fire from 3/18/77 with highlights throughout (little riffs that would catch my ear, and yet this 15 or so minute bit would seem like only a couple minutes long), and the list goes on. Basically, hearing the tapes again and again, I realized that this band was creating art while breaking every musical rule I'd ever been taught. I started seeking, and seeking hard. I got Dead Set on CD, and it amazed me that the album could one day be the most amazing thing I'd ever heard, and the next day, the same album could be the most boring. I met tapers, I began a collection, I lived this music for nearly a year attempting to answer some question I didn't have an answer for. I would lose myself in my thoughts during an early '70's Dark Star or Other One, and wake up finding the musical landscape had changed so drastically. The more I meditated on the music, the more I began self-reflecting (rather than thinking about things outside the band). I don't remember the day or the time (since I wasn't keeping records of my studies), but there came one day in early 1990 when it clicked and I woke up. There wasn't any real social context for this experience, so I kept it to myself for many years attempting to duck it, or to understand it. It was absolutely tangible, but completely unexplainable. Come June 16, 1990 to my first show. I wanted jamming and space jamming, and lots of it. Don't ask me how they knew to respond. Such a different energy than any other show I've heard in many ways. First first-set Truckin' since '85, only Big Boss Man since the New Years show with Bonnie Raitt, Cassidy had two songs follow (not just one), and the first West Coast China Doll since '87. I had my Deadbase and I knew all this going in. Then Brent passed away. I wish I had more appreciation for Vince when I met him. The jaded Dead Head in me regrets that I didn't understand the conditions that lead to an unqualified musician like VW to join the band, and land in a place where he could never really win. Fact is, I wish they'd taken a break for the health of all. Or just abandon the keyboard notion for a while and allow everyone to adjust. The music is not superior to life, and there was a bit of a long-term steam-roller effect on the soul by just replacing a guy I had tons of respect and love for. I attended many shows. I didn't tour much. One thing though. Furthur did it right. Not adding a Jerry-character for many years allowed the necessary healing to take place. Mickey has a great and original project. Phil is at the top of his game (playing with so many brilliant artists has definitely tapped his higher musical potential, I think). Bobby is great, and the acoustic work and solo work he is doing seems long overdue. Just a great move by all accounts. Billy got the groove. I got done with the jaded Dead head thing. I listen to the GD for the vibe, but it's the jazz guys who make me truly hungry to study, hungry to work as hard as I possibly can. I once asked HH how he remains so consistent over the years, and he just said: truth is, we are human beings and we are not consistent. My great interest in the Grateful Dead is that place where they go, when they rise above the ordinary and enter that transcendent place where the music becomes this perfect, euphoric celebration that seems to beautifully mimic the workings of life, society, the universe, and whatever you might want that music to be. 98% of all other music is just music, and very little in the musical universe has achieved what the Grateful Dead achieved. But attempt to find those shows where they enter that larger-than-life sound, and it's a bitch to search and navigate and find. The Dead on a good night is the ultimate psychedelic carnival, and there's nothing like it. Nothing. A musician's playground, so to speak. The day I started improvising my own Playin' jam while walking down the street, I realized there would be no going back. The next stage was a nearly two decades long process of attempting to uncover a healthy approach, to demystify the music and rehumanize my own attitude, and with that, to beef up my own musicianship and put this knowledge and philosophy into action. That makes me a good writer and musician, but without gigs or work. Frustrated, yes. Determined to keep going, indeed. Opening doors? I don't know. We'll see. Anyway, thank you again, Blair jackson, for being one o my guides down this crazy process of taking this good music way too seriously!
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...for taking us on such a thoughtful and articulate journey down your road! I have one question though: Who is HH? BTW, that 3/18/77 "Scarlet" > "Fire" was one of the most magical things I ever witnessed. Already loved "Scarlet," of course, but had never heard of "FOTM" before that breakout...Wow! I'm gonna write about that show one of these days...
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Indeed..any reason why no official release for that show..or maybe even a box set of the run. Yeah yeah I know there has been a mass of 77, but these shows are a little different and very special
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My best guess is Herbie Hancock- mostly because Howard Hughes wouldn't make much sense.
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Dan R, I appreciate your point of view. It's a unique one. You blew a little smoke Blair's way too, which he seemed to like, as usual. But I can't see how you could call Vince "unqualified". I am mostly a 60s & 70s snobby PDH, but listening to 10/14/94 or 2/27/94 might change your opinion of Vince. I was sure that the band was all done by that point and I was very wrong. VW is great on those shows and so is Jerry, surprisingly. The beauty of "Attics" (10/14) and "Rain" (2/27) has a lot to do with Vince being a solid harmony singer. He's a great contributor on keys throughout, too. I underestimated him, and I credit him with keeping the ship afloat at some crucial times. Don't miss the "FOTM" from 10/14, either. I'm a person that loves those raw, early versions but here is one that lasts over 20 glorious minutes and has tons of hot jamming.
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I guess I'm a bit "Rainbows and Unicorns" about 65- 74 "golden era" Dead. I mean I've just never heard anything from that time I didn't love.. Were there any bad shows? off nights? I haven't heard any yet. Granted, I've just got everything officially released, or that somehow filtered down through tape trading circles- probably the cream of the crop. Sure, some nights were much more intense, more magical, more exciting than others. But I just love it all dearly. Take 72 -74. The band had such a warm beautiful sound, and the same committed and uncompromising approach to jamming every night. Heck, since 95%+ of every show I've heard from then is "hot"- the times I stumble onto a lukewarm show it is fascinating in its own right- kind of like an oddity(!) Hearing that great band struggle to lite things on fire, with limited success (aww!). Going backwards from 72, replace "warm beautiful sound" with "wild and wooly" Still, equally great music.After 74 I think I can be pretty doggone picky, believe me... I wonder if the only "Rainbow and Unicorns" era for Jerry was the Acid Tests. He always spoke so fondly of them! :)
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...with OneMan about Vince, but that's a subject for a future discussion...
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Blair, I find no need to cover the ground you so wonderfully explored here. I agree pretty much start to finish. I've enjoyed the music in all of it's incarnations, & happy I was there from kinda start to finish. My 1st show was 7-8-70 (a show I can find no information on, to my displeasure) and they came to the St Louis area enough that I was happy with everything they gave me when they came around. That was a time when sooo much good stuff coming around that I was completely satiated. Janis was my 1st show, followed by The Band, The Dead, then Canned Heat & John lee Hooker. It only got better from there. So as you described Blair, seeing the Dead when they came to me was a really exciting proposition, but then life was a high time all around me. I will be honest & say the 69-74 period is my favorite time because that's what I cut my teeth on, & I loved the dangerous & at times chaotic edge to the music, but I find beauty in all periods of the Dead's music.Thanks for your take on this subject, and to this day, what with the Archive and the boys on-going search for the magic, I'm happy. I always walked away with a smile, life's too short for the sniping & comparisons, but if that works for you maybe you're missing something here. Peace, Steve
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Very Grateful. Thanks Blair!
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I love all the years of the music. Its like a big family of sound, early years are children that grow up. We connect to whatever sounds and memories our experience defines at whatever level of growth. The music evolves, the band evolves, the new bands, peripheral sounds, all encompassing a common thread that is not so defined in text. Keep it coming, in whatever form with whatever spirits.....I love all the years of the music. Some moments are better than others, but I would never trade one moment for no moment. Thanks musicians. We appreciate what you give.
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I was not a PDH when Jerry was alive. Well, that's not entirely true. I was a picky Deadhead about the *audience* but not about *the music.* I loved the music and I loved the people playing the music and I wished that the audience that was showing up was more respectful. I was an arrogant youngster who somehow thought I had a handle on who should and shouldn't be showing up at shows. It bear's mentioning that I saw most of my shows on the left coast and was appalled by some of the east coast gigs. Now I'm straight up appalled by what I see at left coast gigs too. After the third night of a 3 show Dark Star Orchestra run at the Great American Music Hall, some punk on the sidewalk decided to hurl a nitrous tank through the plate glass window of the pipe shop next door the Great American. No doubt they were yelling that they were "Grateful Dead Family" while doing so. It pains me to see people behave rudely in the name of the Grateful Dead, like they've somehow earned the right to take up "our" colors as "their" flag and pretend like the Grateful Dead was a street gang that only select hoodlums could join. Bleh. Anyway, I was not much of a PDH about the Grateful Dead. There were songs I loved and songs I didn't love so much, and I was able to understand more clearly after Jerry died what made a TRULY GREAT SHOW (on tape.) These days I try to keep my rainbow and unicorn vision from getting tarnished by what I see as rampant thuggy stupidity, but it is definitely disheartening. As for the current music, 7 Walkers is my favorite new project on the road because I love the Meters almost as much as I love the Grateful Dead, but I commend all the surviving members of the Grateful Dead for carrying the torch, each in their own unique way.
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What is up with the hoodlums flying dead colors these days? It's happening right now in the town where I live. I don't like it. In more ways than one. Is there a gang that has adopted the the stealie??
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Grateful to have been part of this scene for more than 30 years. Thank You.Thank You. Thank You All.
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Grateful to have been part of this scene for more than 30 years. Thank You.Thank You. Thank You All.