Grateful Dead

Thanks for the kind words folks. Deadheadbrewer, you married well :) Was I serious about France, absolutely! I love that tune (but no, I would not put it on a "best of" collection). And, on the subject of studio Dead, it's also worth noting that a lot of their best playing in the studio came when they were backing other musicians. Jerry's pedal steel on songs like Teach Your Children and Southbound Train. Or Jerry, Phil, and Billy on Crosby/Nash's "Wall Song" - smoking stuff from Jerry there. Or on Crosby's first solo album. Or some of the Slick Kantner stuff..Or how about their playing backing up Bob on Ace (the jam in Playin' is peak studio Dead). Now that would be an interesting compilation...

Great stuff and really cool transition.

Since we're experiencing a lull, I'll chime in . . . :) Back when the Europe '72 box came out, a friend who knew I loved the Dead sent me the news as it was breaking. Although I had ordered EVERY GD release EVER off Dead.net, I didn't receive the e-mail notice until AFTER the set had sold out (if memory serves), so I still thank my friend for allowing me to order the Europe box in time. Anyway, I was transitioning careers at that time, we were cutting corners, and I was pretty stressed out about not being much of a bread-winner. I almost ordered the box immediately (as was my pre-transition wont), thinking, "This is the greatest thing EVER!", but then thought, "This is the most RIDICULOUS thing EVER!", and changed my mind. Had I been making good money, the decision would have been easy, but I couldn't imagine spending $450 at a time when money wasn't flowing so freely. I agonized the entire day, then sheepishly mentioned it to my wife, who promptly and calmly stated that I would always regret not getting it, and that perhaps I should have it, given that music was my main passion, and that I was very careful with money on a daily basis. I sat down and ordered the set post haste, getting in just a few hours before it sold out. I love that woman! Someone mused as to why they couldn't love jam bands if they loved the Dead. I too have tried the Jam Band station (but rarely find anything of interest), and in 1991-1995 followed Phish and the Panic around, and even saw String Cheese at a CO bar for free with about ten other people on a friend's recommendation. But for me, the reason I can't get into the jam bands is the songs and the musical intent. Garcia, Hunter, Weir, and Barlow wrote songs in the Americana vein, reaching back into American music history for musical and lyrical ideas. And then they allowed those ideas developmental space in a jazz-minded manner. The jam bands to me don't have wonderfully-rich melodies, harmonies, and lyrics that I can bask in repeatedly. They seem to mostly be in a funk groove or heading as quickly as they can for a funk groove. That's part of why I haven't seen Phish since 1995--to my ear they went from being a spacey rock band to being a funk band (that, and the hordes of unwashed masses that started showing up at Phish shows during the Dead's demise). The other thing is that it's all about that bass, 'bout that bass . . . Phil's playing is beautiful and contrapuntal, whereas many of the jam band bass players just go for the funk, which gets tiring to my ears after a song or two. Garcia's playing is magnificent, but it's Phil's bass lines that make much of the magic, as Phil is playing something of an upside-down version of the melodies that Jerry is playing. The jam bands too often just are all playing on the same melodic line, which doesn't create a spacious-enough world for me, especially if I could be listening to Beethoven or Coltrane instead. And Claney--excellent perspective on how the countdown was to the celebratory year of our favorite band and phenomenon, NOT a countdown to a consumeristic opportunity! Happy New Year, all!