Grateful Dead

completely unrelated. Was at the store today and a beautiful blond walked by. First time I have seen hip hugger bell bottoms since I was to young to know better. Absolutely gorgeous. Looked like Patti Boyd at the age of 33 or so.

You mention Son House... I caught Tinsley Ellis this past Sunday night at a local acoustic music organization and he played Death Letter Blues, and played it well. He related that, during the folk blues music revival of the early 60s people scoured the South for the real thing and it turned out Son House was working as a porter on a railroad out of Rochester, NY. When asked to play a festival he said he no longer owned a guitar and hadn't played in 40 years. "They" gave him a guitar and he spent his last years as a blues hero.

The injustices today are as bad as always, perhaps only less visible? I'm working on a new song titled "Lyin' Criminal Psycho Fascist Blues." Seems timely...

HF - absolutely. I do sometimes think about the enormous difference between the lives of country bluesmen who I listen to, like Son House, and myself. Even the 60's, in England and America were nowhere near as joyous for most people as is often portrayed in documentaries. It was only a comparatively few, quite privileged, mainly white and young people who enjoyed the Swinging 60's, or even knew what they were . Most people just swung.

Maybe with the current political situation we will see an artistic renaissance. It's not worth it. I would rather see more happiness and equality myself, which might breed ever new artistic forms to celebrate it.

Well, daverock, as you're no doubt aware, the trans-Atlantic slave trade and 400 years of murder, rape, torture, persecution and economic and cultural denigration produced the blues music of the earliest 20th century that eventually gave us jazz, country and rock 'n roll. Hence the joyous music of the 60s had roots in and was fertilized by centuries of America's Second Sin. (The first being genocide against Native Americans.)

Think of a forest entirely consumed by fire. Very soon, small green shoots arise, unaware of the catastrophe that gave them birth. No judgments! Rock 'n roll is also a wonderful American invention and worthy of taking pleasure in. Obviously everyone loves it. But the roots remain etched in stone. And now we're revisiting what bigotry, stupidity and hate can wreak.

As you were, HF

P.S. Thanks for the nod, proudfoot. Although instead of a phone, I'd have brought portable power to drive a pair of Infinity Monitor speakers with the Band of Gypsies on tap. Hell, maybe I'll rename my music studio Jimi Hendrix Memorial Park, a designation that knows no physical, locational limits!

45 years and 45 minutes ago ( where did the time go), I was up in Oakland for a killer of a show by the Good old Grateful Dead. What a show! It was a benefit show called Rock for Life. This show is in the vault and I'm pretty sure it will be an official release one day .

43 years ago tonight and last night ,I I was up in S.F. for two knockout shows with the Grateful Dead at the Warfield Theatre, these would make a nice release. Fun times!

No! Only one Paul was good singing at his age, and he had some younger help with the vocals. Which got me thinking of the 1975 version he did with Harrison and the one from last night with the slower, softer more fragile sound and tempo. No disrespect to George Harrison, I liked the "Homeward Bound" from last night better than 50 years ago.

Paul McCartney on the other hand, well. He could still play no doubt about that, & he gave us a good sample at the end when he came off the piano to play the guitar. His vocals however, needed some help. Alone he showed his vocal wear and tear, Paul always sang big and bellowy too, so that doesn't make it any easier.
I thought I saw Schmitty {Timmy B.} up there playing bass and backing up singing. He should've been more vocal in retrospect but maybe even he ain't got it like he used to. Sir Paul needed a duet with some good female vocalist, the same way Paul Simon did.
Adele would've done nicely.

& his band were excellent last night. At 82 he can still lead any band.

Thanks Sir McCartney! The words sing truer now than ever.

check messages

as the beatles say,,,,, we can work it out

PF - Agreed. You can't understand a country by looking at it's politicians. To do that you need to take note of it's artists. Or visit it, if you can. Experience a country and talk to it's people. I listen to American music every day of the week - nuff said.

Dennis - thanks for the offer of 3/18/67. It would take me forever to work out how to download it on to a cd, but if it isn't too much trouble I could give it a go.

Nitecat - thanks for telling me about your show on T.V. and online. I'll check that out later, it looks really interesting.

HF - The places where you saw the Dead sound amazing. It was often said, usually in relation to Egypt, that they were influenced by where they played. For me, it's usually in my front room ! I remember the one time I went to America, listening to 9/28/72 on a cassette recorder as we drove round the West Coast on towards San Francisco. It really brought it home to me the strong connection between the music and the country.