Day 16: The Other One, 2/5/78

The Other One, Dick's Picks, Vol. 18, 2/5/78

Serendipity. In my experience serendipity is one of the greatest gifts that the Grateful Dead ever gave me. The beautiful aspect of this is that even though I’ve been listening to the band for more than half of my life (thirty years upon my head…) I constantly get turned on, my mind blown, and a range of other emotions and sentiments when I listen to their music. There is something for every occasion, whether in the Dead’s oeuvre, or the Garcia or Weir catalogs, and all the rest. This continued sense of serendipity, adventure, and wonder is what inspired me to take on this project.

I’m actually writing this on Saturday night for my Sunday post because I know that I will have precious little time to work on anything of my own tomorrow. Not to sound too pedantic, but that’s life with kids. You know who I give a TON of credit? Moms and single parents. I have no idea how they do it. I love my boys, but having to occupy the interest of my 2 year old son for an entire weekend is a draining process. Those who have gone before will always say that it gets better. Our second kid arrived just last week so we’ve been here before, we know it gets better, but knowing that doesn’t make the here and now any easier. That’s something that most parents have to find out the hard way, I think.

So I just happened to click on this version of The Other One and as I listened to it I realized that it mimicked the pace and frenzy of the day I had just experienced, the peaks and valleys. Of course your mileage may vary, but no matter how you break it down there are some interesting things going on in this song.

The Other One comes rolling out of drums with Phil leading the way. Jerry immediately takes the lead and feels his way into the space of the song. Keith floats effortlessly around what everyone else is playing and Bobby’s signature “jangly” guitar tone cuts through at all the right times. Jerry works himself into a frenzy and Phil follows suit, even hitting some notes in the upper register before settling back into the sweet spot further down the neck. The band continues at this pace, slightly shifting dynamics only to return to where they started, for several minutes. Around 3:20 things start to calm down and the band finds the groove that sets the foundation for the lyrical section of the song. Donna and Jerry add their “comin’ around”s, although they lack a bit of conviction. Jerry starts to meander a bit in the succeeding solo, and his tone seems to change a bit. There’s a bit more echo (reverb maybe) to my ear. Around 5:40 they start to build again. Clearly the what preceded was the eye of the hurricane as the band returns to the aesthetic they started the song with. Jerry goes really high with a flurry of trebly notes that signals the return to the second verse. This verse is not like the first one and has a lot more oomph! to it (although the “comin’ around”s could still be better). Once everyone finishes singing the bottom drops out of the groove and eventually everyone but Jerry stops playing. Clearly Mr. Garcia is looking for the thread that connects the bombastic Other One to the plaintive and mellow Wharf Rat that would follow.

Day 15: Next Time You See Me, 4/17/72

Next Time You See Me, Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings: Copenhagen, Denmark, 4/17/72

This morning was full of excitement in our household. Our two year old was starting a new session of swim lessons and he was really pumped for it. It has probably been almost 6 months since we were last enrolled and every time we drive by the local rec center where the pool is he says he wants to go swimming. Since kiddo #2 arrived we’re able to settle into a schedule and swim lessons help to occupy kiddo #1 for an hour or so on a Saturday morning when we don’t have any other plans.

That sense of child-like enthusiasm led to today’s selection. Part of this choice is related to the fact that I haven’t given any Pigpen songs the nod yet. While I’m a big Pigpen fan time on the weekends for listening is limited so this shorter tune was a good bet. When I decided on a Pig tune I knew I wanted to get something from his last hurrah - the Europe ’72 tour. Despite his failing health you can tell he really put everything he had into this tour, which I’m sure was no easy task. There weren’t a lot of extended Pig raps like in years previous, but when it was his turn to take center stage he made it count. Pig was the Dead’s REAL front man, Jerry himself said as much. The reason for this particular version is also related to that fact that some video of this show circulates and it’s the only video I’ve ever seen of Pigpen in action. Every time I listen to this song I think of him there in his cowboy hat giving the blues hell.

Pig was the bluesman of the group and I really like his blues songs. I think this is why it grates on me a bit when Bobby tackled blues songs. There are a handful of Bobby blues songs that are consistent skips for me (Little Red Rooster, C. C. Rider, etc). Garcia didn’t lead as many straight blues tunes over the years, Big Railroad Blues is the primary exception that immediately comes to mind, and that one is a rocker blues number so I almost always enjoy it. Some of that is probably my natural Jerry bias, but at least I can admit it!

The Nash strat (given to Jerry by Graham Nash, hence the name) was in full effect on the Europe ’72 tour, and Jerry conjures some classic blues licks out of it. This Pigpen number starts off the normal way with that sweet, syrupy guitar tone. Phil swings away at the bottom and Jerry adds some nice chord based licks under the first verse. Pay attention to Billy’s snare drum throughout the song. It’s got a mellow crack to it and he sense of rhythm is just on point. The first solo section starts with Pigpen on harmonica. A real treasure this is, and Pig blows a mean harp on this number. Garcia immediately follows with a go-round of his own embellishing the melody with down home blues licks. Keith energetically swipes his hand across his piano to end the section and send it rollicking back into the next verse. The band is really cooking now and Keith hits the piano with a ferocity that did not frequently emerge from him. Of course, several measures later he’s using a deft touch, which really displays his sense of dynamics in the course of a chorus. That’s pretty cool when you think about it. Jerry spins a few more choice licks out of his strat and he and Pigpen finish this quick powerhouse with a flourish of guitar and harp.

Day 14: They Love Each Other, 2/26/73

They Love Each Other, Dick's Picks, Vol. 28, 2/26/73

Ok, this one may be a bit cliche, but that's part of the fun of music, right?, the ability to appropriate and apply the (perceived) meaning of a song to one's own life. The Dead didn't write a lot of love songs. In fact, I remember reading or hearing somewhere that Garcia said he actually sat down and tried to write a legitimate love song once (appearing on the Shakedown Street album). They Love Each Other doesn't have the sappy sentimental element that endears (or is it plagues?) so many love songs. Like a number of the band's other songs it started off as a much bouncier song and over the years evolved to a more laid back, less jaunty arrangement. Whether that was intended, a result of chemical influences, or something else I have no idea, but I've always preferred the peppier versions from early 1973.

On this night on the Great Plains, Garcia starts off by laying down the standard intro lick with a slinky, ready to slapback guitar tone. As the vocals start the whole band kicks in and Keith takes a few flights of fancy at all the appropriate times. During the second verse you can actually hear a fan yell “woo!” so you know the boys are hitting it right. By the first chorus this little ditty is chugging along like a locomotive (not one that will fall off the track though!). Jerry dances intricately around the melody during the solo that follows. This is ’73 so only Billy is back on the kit and you can tell the band has a lot more room to breathe. During the second chorus Bobby really accents his rhythm playing and Keith oscillates between tasteful runs and block chords in the bridge before heading back to the verse. As Jerry sings the final chorus it actually sounds like Bobby is throwing in some lead runs before the song comes to a close. All in all a solid version of this arrangement of this great tune!

So turn this one up, grab your special someone and boogie for a few minutes today. I'm sure you'll both be... Grateful... if you do!

Dead For A Year on Twitter and other updates

I've been tweaking the site almost daily and I hope readers are not only enjoying the content, but some of the extras as well. The most significant may be the spotify playlist. Although not everything is present on that service enough of it is that it should be a useful tool to hear what I'm hearing and not having to rely on subjective recordings from archive.org (even though we all love it so much!).

I created a Twitter handle specifically for this blog. I will continue to link all posts on my personal account as well, but for anyone who doesn't care about my other interests this will provide a signal path amidst the noise.

Follow this blog at @deadforayear

There is a feed in the left side bar so you can just click follow there if you're so inclined.

I'll see about getting a dedicated Facebook page in the next few days as well so keep your eyes out for that.

Almost halfway through month one and there are so many good tunes to get to. I'm really enjoying this so far so please feel free to provide comments, feedback, etc.

I have a link to selection stats and plan to post a running analysis at the end of each month. After 2014 we'll see what happens in 2015!

There's a chance I might move this off blogspot onto its own domain, but I will update on that when/if it happens.

Thanks!

Day 13: Throwing Stones, 9/25/91

Throwing Stones, Dick's Picks, Vol. 17, 9/25/91

I got this song stuck in my head last night when I was playing with my two year old. At one point he said "Ashes ashes, we all fall down" as is common for kids his age that are exposed to children's rhymes. Of course for Daddy this line calls forth this Bobby song. It's certainly not the first time he's said this, nor is it the first time I made the connection, but I digress.

So with this song in the back of my mind I went looking for a good version. When I saw the cover of DP17 I knew I wanted to give it a whirl because I like the setlist of that release (and the bonus Eyes is in my top 3, for sure. I have no doubt it will appear at some point in the next year on here), I hadn't listened to it in a while, and I knew that it was a Hornsby show. DP17 was one of the first Dick's Picks that I purchased, too. My freshman year of undergrad I met a guy on the men's soccer team called John and we had very similar musical interests and we went to a few shows together before he transferred to a different school. But nevertheless I remember hanging out in his dorm room and listening to DP17 so this release always carries a positive association with me.

This was the penultimate show in a six night run at the Boston Garden. Almost immediately you can tell that this is a very full sounding version of Throwing Stones. Vince’s electronic keyboard is present, but so too is Bruce’s grand piano. They actually work very well together, the former adding more sustain to the sound and the latter trickling out melodic runs like a bubbling brook. Jerry seems to stumble a bit after the “money green” line, but makes up for it in the brief solo interlude between verses with an easy solo dripping of sweetness. The band starts to crescendo as Bobby tells us we are all “on our own” before Jerry takes a stab at another solo. Phil holds down the bottom end nicely during the solo and adds some really cool fills underneath. Garcia’s solo isn’t flashy and dances around the melody before passing the task over to Bruce who takes the same melody-based approach around 5:30 with all kinds of interesting flourishes and twists and turns. The band continues to build momentum until (ashes ashes) it all quickly changes dynamics for the final verse. Bruce continues to add tasty runs through this stanza, and the song comes to its typical close before segueing directly into Not Fade Away. This is an instance where you can really sense the impact that Bruce Hornsby had on the band and how much he added to their sound and inspired them, especially Jerry to play better.

Day 12: Terrapin Station, 4/6/82

Terrapin Station, Road Trips, Vol. 4, No. 4, 4/6/82

When I selected RT4.4 today I wasn't expecting to settle on Terrapin. I really wasn't. Glancing through the setlist I had my eyes on Big Railroad Blues and Shakedown Street as possible contenders for today, but I think the anticipation for Shakedown had me overlooking Big Railroad. I was in the mood for something upbeat that really cooked. I actually found the Shakedown to be a bit plodding and lacking the energy that truly makes a Shakedown special. I skipped over Lost Sailor because it's a skip song for me. It just seem sonically... well... lost in my opinion (excuse the pun) and I can never get into it. Saint of Circumstance picked things up and for a moment I thought that might be the song, but once I heard the opening riff to Terrapin I was instantly hooked. I haven't listened to this show in quite a while and that Bobby riff just pulls me in every time. It's amazing how quickly one's listening desires can change. Here I wanted an upbeat rocker and settled on a more mellow story-song. All the folks over at dead.net clamoring for more 80s releases lately have made me very open minded toward the 80s. That's not to suggest that I dislike the decade, I like all Dead eras, but I think I'm just a bit more receptive at this point and interested to hear what was going on at the time. This Terrapin is nice and certainly worth a listen.

To me, this version of Terrapin is very Brent-centric. Or perhaps it's more accurate to suggest that Brent's work on this track is partly why it stands out to me from some other versions. His choice of electric keyboard adds a tone that just seems to fit this version. The solo passage between Lady With A Fan and Terrapin Station starts off slowly, as Jerry lays down a line and Brent mimics, and then embellishes the line. In the jam out of Terrapin into drums Brent is again a force on the keys laying down some nice melodic runs. Another reason Brent stands out on this Terrapin is that elsewhere in this show he absolutely tears it up on the Hammond B-3 (e.g. Big Railroad Blues, Truckin') so the more delicate timbre of the keys and the precision in his playing set this one apart for me. I'm a big fan of Terrapin, especially versions from 1977, 1989, and 1990. I find it good to listen to versions in other eras too though, not only because they're unique and interesting like this version, but because they make me appreciate the versions that I really like that much more.

Day 11: Uncle John's Band, 12/26/79

Uncle John's Band, Dick's Picks, Vol. 5, 12/26/79

I was first introduced to the Dead by Jesse Wren, a kid I knew in 8th grade. Like many, I'm sure, my first entry point to the band was Skeletons in the Closet. Interestingly, I shed my copy of Skeletons years ago because I had all the other albums and didn't need it, but it's contents have proven their durability over the years. The first Dead song that I could call my favorite without reservation was Uncle John's Band. Again, I'm sure I'm not the only one who found this song's accessibility as an entry point to the Dead. While I now find it difficult to name a favorite Dead song, as it changes by the day, UJB is always in the conversation.

This New Years run in 1979 is one that seems to have garnered a bit of infamy over the years. The 12/26 show was released at DP5, and 12/28 was released as RT3.1. The latter was also the topic of discussion on a recent episode of Tales from the Golden Road (12/29/13 broadcast). I had heard previously plaudits suggesting that the 12/26 version of UJB is one of the best. The song has seen a number of different iterations and arrangements that it's difficult to name a definitive version; studio acoustic, live acoustic, live electric all have their own nuances and rewards for the listener.

In this version Garcia meanders through the intro and Brent supports with a bit of the rinkety-plinky keyboard sound that was common for him during his first few years with the band. The vocals are solid all around without some of the, er... variations that marred some version of the song. This is one area where Brent was a solid addition to the band in my opinion; his strong vocals. Garcia's first solo starts with some lightning quick riffs that quickly segue into a more legato, comparatively, feel before returning to the quick bursts of energy before heading back into the next verse. The tension and release in Jerry's solo is evident as the peaks and valleys reveal themselves. Phil is present throughout and keeps everything moving forward (or is it furthur?). After the singing is done, around the 7 minute mark, the band moves into the minor key ending jam. Garcia flips on his envelope filter and coaxes some interesting sounds from his trusty axe. The effect change may also be a subtle hint to which song the band would play next, as anyone reading the setlist can suss out on their own. The crescendo of this section continues to build only to devolve quickly as the band adjusts their timing and tempo for the 7/4 monster that is Estimated Prophet.

There is little fault to be found in this UJB.

Day 10: Big River, 8/13/75

Big River, One From The Vault, 8/13/75

 

Sometimes you just feel like something different.  In the back of my mind I know what a given Dead era sounds like so I scan through my library looking at album covers to see what might pull me in on any given day. As I sat down to compile info for our 2013 taxes today I opted for One From The Vault. I haven't listened to this show in a LONG time, but I know it's got a great Help > Slip > Frank with a fantastic Bill Graham intro. So I decided to give it a spin. Boy, what a treat! This show has a bit of everything: rock, funk, jazz, you name it, it's probably here. The Dead didn't play a lot of shows in 1975 during their hiatus, but what they DID play really stuck out. This whole show is no exception.

When you sit down and think about what the Dead did with this country tune it's pretty amazing. It's got that train-barreling-down-the-tracks drum shuffle, and Weir's funky rhythm part underscoring the entire operation. One of the things I love about this entire show is Keith's playing. He's really putting it to the Fender Rhodes and the sound is just so classic and warm and sweet that it takes a bit of the edge off the funk in this tune, but adds to it at the same time. Keith takes a solo around the 2 minute mark that showcases what exactly I'm talking about here. Just a crazy dynamic. The star of this track, and I've seen discussions elsewhere about it, is Garcia. You can tell that he is fired up and he coaxes notes out of his guitar in rapid succession at a blistering pace. Pretty much the only time Jerry is NOT tearing it up on this song is when he's singing. When his vocal services were not needed he just lets loose. The final solo pairs Jerry and Keith nicely and seems to really cement them as the stars of this particular version of the song. 

This is one of those shows that should be in every Dead Head's collection.

Day 9: Mama Tried, 4/18/70

Mama Tried, Family Dog at the Great Highway, San Francisco, CA, 4/18/70

Yes, mama tried, but sometimes daddy tries, too, and is just as wiped out at the end of the day. Trying to keep a toddler entertained for an entire day is quite the challenge. Needless to say it's been a long day. Some friends are over to entertain the toddler at the moment so I was able to steal away a few moments to do some work. I put this on while I was working and I'm glad I did.

When this release was announced the big to do was about the mini set from Pigpen at the end. However, the track that stood out to me the most was the version of Mama Tried. It's not just the acoustic rendition, which is, of course, pleasing, but the entire arrangement is different. Most noticeable is the fingerpicking guitar part. I absolutely love it in this version, but at the same time I can see (or rather hear?) how it might not have translated as well with the full electric band. It's got a sense of fragility and nuance that can be lost in the sonic bombast that is the Grateful Dead. But here, in the quiet acoustic nook of the Family Dog, a song we've heard hundreds of time is given new life.

Forrest Gump famously said that life is like a box of chocolates and you never know what you're gonna get. It's fair to say that swapping out "box of chocolates" for "Grateful Dead" would be just as, if not even more, accurate.

Day 8: Truckin', 2/19/71

Truckin', Three From The Vault, 2/19/71

In a lot of ways Truckin' is the quintessential Dead song. It's got a bluesy feel, a driving beat, interesting lyrics, and some serious jams. After spending the day chasing toddlers around it seems like an adequate description of what was going on. And since it's almost 9pm and I'm just getting to this now, I needed a good, peppy song to help motivate me to push through and write tonight. "One good thing about music, when it hits you feel no pain." Well, that may not be entirely true, but I certainly understand the sentiment, and yes, sometimes music can help push you through. This song certainly fits that bill for me today.

When looking for a version of Truckin' for today I wanted something a bit more raw so the 70-71 period seemed ideal. Glancing through my options this one just jumped out at me. I've always liked pretty much everything I ever heard from this Capitol Theatre run, so I felt confident diving into Three From The Vault. I know that much of this run was recorded in multi-track for what became the Skull and Roses live album. I sure wouldn't mind a box set released of this whole run if that were possible! This is the first show without Mickey in the band, as he left after the previous night's show until the last night before the band's hiatus in 1974 at Winterland (10/20/74).

This version of Truckin' starts off the first set and just has a ton of energy. I love how the crowd is mixed in to the song in places and you can hear them erupt as the song starts off and clapping along as it pushed along down the setlist. I love Garcia's guitar tone in this. It has a real thick tone in the first minute or two. By the second verse it's a little clearer and cleaner, but still sounds great. Without knowing for sure it sounds like a Strat (or some other guitar with single coil pick ups) into a Fender amp. Needless to say it sounds great. Pigpen's organ playing is very understated through most of the song, and provides some really nice sustain. He steps out for a few brief measures here and there with some added flourishes that really sound good. The "Get back truckin' on" part at about 4:45 has both Weir and Garcia just belting it out and Pig in the background shining on organ. The guitar solo that follows is all kinds of tasty and Garcia lays down some really solid blues based lines. Billy is really pounding the skins too, almost as if Mickey's absence lights a fire under his throne or perhaps he's taking out his frustrations on his kit? Phil said that Billy played like a "young god" on the Europe '72 tour, and this show seems to be in that same vein.