Deadthread

[ericm]

20 years ago today.    RIP Jerry.

[Shug]

"Old Glory, I'll be comin' soon"

"Show me that river, take me across, wash all my troubles away.
Like that lucky old sun, give me nothing to do but roll around Heaven all day"

Thinking about Jerry this weekend, of course.  I've been feasting on 1973 Grateful Dead the past few weeks and the intensity and sharpness that they and particularly Garcia played with in those days sets a certain highwater standard.

Then yesterday I inadvisedly switched over to 1990 Dead to work on some composite shows for that year (one for the first half with Brent and another for the second half with Hornsby and Vince) and then I threw on a DVD of 6-19-90.  That was a bad idea coming right off a bunch of '73 listening, because the band seemed so lethargic and lackluster in comparison, just a pale pale version of what they were in their heyday.  Then I switched over to some 1987 footage and it was remarkable how much more energetic they and Garcia seemed just three years earlier, but still a far cry from the early and mid 70s.  It made me sad.  I should have put this on instead:

I don't think I was aware of the Dead being in decline until about 1992, at least from what I can remember.  I do remember being ecstatic at many many shows all through 1987 when I first saw them all the way to one excellent show in 1995 even.  How many times did his music bring me such joy and such soothing comfort?  And he did this for thousands and thousands of people thousands of times.  For all his character flaws and shortcomings, surely the hugely giving heart that beat inside him and all the joy he gave throughout his life makes up for that 1000 times over.  When I think about it that way, its not surprising to me that people see him as a spiritual channel or having saintly qualities.  I miss being able to hear him play live so much.  Thank God we have so much of it recorded to revisit at will.

[ALady]

I guess they're releasing the interludes/set break music from the shows this summer. I'm eh on Neal Casal, but remember these tunes as being pretty enough.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/hear-grateful-dead-approved-group-circles-around-the-suns-new-jam-20151111

[LBSUNFLWR]

I think Neal Casal is awesome!!
Loved him as a Cardinal, LOVE him in the CRB and loved what I heard of this set break music. Can't wait to get it. Will be great music to play at work all day...

[walterfredo]

NPR streaming 'Best Of' Disc 2 of Fare The Well.

http://www.npr.org/2015/11/11/455324107/first-listen-the-grateful-dead-fare-thee-well?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=nprmusic&utm_term=music&utm_content=2037

Also, this is funny...

http://m.imgur.com/a/LiIL7

[Shug]

I was VERY impressed with Mayer and Oteil's playing on the Nov 7 webcast.  Wow!  And I think even Bobby is playing guitar with more precision and articulation than he has in years.  I still wish he'd sing his own songs (where's Minglewood and the other blues rockers and his own compositions like Lazy Lightning?) and let Mayer do all the Jerry song vocals, but you can't have everything.  There was none of the awkward indecision, trepidation and confusion that to my ears marred so much of the Fare The Well performances with Trey.  There were moments when Weir and Mayer were locked in, listening and playing off of each other just like Bobby used to do in the good ole days!

And its seems to have sparked Chimenti to play way better than he did in Further or Fare Thee Well.  I love that he's got a grand piano, Hammond and Fender Rhodes out there.  He did great switching back and forth, like the grand piano solo in Shakedown and then back to the electric piano for the verses/choruses.

Did you check out the intensity of the jamming on Help On The Way>Slipknot>Franklin's?  Sounded like the Allman Brothers for a bit there.

[Shug]

They busted out Promised Land and Minglewood last night, well alright, alright alright!  Viola Lee Blues, too.  Nice!

http://www.jambands.com/news/2015/11/12/dead-company-debut-songs-in-buffalo

[parkervb]

is it me or does Mayer seem to fit in WAAAY better than Trey?

[walterfredo]

is it me or does Mayer seem to fit in WAAAY better than Trey?

it's you

[parkervb]

is it me or does Mayer seem to fit in WAAAY better than Trey?

it's you

cool, just checking.  I think Trey's a better player, but it seems Mayer fits in more seamlessly into the group than Trey did. Granted I haven't listened to an expansive amount from Dead and Co but just an impression I get.  And maybe it's because there doesn't seem to be as much noise about Mayer playing with the "Dead" as there was with Trey.

[walterfredo]

honestly, I'm just voicing my completely biased opinion.  No clue how the masses feel. 

[Shug]

I'm with you, parker (sorry walter).  Trey noodles, but Mayer plays solos that go somewhere and actually have a crescendo.  He also seems way more comfortable and confident in his playing that Trey did.  With Trey they were awkward, hesitant, lost, no one stepped up to lead and they were like a rudderless ship, IMO.  It was basically a disaster.  With Mayer and Oteil they seem like a well-oiled machine or at least playing as a true ensemble, listening, interacting, all going in the same direction with smooth synchronized transitions.  To me its like night and day better with Mayer.  Plus he sings better than Trey.

[ajclements004]

is it me or does Mayer seem to fit in WAAAY better than Trey?

Yes I agree with you

[wcazcooper95]

Saw Dead & Co in Atlanta last week and let me just say it blew me away! John absolutely kills it. The second best concert I've ever seen, with the first being Jacket's 4/20/10 show

[uwmryan]

I went to the Nashville show but had to leave a few songs into the second set.  I wanted to give Mayer the benefit of the doubt but, after going the the Fare Thee Well shows in Chicago I knew after one song that the magic there was not present in the building in Nashville.  A lot of other people really enjoyed it but didn't hit the mark for me.

[searchinbig]

Hmmmm.this looks interesting:

http://thefutureheart.com/2016/02/11/grateful-dead-national-flaming-lips-wilco-jim-james-bob-weir-red-hot/

Jim James and Friends to play Candyman??  Can't wait for that!!!

[beardedwonder]

Hmmmm.this looks interesting:

http://thefutureheart.com/2016/02/11/grateful-dead-national-flaming-lips-wilco-jim-james-bob-weir-red-hot/

Jim James and Friends to play Candyman??  Can't wait for that!!!

Wow. That looks awesome. And on vinyl too. Really want hear Jim do Standing on the Moon but...

[Crispy]

Hmmmm.this looks interesting:

http://thefutureheart.com/2016/02/11/grateful-dead-national-flaming-lips-wilco-jim-james-bob-weir-red-hot/

Jim James and Friends to play Candyman??  Can't wait for that!!!

Wow. That looks awesome. And on vinyl too. Really want hear Jim do Standing on the Moon but...

That would end me -- but Phossy might just do it too.

[sillyboob]

The lineup on this looks out of this world!

[iLikeBeer]

The National doing Morning Dew???     Can't wait to hear that!!!