Attics of My Life
The second bona fide Grateful Dead classic song in the "A" section (the first being Althea).
What can I say about Attics? One of the most beautiful songs ever written. Incredibly original. Very soulful lyrics. It was the song that when I first got that American Beauty cassette in high school, I think I probably fast forwarded right through it after hearing it once.
Now, it ranks as one of the all time favorite songs. I don't know how to describe this song, it really defies categorization in a genre. It seems to be a love song, and it is a slow ballad. I feel that it has an almost Irish quality to it, but I can't really say why. The song is sung in 3 part harmony and I think the Crosby Stills and Nash guys had to help the Dead accomplish this disciplined vocal style. It is just pure soul and it has very abstract, psychedelic lyrics written of course by Robert Hunter.
The lyrics are so great that it is tempting to post them all, but will focus on the "goosebumps" part which I guess you could refer to as the bridge or "B" section (the song has an AABA structure):
In the book of love's own dream, where all the print is blood
Where all the pages are my days, and all the lights grow old
When I had no wings to fly, you flew to me, you flew to me
Then of course after the verses there are additional vocalizations where the band continues to harmonize (ie. "to meeee to meeee-eee") that I find to be really emotional. A great version of this song is the acoustic "Phil Lesh and Friends" show from Berkeley in 1994.
Note that this Phil Lesh and Friends actually was the Dead (as opposed to his post Jerry band of late).
Also note that people who got to witness this song (and this entire show) are critical of it on the archive.org message board below the media player in that link. How can these people take themselves seriously? Oh wait, that's basically why I started this blog is to air my (sometimes negative) opinions on the world of the Grateful Dead. Music (and reality I guess) is a beautiful thing because it is so subjective. To each his own.
Attics of My Life Song Rating on a Scale of 1-10: 9.9
Disclaimer: This is part of my review of every Grateful Dead song from A-Z. Music is a beautiful thing because it is so personal and subjective, so keep in mind that this is one man's opinion (and be sure to read my blog manifesto to understand a little more about where I'm coming from).
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