COOL SONG!
I would've never heard California Earthquake if I didn't just seek it out to complete a song review of it (or I would've probably eventually heard it if one of the podcasts I listen to played it). I guess I should give a shoutout to DoctorSapperstein for posting it on youtube.
This song reminds me of a 2nd Set Jerry Garcia band ballad. It reminds me of The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (the beginning especially) or That Lucky Old Sun. As a huge Jerry fan (and JGB too of course) I have to admit that I prefer this Grateful Dead version of California Earthquake over any version of those JGB songs I just mentioned.
Let me try to count the ways that I love this song. Jerry ballad, good old fashioned song (written by Rodney Crowell), it has a lot of lyrics about California, has religious overtones (mentioning the devil) and a rebeillious spirit to it:
We may fall off in the ocean Lord you'll never make us run
You're a partner of the devil Lord we ain't afraid of him
We'll build ourselves another town so you can tear it down again
This song was played twice in 1989. Once it closed the first set and once it opened. How great must that have been to be at either performance? It closed set I at the Spectrum in Philadelphia on Friday October 20th, 1989. It opened the first set at Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina on Monday October 23rd, 1989.
I'm getting a sense of California pride as I listen to this right now and also a bit of hope in contemplating how destroyed our state is economically at the moment. A great song!
California Earthquake Song Rating on a Scale of 1-10: 8.2
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).
Friday, February 27, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
C.C. Rider - Grateful Dead Song Review
Hmmm, I am almost tempted to skip reviewing this song. It is going to be the first song to get a below 5.0 song rating.
This is a Bobby song that is a traditional blues type song that is plodding and uninteresting. I can enjoy a tried and true classic like this if the Dead can really put their "stamp" on it (see El Paso, Bobby McGee, or Not Fade Away) but C.C. Rider does not have this distinction.
C.C. Rider Song Rating on a Scale of 1-10: 4.0
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).
This is a Bobby song that is a traditional blues type song that is plodding and uninteresting. I can enjoy a tried and true classic like this if the Dead can really put their "stamp" on it (see El Paso, Bobby McGee, or Not Fade Away) but C.C. Rider does not have this distinction.
C.C. Rider Song Rating on a Scale of 1-10: 4.0
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).
Monday, February 23, 2009
Built to Last - Grateful Dead Song Review
This is a pretty underrated Dead song as far as I'm concerned. It is not one I can ever remember anyone telling me they really liked, but I think it is a good song.
Some good things about Built to Last:
I like to hear this song because it is such a rarity (only played about 20 times from 1988 to 1990). I would generally prefer to hear this song over a first set tune like Ramble on Rose or even Tennessee Jed because it is succinct and rarer. However back in the 90s when I was seeing the Dead and actually at a show I probably would've preferred the more popular and common tracks from Europe '72.
Built to Last Song Rating on a Scale of 1-10: 7.4
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).
Some good things about Built to Last:
- It has a catchy melody and is built upon a good strong guitar riff
- It is a Jerry song
- It has Robert Hunter Lyrics (with prerequisite trippy lyrics references like got a cloud held by the breeze)
- The chorus lyrics evolve throughout the song
- Jerry's solos from everything on In the Dark and Built to Last were very lyrical and great
- It's a short and sweet first set song (usually)
I like to hear this song because it is such a rarity (only played about 20 times from 1988 to 1990). I would generally prefer to hear this song over a first set tune like Ramble on Rose or even Tennessee Jed because it is succinct and rarer. However back in the 90s when I was seeing the Dead and actually at a show I probably would've preferred the more popular and common tracks from Europe '72.
Built to Last Song Rating on a Scale of 1-10: 7.4
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).
Friday, February 20, 2009
Broken Arrow - Grateful Dead Song Review
Am I a cheesy guy for loving this song??
Who else is gonna bring you... a broken ahahaharrrrowww (that spelling is my attempt to emphasize the nasal timbre of Phil's voice).
I tallied up all songs I saw at Dead shows and this one is in first place! This song I saw 6 times (and it is tied with So Many Roads and Liberty). I love all of these songs and I'm probably one of the few really hardcore Deadheads who would state that unequivocally. That alone tells you what kind of Dead I like - the later years.
Now I admit, I can see both sides of this argument of which era of the Dead is better because, frankly, if you took a tape of Broken Arrow from the Los Angeles Sports arena in 1994 and played it for a Dead Head in 1977 they would probably try to do something drastic to prevent this outcome for the Dead (ie "Terminator" style of altering the future).... and this might not bode well for Phil making it as far as he has...
And I can also admit that Broken Arrow is... a little cheesy. I distinctly remember talking my friend Josh into seeing the Dead with me and him particularly being disgusted with this song (he pointed out that it is a Rod Stewart song - that's hard to defend- not that there's anything wrong with Rod Stewart...).
But let's talk about what's good about Broken Arrow. It is a very good composition and the Dead played it with a tasteful mature "smooth jazz" approach that I really enjoy. Vince does some nice descending "waterfall" melodies throughout and Jerry uses a guitar effect that sounds like a pitch shifter which is interesting too. The melody is very catchy and romantic. Phil's vocals are always a little unpalatable for me, but it underscores the beauty when Jerry and Bobby back him up periodically in the song:
There you go, ooooh ooooh.
So as a Dead fan who saw Broken Arrow six times, I'm going to go on record as saying I enjoyed every single one I saw. Now, if I had the chance to trade in all six Broken Arrows for one Help->Slip->Frank, would I? Probably (heck I'd probably trade them all for a China Doll - which I also never saw), but it is a cool song nonetheless and I hope to hear Phil sing it when I see them in LA this May. With my history of catching this song so frequently - it's a good bet they'll play it if I'm in the audience.
Broken Arrow Song Rating on a Scale of 1-10: 7.4
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).
Who else is gonna bring you... a broken ahahaharrrrowww (that spelling is my attempt to emphasize the nasal timbre of Phil's voice).
I tallied up all songs I saw at Dead shows and this one is in first place! This song I saw 6 times (and it is tied with So Many Roads and Liberty). I love all of these songs and I'm probably one of the few really hardcore Deadheads who would state that unequivocally. That alone tells you what kind of Dead I like - the later years.
Now I admit, I can see both sides of this argument of which era of the Dead is better because, frankly, if you took a tape of Broken Arrow from the Los Angeles Sports arena in 1994 and played it for a Dead Head in 1977 they would probably try to do something drastic to prevent this outcome for the Dead (ie "Terminator" style of altering the future).... and this might not bode well for Phil making it as far as he has...
And I can also admit that Broken Arrow is... a little cheesy. I distinctly remember talking my friend Josh into seeing the Dead with me and him particularly being disgusted with this song (he pointed out that it is a Rod Stewart song - that's hard to defend- not that there's anything wrong with Rod Stewart...).
But let's talk about what's good about Broken Arrow. It is a very good composition and the Dead played it with a tasteful mature "smooth jazz" approach that I really enjoy. Vince does some nice descending "waterfall" melodies throughout and Jerry uses a guitar effect that sounds like a pitch shifter which is interesting too. The melody is very catchy and romantic. Phil's vocals are always a little unpalatable for me, but it underscores the beauty when Jerry and Bobby back him up periodically in the song:
There you go, ooooh ooooh.
So as a Dead fan who saw Broken Arrow six times, I'm going to go on record as saying I enjoyed every single one I saw. Now, if I had the chance to trade in all six Broken Arrows for one Help->Slip->Frank, would I? Probably (heck I'd probably trade them all for a China Doll - which I also never saw), but it is a cool song nonetheless and I hope to hear Phil sing it when I see them in LA this May. With my history of catching this song so frequently - it's a good bet they'll play it if I'm in the audience.
Broken Arrow Song Rating on a Scale of 1-10: 7.4
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).
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Brokedown Palace - Grateful Dead Song Review
Faaare ye well, my honey
Fare ye well, my only true love
All the birds that were singin'
Have flown except you alone
Wow, I am beginning to feel like a broken record when I say this is a legendary Grateful Dead song that displays Robert Hunter's work at its finest. I suppose that what happens when you have Box of Rain and Brokedown Palace one after the other in the alphabetical song list.
Brokedown isn't as metaphysical as Box of Rain but instead a much more sincere and poignant love song. It is possibly more impressive that Robert Hunter could put together such an interesting and effective traditional ballad than write about mind bending concepts like "it is a box of rain, I don't know who put it there..." (from Box of Rain).
This song also reminds me of Box of Rain because it doesn't have that really recognizable opening riff - always leaving me waiting until Jerry sings the first line to know for sure which song it is (although, much like Jack Straw - the placement in the set makes the tune pretty obvious no matter how varied the introduction to the piece is).
Yet another thing I would like to point out yet again is that I can't imagine that I really understood what a great song this was in high school when I got that cassette copy of American Beauty. Since I've now said the same about Attics of My Life and Box of Rain it begs the question - what did I listen to on American Beauty back then. The truth is... I don't know if I was really mature enough to appreciate these types of songs at that age...
...But I sure do now. Brokedown Palace is an emotional song for me now more than ever. I am a lot older, a lot more burned out, and a lot has been lost in life (and I have a lot less to lose than before). I now love this tune. It is so fitting that it often ended the weekend of shows. It is kind of a farewell song - the end of a period of life. It may refer to a relationship, a job, a situation, a friendship, but it just has that vibe of a spent person kind of giving up and moving on. There is also that affection for the subject the song is being sung to... which reminds me that so many times in life we are faced with situations that don't work out and it isn't necessarily that we don't want them to, it just wasn't meant to be.
So I hope that makes sense. I enjoy writing about songs like this and all the memories that they bring up for me. Later this year my life will be equal lengths "pre Grateful Dead discovery" and "post Grateful Dead Discovery" (because I was introduced their music at the age of 17, and will turn 34 in a few months. This means that I've spent more of my life as a Deadhead than not (and for only 3 years of my liking the Dead was Jerry even alive!). I've been through a lot since I first heard Brokedown Palace, and god willing I will go through a lot more before I hear it a final time.
Brokedown Palace Song Rating on a Scale of 1-10: 9.0
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).
Fare ye well, my only true love
All the birds that were singin'
Have flown except you alone
Wow, I am beginning to feel like a broken record when I say this is a legendary Grateful Dead song that displays Robert Hunter's work at its finest. I suppose that what happens when you have Box of Rain and Brokedown Palace one after the other in the alphabetical song list.
Brokedown isn't as metaphysical as Box of Rain but instead a much more sincere and poignant love song. It is possibly more impressive that Robert Hunter could put together such an interesting and effective traditional ballad than write about mind bending concepts like "it is a box of rain, I don't know who put it there..." (from Box of Rain).
This song also reminds me of Box of Rain because it doesn't have that really recognizable opening riff - always leaving me waiting until Jerry sings the first line to know for sure which song it is (although, much like Jack Straw - the placement in the set makes the tune pretty obvious no matter how varied the introduction to the piece is).
Yet another thing I would like to point out yet again is that I can't imagine that I really understood what a great song this was in high school when I got that cassette copy of American Beauty. Since I've now said the same about Attics of My Life and Box of Rain it begs the question - what did I listen to on American Beauty back then. The truth is... I don't know if I was really mature enough to appreciate these types of songs at that age...
...But I sure do now. Brokedown Palace is an emotional song for me now more than ever. I am a lot older, a lot more burned out, and a lot has been lost in life (and I have a lot less to lose than before). I now love this tune. It is so fitting that it often ended the weekend of shows. It is kind of a farewell song - the end of a period of life. It may refer to a relationship, a job, a situation, a friendship, but it just has that vibe of a spent person kind of giving up and moving on. There is also that affection for the subject the song is being sung to... which reminds me that so many times in life we are faced with situations that don't work out and it isn't necessarily that we don't want them to, it just wasn't meant to be.
So I hope that makes sense. I enjoy writing about songs like this and all the memories that they bring up for me. Later this year my life will be equal lengths "pre Grateful Dead discovery" and "post Grateful Dead Discovery" (because I was introduced their music at the age of 17, and will turn 34 in a few months. This means that I've spent more of my life as a Deadhead than not (and for only 3 years of my liking the Dead was Jerry even alive!). I've been through a lot since I first heard Brokedown Palace, and god willing I will go through a lot more before I hear it a final time.
Brokedown Palace Song Rating on a Scale of 1-10: 9.0
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).
Monday, February 16, 2009
Box of Rain - Grateful Dead Song Review
Box of Rain is an inimitable Grateful Dead song that has earned a pretty legendary place in Grateful Dead lore. For one thing - it is a "Phil song." There aren't that many Phil songs, and some shows would go by when Phil wouldn't sing a tune. Another reason it is noticeable is that it has really great lyrics. There is the very memorable refrain:
What do you want me to do,
To do for you,
To see you through?
also, less memorable but very powerful lines like:
..this is all a dream we dreamed one afternoon long ago
and
A box of rain will ease the pain and love will see you through
and how about
Such a long long time to be gone, and a short time to be there
These are deep, emotional lyrics and clearly Robert Hunter at his best. This song has grown on me through the years - the lyrics are more poignant as life goes on and people and love are lost forever. I think that I probably just used to fast forward through Box of Rain when I would listen to my cassette copy of American Beauty in high school (I said the same thing about uber-favorite Attics of My Life when I reviewed that song last month).
There was a special on MTV about one of the early Dick's Picks (hosted by Bill Walton) and it coincided with a documentary called "From Anthem to Beauty" which chronicled this period of the Dead's history. In one of those specials, Phil Lesh talked about Box of Rain and the passing of his father to cancer.
...so this is no run of the mill "generic" rock song... I think we've established that.
One thing that I like about Box of Rain is that it has a very "open" and unstructured intro - not a recognizable riff (like He's Gone or Loose Lucy). This makes me feel like I never really know for 100% what song it is until Phil steps up and sings that legendary line:
Look out of any window, any morning, any evening, any DAY. Jack Straw also has this kind of a "loose" intro.
I also really like the way the rest of the band joins in with Phil as the song progresses.
Box of Rain is a song that no one was ever disappointed to hear at a Dead show (to my knowledge). Indeed I remember it fondly from the one time I heard it (during my favorite Dead show I witnessed 6-26-1994 in Las Vegas).
Box of Rain Song Rating on a Scale of 1-10: 8.2
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).
What do you want me to do,
To do for you,
To see you through?
also, less memorable but very powerful lines like:
..this is all a dream we dreamed one afternoon long ago
and
A box of rain will ease the pain and love will see you through
and how about
Such a long long time to be gone, and a short time to be there
These are deep, emotional lyrics and clearly Robert Hunter at his best. This song has grown on me through the years - the lyrics are more poignant as life goes on and people and love are lost forever. I think that I probably just used to fast forward through Box of Rain when I would listen to my cassette copy of American Beauty in high school (I said the same thing about uber-favorite Attics of My Life when I reviewed that song last month).
There was a special on MTV about one of the early Dick's Picks (hosted by Bill Walton) and it coincided with a documentary called "From Anthem to Beauty" which chronicled this period of the Dead's history. In one of those specials, Phil Lesh talked about Box of Rain and the passing of his father to cancer.
...so this is no run of the mill "generic" rock song... I think we've established that.
One thing that I like about Box of Rain is that it has a very "open" and unstructured intro - not a recognizable riff (like He's Gone or Loose Lucy). This makes me feel like I never really know for 100% what song it is until Phil steps up and sings that legendary line:
Look out of any window, any morning, any evening, any DAY. Jack Straw also has this kind of a "loose" intro.
I also really like the way the rest of the band joins in with Phil as the song progresses.
Box of Rain is a song that no one was ever disappointed to hear at a Dead show (to my knowledge). Indeed I remember it fondly from the one time I heard it (during my favorite Dead show I witnessed 6-26-1994 in Las Vegas).
Box of Rain Song Rating on a Scale of 1-10: 8.2
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).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
