Live/Dead 1969 - Grateful Dead Album Review

If you separate the Grateful Dead into the studio act (not their native environment) and there more "natural" state as a live improvisational band, then this is kind of like their "debut" album as a live act. 

This album captures the band as they were during their formative years in San Francisco. You can imagine this album being the soundtrack for The Acid Tests and the Summer of Love. This incarnation of the band is the one that put the Grateful Dead on the map and Live/Dead is just a really great psychedelic rock album.  It actually got a lot of critical acclaim which The Dead would not always enjoy.

The whole band is great, but what I especially listen for when I put this album on is the frenetic and youthful playing by Jerry. Jerry's tone is treble-y and if I had to guess I would say he is playing a Gibson SG which is a guitar that he did not play much in the grand scheme of things. His playing at this stage still draws a lot from the blues tradition, but he definitely "steps out" extensively and you have to love the twangy sound and the rapid vibrato of a young master with a lot of energy.

The centerpiece of the album is the St. Stephen->The Eleven medley and the St. Stephen is probably the seminal version of the song on a major label release (because we're still waiting for Cornell 1977 and of course that version has Donna's errors on it).  Even so, I think The Eleven is even better than St. Stephen.  This track shows the band in a free form intro jam before Phil leads the way in to the 11/12 meter of The Eleven (a really impressive transition).  This is my favorite part of the album and never fails to give me chills.  There is definitely a little editing trickery of mixing different performances if you listen close enough to this recording, and there are overdubs on the album as well.

The rest of the album is filled with classics, Pigpen's Turn on Your Lovelight and Jerry's Death Don't Have no Mercy.  Of course, there's a 23:18 version of Dark Star and a soulful And We Bid You Goodnight.  There's no misses on this album, even the 8 minutes of Feedback has to be appreciated for how daring and unconventional it is.

I once had the vinyl of this album and it was really artistically done -  a great collector's album for those who have it.

Live/Dead Album Rating on a Scale of 1-10: 10.0

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).

Cosmic Charlie - Grateful Dead Song Review

Cosmic Charlie from Aoxomoxoa is a song that has been granted legendary status by the Dead community.  It seems to almost have a St. Stephen level of mysticism attributed to it.  I remember seeing a picture of some Deadhead holding a sign that counted the number of shows since the last Cosmic Charlie (this was a well known tradition of some sign maker to count the shows until St. Stephen returned).

The song is beautiful and original. It is a slow shuffle, that is mellow and really captures a stoned vibe. When I picture Cosmic Charlie, I imagine an R Crumb character for some reason.   The song seems really built around the meandering vocal melody, which is very unique, and  the harmonies are none too ambitious, like they would be on American Beauty. There are unique long phrases throughout which make the song a departure from standard 4/4 type rock song.  This is pretty standard on Aoxomoxoa as is some of the really "psychedelic"imagery in Hunter's lyrics:

Calico Kahlia come tell me the news

Calamity's waiting for a way to get to her

Rosy red and electric blue

I bought you a paddle for your paper canoe

I feel that this song is a relic of that time and place (The Haight in 1967 - the Summer of Love). I think it probably really appeals to people (especially Deadheads) who remember this time period  (or if they don't remember, they at least lived through it...)


Cosmic Charlie was played about 30 times between 1968 and 1971
and then resurrected 6 times in 1976.  There was a  show I've heard in the 1990s where Jerry played the opening figure to it coming out of Space, but then changed his mind and played something much more predictable - maybe it was Wharf Rat.  That Cosmic Charlie employs some really "unique" phrasing and a "one of a kind" song structure probably made it not a candidate to be unleashed on the rest of the band as a surprise, and also probably contributed to the very few live plays this storied song ultimately got.


I really don't love this song like I love other Aoxomoxoa songs like St. Stephen, China Cat Sunflower, Mountains of the Moon, and even Rosemary.  I (sadly) didn't get to experience the Sumer of Love or I think I'd appreciate it more (and also R. Crumb's artwork).

Cosmic Charlie Song Rating on a Scale of 1-10: 7.8

Disclaimer: This is part of my blog that reviews all things Grateful Dead for fun. 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 Why I Went On Dead Tour and Love the 1990s

Okay technically never went on Dead tour, but I saw a bunch of runs on the west coast (and Vegas). There's a lot of good stuff on Youtube but this is just kind of ..... sacred.



One more for good measure (with great crowd response):

Dear Mr. Fantasy - Grateful Dead Song Review

Oh man, what a great tune this is.  I feel like Dear Mr. Fantasy should be up there in the annals of rock next to the widely considered "uber classics" like Satisfaction, Stairway to Heaven, and others.  This chord progression should be in every beginner guitarist's repertoire - perhaps replacing Smoke on the Water.  I like Dear Mr. Fantasy more than all of those tunes. I love the original Traffic version, I have a bootleg of Jimi Hendrix playing it (not that great) and I even have a version of Blind Melon doing this song....

but no one sings it like Brent.  This is my favorite Brent song, and it's not even written by him.  When the Dead slide into this tune in the second set, the show is almost always smoking, and it's going to continue to smoke for a while longer.  The vocals are so perfect for Brent's range and he always does a great amount of excellent showboating. As a bonus, Jerry sings with him the second time around the verse and chorus.  I've seen video footage of them playing this song and they seem to be having a ball.

Dear Mr. Fantasy has this kind of resigned "rolling stoned" rock and roll vibe to it that reminds me of Touch of Grey. It is a sense of saying "screw it" and accepting the role of a rock and roll entertainer. It's like saying "this isn't a good life -but it's our life, so let's celebrate it."  I'm not so much referring to the lyrics alone, but also just the spirit of the song.

Of course, a Dear Mr. Fantasy that interpolates Hey Jude into is like getting a cherry on top.  The first version that I became familiar with (like many no doubt) was the one on Without a Net.  It appears as an "encore" on that recording (or at least the last song) but it was never played as an Encore. The song was played pretty steadily from 1985 through Brent's death.

Dear. Mr. Fantasy is universally loved by Deadheads.  I certainly would've loved to hear Jerry belt it,  but I am glad they put it to rest when Brent died.  That seems fitting.

Dear Mr. Fantasy Song Rating on a Scale of 1-10: 9.2


Disclaimer: This is part of my blog that reviews all things Grateful Dead for fun. 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).

Dupree's Diamond Blues - Grateful Dead Song Review

Dupree's Diamond Blues is a really original song that personifies the Aomoxoa album where it fits right in with songs like Doin' That Rag and Cosmic Charlie.

Dupree's has a bouncy ragtime feel and an almost carnival sound - I think to organ greatly contributes to that. The great Robert Hunter lyrics seemingly harken back to the turn of the century and tell the story of Dupree who kills a jeweler to get a diamond for the woman he is obsessed with.  Dupree is blinded by the love for the "sweet jelly" this woman gives him, which I think is an old fashioned sexual reference.  It's possible this is a retelling of a classic piece of American folklore (much like Stagger Lee).

Dupree's is a true "one of a kind" song that sounds like nothing else that I know of, so I really appreciate it for that matter.  It's a novelty to hear on tapes  - playe sparingly but throughout a lot of the Dead's career. The took a break from the song from 1970 through 77 and continued to play it through the 80's stopping with one performance of the song in 1990.  The final performance was at the legendary "Berkeley Benefit" (which is a must have for  any Grateful Dead tape collector).  You can hear that exact final rendition on the youtube link at the bottom of this entry.

Dupree's is also notable because it is the namesake for Duprees Diamond News which was a Grateful Dead themed fan publication that was published from 1987 through 1998.

Dupree's is a classic to most Deadheads, but it is not a personal favorite, it just doesn't grab me with any hook or catchy melody and the story is simple.

Dupree's Diamond Blues Song Rating on a Scale of 1-10: 7.5

Disclaimer: This is part of my blog that reviews all things Grateful Dead for fun. 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).

Don't Need Love - Grateful Dead Song Review

Don't Need Love is a cool Brent tune that is pretty underrated.  It was played a handful of times in 1984, 1985, and 1986 and always in the 2nd set.  Considering it's position in the 2nd set, I can imagine some heads finding it a disappointing choice (taking the place of something like Dear Mr. Fantasy perhaps).

Now that I think about it, I'm kind of surprised the song wasn't a 1st set tune. It brings the same kind of mellow energy that Candyman or Friend of the Devil have.

The song has a very 1980s mellow waltz feel that features Brent's synth.  It really reminds me of something that Michael McDonald or Steve Winwood would sing.  For that matter it also could fit in the Beach Boys repertoire from that era.  It also reminds me a bit of the song So Far Away (From Me) by Dire Straits.

Enough with the comparisons, the song is a solid Brent tune with a catchy beat that is really laid back.  The lyrics are clever, as he sings I don't need love and I don't need you but the implied sentiment seems to be that he really does want love and is just burned by it.  Brent takes a great solo during the tune and does a bit of showboating with the vocals. Not all versions feature a solo by Jerry.

I am sure that people who were at the shows where this song was played connected with the lyrics and it caused a little bit of introspection.

It's such a simple song but I really like it.  I wish they recorded this one on one of the LPs. 

Don't Need Love In Song Rating on a Scale of 1-10: 7.8

Disclaimer: This is part of my blog that reviews all things Grateful Dead for fun. 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).