Friend of the Devil - Grateful Dead Song Review

Got a wife in Chino and one in Cherokee
First one says she got my child, but it don't look like me

This song is extremely well known by Deadheads and even familiar to many non-Deadheads. It was on Skeletons from the Closet and American Beauty (the first two Dead tapes I procured) so I loved this song from day 1 of my Grateful Dead fandom.

The song is really simple and catchy.  It has that kind of reckless spirit to it that glorifies the dark side of humanity (like so many Grateful Dead songs - Touch of Grey, Casey Jones, etc.).  Deadheads seem to love songs about criminals on the run, because frankly many of them are serial breakers of the law.

Robert Hunter delivers another beautiful slice of Americana in this first person tale about a man who is on the run from the law.  We never learn his crime though, but the use of familiar locations (Reno, Chino) are what really make the song great.  I think the genius is that those cities are just so unremarkable - it really helps the song appeal to all of us Deadheads spread around California (and the world).

I did not know until I looked up the credits just now that John Dawson (aka Marmaduke) of the New Riders of the Purple Sage was also credited on the music for Friend of the Devil.

The Slow Live Version of Friend of the Devil

The song was played upbeat for the first few years and then somewhere along the way got slowed WAY down.  I remember reading that Jerry was inspired to do this by some cover version he heard of the song (was it Loggins and Messina? Not sure, I've never heard theirs).

One thing I must admit is that when the slow version comes on tapes, I can't fast forward it quickly enough.  It was great when I saw this song live and was part of the crowd cheering for all the memorable lines, but not so much when I'm listening to show recordings all these years later.  The song is really simple and doesn't leave you much to look forward to.  I think the slow live version must be close to 10 minutes (the original studio version was 3:25).

Friend of the Devil 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.

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).

Candyman - Grateful Dead Song Review

Reviewing Grateful Dead songs that start with "C" has already provided some real gems. Candyman is yet another. Candyman totally rules. This is a song I would categorize with many others as "for Grateful Dead fans only". What I mean to say is that I've never heard anyone besides a Deadhead talk about or play this song. No one ever goes to a party and plays Candyman to get people fired up and I've never noticed anyone ever throwing quarters in a jukebox and playing Candyman either.

I'm really going to sound like a broken record when I point out yet again that when I got American Beauty cassette in high school... there's no way I really liked Candyman. I just didn't have the maturity, life experience, or perhaps just wasn't burnt out enough!

So why do I love it now?

Well, fast forward to a lazy first set of a show on a Thursday night at Shoreline in 1993 and I'm feeling the effects of a variety of things I've imbibed on the road up and in the parking lot. I'm not really in outerspace whatsoever - but more like I'm melting into the fence that I'm leaning up against. I guess you could say I've got a killer body high and I swear I remember that it was still daylight during the first set. The Dead play Candyman and in that state of mind it was just the absolutely perfect mellow rock and roll song with a recognizable intro, a good old fashioned 70's country rock chorus, and of course everyone cheering during some of those great lines:

Good morning Mr. Benson
I see you're doing well
If I had me a shotgun
I would blow you straight to hell

This song is just a great 70s rock tune. This song sounds like a mixture of beer (from a can), quaaludes, and a tour bus. I don't hear music like this anymore (I'm not saying it doesnt' exist - but I don't know where it is being made).


The lyrics are about a shady character and I like that Jerry sings them first person. It reminds me that Jerry was struggling under the burden of his unwanted "sainthood" by the time I discovered the Dead but really he was just a "screwed up" guitarist with weaknesses and a sense of humor like he had always been. Like I mentioned in the Brokedown Palace review, I think sometimes I'm more impressed with Robert Hunter being able to just come up with a simple traditional "folky" or "roots" lyrics like Candyman than I am with the cosmic metaphysical lyrics like The Eleven, China Cat Sunflower, and other psychedelic concepts (but believe me - I love those too).

Jerry always used an interesting effect on the Candyman solo. It is something like a phaser or a chorus effect that has a rapid "shimmering" rate that is pretty unorthodox really but still seems to fit right into the genre.

Candyman is yet another classic from American Beauty and one that I always turn up and listen too when I hear it on a podcast or a bootleg.

Candyman Song Rating on a Scale of 1-10: 8.8


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).

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).

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).