Jack a Roe - Grateful Dead Song Review

This is a hot little ditty that was prevalent in the early part of the 1st set from the late 70s pretty regularly through the band's final tour. Jack a Roe never officially was released on a studio album but there is a studio "outtake" from the Go To Heaven sessions. That version is nice, but the live versions are where it's at.

Jerry must've really liked this one.  He played it a lot and also played it in the JGB acoustic band.  He pretty much consistently delivered great solos over this chord progression.

I would say that Jack a Roe is definitely "underrated." I don't think it will make anyone's top 10 list, but it was pretty a pretty smoking first set tune.

The song is credited to "traditional" so it probably goes way back and is an English war time tale of a girl who dresses up as a man to be with her lover who is enlisted in the Navy.  It's a stirring tale of love and risk with a happy ending.


Favorite Versions of Jack a Roe

Jack a Roe popped up on Reckoning as it's first "official" release, and that's a memorable version.  But truthfully, you can hear great versions quite often if you listen to bootlegs from almost any era starting in the late 1970s. In fact, it's so consistent that I have a hard time even thinking of a "standout" Jack a Roe but I'm sure most true old school head could rattle off a specific show with a killer version.  I can't say I've ever heard a version where the band really "stepped out" on the song, it was always played pretty straight.

The youtube I posted below was one of the first that I found and a pretty great version.  Jerry is playing The Wolf which is always nice to see. Thanks to splaif for posting this on youtube.


Jack a Roe Rating on a Scale of 1-10:  7.9

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(read my blog manifesto to understand my Grateful Dead background a little more).

Far From Me - Grateful Dead Song Review

"You are so far from me!"

I feel like I should have a disclaimer for all songs that I never got to see the Dead play live (which is most of them - and all Brent songs).  If I had been able to experience this song in the crowd happily dancing during a show maybe I would have great memories that would soften me toward Far From Me.

But to be honest, from listening to tapes, this is another Brent song that just doesn't really do it for me.

Far From Me has a nice shuffle and a really interesting chord progression (keyboardists always come up with great chord progressions).  There's a really unique "middle section" ("it's just too late, and we can't relate at all") which strangely reminds me of similar middle section in Billy Joel's It's My Life.

Far from Me appears on 1980's Go To Heaven and fits right in that album.  That album has some great songs but something about it is a little 'off.' Even the Cover art seems to say "too much cocaine." 

Certainly the 1980's were bizarre time culturally in America and there was a dearth of good music.  The Dead felt the oppressive energy with this lackluster album and wouldn't release another studio album for 7 years after Go To Heaven.

"Words and Music by Brent Mydland"

I've said this about Brent songs before but Far From Me sounds like a "singer songwriter" pop song from the 80s - like something from Michael McDonald or Kenny Loggins. It just doesn't feel like a Grateful Dead song. And of course, there's no other members of the band who get a writing credit on this one.

Didn't Jerry once posthumously talk about Brent's struggles in life by pointing out he had limited life experience (no college, no acid tests, etc)? I've always heard that Brent was insecure.

In the recent Easy to Love You review, I concluded that it was a "cheesy love song" and that's harsh, but I can't say that I don't feel the same way about Far From Me.

Easy to Love You Song Rating on a Scale of 1-10: 5.0

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.

Don't Ease Me In - Grateful Dead Song Review

She brings me coffee
You know she brings me tea
She brings 'bout every damn thing
But the jailhouse key

Ahh man this song is putting a song on my face as I listen to it and prepare to write this entry.

To me, this is the sound of the first set coming to an end (on a good note).  I don't know why this one is such a favorite - it's such a simple song but I really like it 

In the songbook it states that Don't Ease Me In was composed by traditional - which means it's such an old standard the original composer is unknown. That might partially explain my affinity for the song - it's a historical classic so there must be something to it.

I have heard it referred to in the Dead scene as "Don't Cheese Me In" but I cannot disagree more with that sentiment.

According to Alex Allan's awesome resource "whitegum.com", the song was released as a B Side for the first single (Golden Road?) in 1966 and played throughout the band's entire career. Of course, they recorded a version as the last track on the Go To Heaven album as well. 

What else to write? The lyrics are light hearted and humorous as you can see from the snippet I put at the top of this entry.  You can kind of imagine Jerry with a big smile when he sings that one.  It's a simple rock tune but definitely a personal favorite.  It also is short and sweet - clocking in at about 3:20 or so- how many Dead songs can you say that about? I've heard versions of Finniculi, Finnicula longer than that!

  

Don't Ease Me In is a tune I never skip past on a bootleg, and in fact, I always turn it up.

Don't Ease Me In Song Rating on a Scale of 1-10: 8.1

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).

Dead Song Category - "For Deadheads Only""

Okay, I'm going to define once and for all this "category" that I feel a lot of Dead songs belong to. I keep talking about this concept and I want to be able to link to this blog entry instead of explaining it.

Here are songs that are NOT "For Deadheads Only"

Truckin'
Touch of Grey
Ripple
Good Lovin'
Terrapin Station
Dancin' in the Streets
Casey Jones
Uncle John's Band

Here are some songs that DEFINITELY are "For Grateful Dead Fans Only:"

Saint of Circumstance
Alabama Getaway
Candyman
Row Jimmy
Hell in a Bucket
The Wheel
The Entire Bob Weir Solo Catalog (just kidding - kind of)
The Entire Jerry Garcia Solo Catalog (sad but true although is some of my favorite music in the world)

So I think I did an apt description of what makes a "For Deadheads Only" in my Candyman song review:

"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."

So, basically songs that are "For Deadheads Only" are songs that are loved by people that know the Dead and love the Dead but otherwise completely unknown in the world of popular music.

This is in no way to take anything away from the quality of these songs. I mean these are real classics. I freaking love the groove Saint of Circumstance, I think The Wheel is one of my favorite songs of all times by any band. I would put Jack Straw above any song ever recorded by the Eagles and the Allman Brothers too. It's just that these songs simply don't seem to really exist outside of the Dead culture. These songs aren't known by the public, and aren't played on classic rocks stations. It is just the way it is.

You know, there are entire albums that could be considered "For Grateful Dead fans Only" Go to Heaven comes to mind.

The weird thing is... I think this category of "For Deadheads Only" extends throughout more of the GD catalog than I want to admit. I mean to say that I don't know too many non Deadheads who even know Scarlet Begonias, Fire on the Mountain, Shakedown Street, Help on the Way and some of the other "big" Dead songs.

Maybe I was just born too late... all I know is that I wear a t-shirt by a skate clothing company called Dark Star and it says Dark Star in big letters on the front.... I've had people come up to me and ask me if it refers to a Science Fiction show, but no one has ever made a Grateful Dead connection. I do live in Orange County after all - perhaps not the highest concentration of Deadheads...

Althea - Grateful Dead Song Review

Althea

Ahhhh, Althea. Now I finally get to review a true Grateful Dead classic song. This is an incredible song that appeared on Go To Heaven and even more notably on the live CD Without a Net. I saw 'even more notably' because by the time Without a Net was recorded the song had really evolved into a ripping and soulful first set Jerry tune. A friend of mine once told me he was die hard into hip hop and metal until he heard Althea from Without a Net and that was the watershed moment that began his life as a Deadhead.

The intro is one of the more memorable Dead licks - an electric finger plucked outlining of the main chords that recurs throughout the song. Jerry's vocals about his interaction with Althea have a great swagger and humor to them. It really brings out Jerry and Robert Hunter's sense of humor with memorable lines like:

Althea told me "Now, Cool down Boy

Settle back, easy Jim"

or how about this one:

I told Althea I was a roving sign,

I wasn't born to be a bachelor

Althea told me, "okay that's fine"

Now I'm tryin' to catch her

Then this song also inevitably had a ripping solo and build up in it too (after "you know this space is getting hot"). An absolute classic first set song and really you couldn't ask for more than for Jerry to play this one in the first set (well, I guess you could hope for a Bird Song too, but that seems almost greedy).

Althea is a song that I will never, ever fast forward through. When it starts, it is going to play until it is finished.

Althea Song Rating on a Scale of 1-10: 9.4

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).

Alabama Getaway - Grateful Dead song review

Alabama Getaway

This is a great rock song from the album Go to Heaven. This song falls into the category of music I call "for Deadheads only." This category of music describes songs that are beloved to Deadheads but utterly unknown to the public at large. I do believe this song actually was released as a single or at the very least the Dead played it on Saturday Night Live (if memory serves).

This song sounds like a 70's rock song that a Southern boogie woogie rock band would play. The word "honky tonk" comes to mind. The lyrics are about a character named Alabama who is a reckless casanova and gets into trouble a lot. The lyrics remind me of Tennessee Jed for some reason.

I would have loved to have seen this song live, but it wasn't meant to be. I can see in my Deadbase X that the band did revive the song in 1995 for the first time since Brent's passing.

Alabama Getaway Song Rating on a Scale of 1-10: 8.0

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).