Jack Straw - Grateful Dead Song Review

Man, "Jack Straw from Wichita."

What I would give to go back in a time machine to when I clawed the cellophane off of the Europe '72 "double CD" (yes I got into the Grateful Dead at age 17 in 1992) and heard Jack Straw for the first time.

Jack Straw was just instantly like-able, but certainly not because it was a "bubble gum" pop song that climbed into your subconscious with it's catchy melody.  Jack Staw is an epic tale with an extremely cool and original musical structure (music by Weir, lyrics by Hunter).

What imagery this song has!  What great lyrics!

Leaving Texas, fourth day of July
Sun so hot, the clouds so low, the eagles filled the sky...

I'm so partial to the Europe '72 version  I've included a youtube embed of it from youtube below.

A Song That is Eternally Fresh

In the twenty years since I started listening to the Grateful Dead, I've probably heard a hundred or more Jack Straws (mostly opening the 1st set). I can tell you that never once have I fast forwarded  through Jack Straw.  The song is just so pleasing and builds so nicely with such great lyrics and an evolving structure.  It's just perfect, and definitely none too simple.

I've also been known to crank up Jack Straw as loud as it will go when the 2nd jam starts.  This section can really reach great heights (especially for an opener) as Phil drops bombs while Jerry builds the intensity.  When you hear a great Jack Straw with Jerry playing great leads, you just know that the next song is going to be a Jerry song because he is  just 'feeling it' and is going to take over and deliver a stellar 1st set.

That's how powerful Jack Straw is.

The Creative Peak of the Early 1970's

For you Grateful Dead purists who favor the early to mid 1970's dead, I have to hand it to you, this is an extremely exciting period in the band's history.  So many of the songs that came about from 1970-1974 were incredible and became staples of the live show for the remainder of the Grateful Dead's existence . Many of these great songs are like Jack Straw in that they were never even recorded in the studio (Brown Eyed Women, Ramble on Rose, Tennessee Jed), the band was on such a creative tear.

Sentimental Jack Straw Memory

Jack Straw was the last show opener I ever saw (at the Las Vegas Sunday show in 1995). I remember getting pretty emotional for some reason when Jerry and the band walked onstage under the hot Las Vegas sun and started Jack Straw.  In the casinos during the Las Vegas shows,  you could occasionally  hear unsuspecting casino employees paging Grateful Dead characters at some prankster's request: "Jack Straw, please pick up a courtesy phone." It sure was great when the Deadheads took over the Las Vegas Strip, I will never forget those shows.


Jack Straw Rating on a Scale of 1-10:  9.9

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).

Hell in a Bucket - Grateful Dead Song Review

Everything works about this song, Hell in a Bucket is Grateful Dead magic.

This song came out in the mid 80's when a lot of bands from the Grateful Dead era were putting out some real garbage  (hello Starship "We Built This City" and Neil Young "rockabilly and electronica experimentation"). In fact, the entire music world was generally putting out crappy music during the greedy Reagan era. Hell in a Bucket might have never been a radio worthy track but who cares? It rocked the opening to many shows.

I like that Brent is credited for the music (along with Bobby of course), and the enigmatic John Perry Barlow penned the words.  Some of the lines seem "groan worthy," but as a whole it really works.

The spirit of this line:

There may come a day I will dance on your grave
If unable to dance I will crawl

reminds me of the rebellious and humorous spirit embodied in songs like Saint of Circumstance and Touch of Grey (which is the opening track that precedes Hell in a Bucket on In the Dark).

Hell in a Bucket is very consistent and a great opener.  Jerry would usually play incredibly great (and fast) on Hell in a Bucket, and then as soon as it's over -  it's Jerry's turn to pick a song so Bucket sets up a strong 1st set by priming Jerry for an energetic and well played 2nd song.

There's some great tunes that comprise the group of songs the Grateful Dead regularly opened with: Jack Straw, Mississippi Half Step, Touch of Grey, etc.  In my opinion Hell in a Bucket holds it's own with these.

I've included a live performance video below from a show that I was actually at - Las Vegas, Sunday June 26th, 1994. This video brings back great memories from that night.  I believe this is the exact a feed from the video screens the Dead used on that tour - and some very creative intermingling of footage can be seen.

There's an "MTV" style music video for this song, do yourself a favor and DO NOT seek it out.  You will be disappointed.

Hell in a Bucket Song Rating on a Scale of 1-10: 9.3

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.

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).

Around and Around - Grateful Dead Song Review

Around and Around

This song is a mellow rocking groove that I am almost certain was not originally a Dead song. There was a lot of excitement around the playing of this song in my memories of being a Deadhead so it had a kind of revered status in the echelon of Dead songs. I think this is possibly because it was played regularly during the mid 70's publicly acknowledged "golden years" of the Dead (not by me, read the manifesto) and then more sporadically later. I remember when we got to Vegas 1995 on Saturday night (we could only make the last show) everyone was raving about the Dead playing The Race is On and Around and Around that no one even told me we missed Morning Dew (I found out much later).

I personally find it to be a rather predictable shuffling blues song that affords little in the way of surprises.

Around and Around Song Rating on a Scale of 1-10: 6.0

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).