Foolish Heart - Grateful Dead Song Review

Foolish Heart is in my top 5 Grateful Dead songs and I think it's the possibly the most underrated song in The Grateful Dead catalog.

Before Reading Further, You Must Listen to this Version:

This song was definitely hit and miss, and most versions are not great.  There's one version in particular from 9-18-1990 that you can hear here that is possibly my favorite live Grateful Dead recording ever.  The jam section in the middle of the song features such tight collective improvisation and the band is so "on" that it is truly a magical moment where "the whole is greater than the sum of the parts."

More about this version: Both Bruce Hornsby and Vince Welnick are playing together with the Dead at this point, and the Grateful Dead is less than a month into their new lineup (after the death of Brent Mydland in March July of 1990 - thanks Ouish).  There is a sense of hope and rebirth in this version of Foolish Heart. But more than anything, Jerry is flawless on this version of the song and the entire band is firing on all cylinders.

Strangely, the "Jam" out of this version of the song is included on the So Many Roads Box Set.  And while the Jam is great... I can't imagine why the song itself is not included as well. 

My original exposure to this version was taping it off of the radio from David Gans's Grateful Dead Hour broadcast. What's amazing is how many years and hundreds of times I played the cassette and then still managed to convert it to CD in the digital age and it sounds louder and more crisp than all of my other .mp3s. This is pretty amazing considering I originally taped it off of the radio (not a recipe for high fidelity). I attribute this to a little GD magic but I'm sure that I converted it to digital with some weird settings that cranked up the audio (I converted it via a stereo system hooked up to a CD burner).

The Last Great Jam Masterpiece

I already called Days Between the "final masterpiece" and it came along several years after Foolish Heart, but I can definitely give Foolish Heart the title of the the final jam masterpiece - because of the built in jam section after Jerry sings "a selfish heart is trouble, but a foolish heart is worse!" The Dead would stretch out on songs all the time but only certain songs had a special section for a jamming build up (The Music Never Stopped, Cassidy, and Playing in the Band to name a few).  I can't think of a song that came along after Foolish Heart with this kind of built in improvisational section.  

As I alluded above, the jam in Foolish Heart was definitely hit and miss.  Most times the band was not really in sync and the very tight punches that end the jam ("duh duh, duh DUH!") required supreme coordination and was frequently butchered.  Still, this is the chance you take when you "step out" on a song and have your lead guitarist staring down at his instrument trying to explore new territory while everyone else has to guess when the climax is coming and react accordingly.  As you can hear in the version I posted at the beginning of this article, the rewards are worth the risk.

Words by Robert Hunter

I can see why this song was pegged for a radio single.  The lyrics are really succinct and "traditional." It is a very tidy little ditty that follows the same kind of ironic theme throughout and there's not a single syllable wasted.  The song functions as a warning that we all probably wish we could've heeded at one time in our life.  I think I've read Jerry quoted as saying something to the effect that he didn't really feel this was advice he truly would give from the heart because he'd rather someone recklessly pursue whims of romance and take chances.

Foolish Heart Video: Foolish Heart was released on the final studio album Built To Last which came out in 1989.  There was an "official" Grateful Dead video for Foolish Heart. I've posted it at the bottom of this article.  The Foolish Heart video is pretty cool for a novelty but you'll probably enjoy watching one of the many live versions more (many are available on youtube).

Foolish Heart Song Rating on a Scale of 1-10: 9.8

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.

Easy Answers - Grateful Dead Song Review

Boy I've been dreading writing this one.... 

This song's popular "lot" nickname "Cheesy Answers" really says it all.  

How did this song go so wrong? It has Robert Hunter helping on lyrics (not common for a Bobby tune), it has a bouncy upbeat rhythm and nice keyboards.  It sounds a bit like an 80's tune  - like something one of the solo Eagles would've made (but probably never released). And when I say '80's tune' I don't necessarily mean that in a derogatory way as some of the Dead's '80's sounding' tunes were great - like Feel Like a Stranger.

But the song just sucks. Also, it was usually played in the 2nd set, robbing the audience of a much better tune that could've been slotted there. It reminds me of Corrina (which I hate much less), Way to Go Home, Wave to the Wind and a the rest of the other 1990s "new" Dead tunes that fell really short. One thing I'd like to point out is that Jerry was still spinning gold during this  period (Lazy River, Days Between, etc).

I remember reading a review of the 1995 Grateful Dead experience that specifically pointed out the digust of the Deadheads when after 5 minutes of the Gyuto Monks onstage at Shoreline when Bobby pulled this tune out it was a real disappointment (because apparently there was magic in the air that was squandered on this song).  You can hear that entire show here (and a great setlist that show is, I will check it out in full later).

Rob Wasserman is also credited as a composer on this song and it was originally recorded with the help of Neil Young (who helped write it too), on this page I found Wasserman's recollection: 

"I remember thinking that the song must be pretty good when I saw Neil simultaneously washing dinner dishes at the studio sink and dancing non-stop while he listened to the playback."

I hate to rain on Wasserman's parade but I am not so sure I buy this. Why would old Neil be washing dishes if he loved the song so much... I would be curious to know if

a)Neil Young has ever performed  the song
or
b)if Neil ever worked with Rob (or Bobby) again after recording Easy Answers... if the answer to boh questions is "no" then perhaps Rob Wasserman misread Neil's feelings about Easy Answers.

In my research for this blog entry I did come across the website headyversion.com which I guess crowdsources the best versions of jamband songs and I love this idea.  you can see the entry for Easy Answers here and if you are feeling adventurous you could listen to the versions on archive.org to try and find a smokin' version of Easy Answers.  I think I'll pass on this.

Easy Answers Song Rating on a Scale of 1-10: 0.0

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 (and be sure to read my blog manifesto to understand a little more about where I'm coming from).

Days Between - Grateful Dead Song Review

Polished like a golden bowl... the finest ever seen.

This song review is going to really reveal my bias about The Dead (re: Jerry favoritism and preferring late-era Dead).  To me Days Between is "the final masterpiece." 

This song was underwhelmingly received when I was seeing shows, and I've heard some pretty devoted Deadheads state they don't like it.  I find this hard to understand because to me this song is completely original and very moving.  I think when Days Between was originally introduced, the "newness" factor made some Deadheads not like this song - because they'd rather hear a tune that they were more "connected" to.  But to me, all Dead music was new at the time when I heard this song, and it really stands out.

An Original Structure and Spotty Performances

This song has a really original song structure that moves from an opening theme through a building chord progression that comes back to the opening theme after the climax. It's a kind of linear structure that escalates in intensity and there is no traditional verse, chorus or bridge.  Jerry would occasionally solo over the entire chord cycle, but more commonly solo over the opening coda (when it is played at the end).

Since I specialize in listening to '90s Dead,  I've heard most of the versions of Days Between, and it usually is played after Space (or after a more upbeat song that came out of Space). Performances of Days Between were rather varied in the way the band approached it, and some are much better than others.  My favorite versions are the ones that have a pulsing undercurrent from the rhythm section that really builds in intensity throughout the song.  Other times, it was a little listless.  Sometimes Jerry was definitely more "on" than others (like all songs).  When he would take one of the full chord cycles for a solo, it is usually pretty sloppy, but when he would solo at the end (over the opening theme), it usually came off better.  There's a great version of it on a youtube video at the bottom of this blog post - thatnks to roadrunnerismyname for the post.

I think the fact that the Dead were still pretty new to the song (it was in the repertoire for about 3 years  when Jerry died) explains why it was a little inconsistent.  They were still finding their way with this tune.   

The "studio demo" version that is on the  So Many Roads Box Set is decent, but nothing great.   

Hunter and Garcia's Final Masterpiece

In my opinion, as much (or more) credit goes to Hunter on this tune. The lyrics are really special.  There is a sense of nostalgia and wonder throughout the song.   And, as the best art always does reflect life, there is also kind of a dark brooding sense of fear and loss: Summer flies and August dies, and the world grows dark and mean...  

Hearing Jerry sing "When all we ever wanted, was to learn and love and grow" still gives me chills, but I really like lines like this too: "No one knows much more of this, than anyone can see..."  To me it is saying  to not seek answers from anyone else, but just try to make the most of this short window of time we have on this planet.

The Days Between August 1st and August 9th

There's kind of a legend that the "Days Between" August 1st and August 9th have a special significance because Jerry was born on August 1st and died on August 9th.  I always try to observe this time period as much as possible to reflect on the man and the music he created.  The gamut of emotions that this reflection brings are as varied as the range of  themes that are present in Days Between: from wonder to fear. From joy to loss.

Days Between Song 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 (and be sure to read my blog manifesto to understand a little more about where I'm coming from).

Garcia: An American Life Book Review

Blair Jackson is probably my favorite Grateful Dead historian because he is so knowledgeable, thoroughly published, writes about the music with nice detail, and was credited for the book
Grateful Dead Gear: The Band's Instruments, Sound Systems, and Recording Sessions from 1965 to 1995 (review coming soon). That book is truly encyclopedic in it's scope and so is Garcia: An American Life.

This book is a godsend for Jerry Garcia and Grateful Dead fanatics. I would couple it with the (more controversial and tabloid-ish Living with the Dead - review coming soon) as mandatory reading for someone who wants to understand what life was like inside the Dead organization while they were creating the monstrous cultural movement that we were all affected by.

The detail is staggering, and the insights into Jerry Garcia and his demons are numerous. this book lays it out and provides a much needed expose into Jerry's life - even chronicling his drug use and his checkered love life.

Blair Jackson has provides great insight into the music itself (better than the the other notable Grateful Dead authors), take for example Blair Jackson's take on Days Between's structure:

The song did not have a conventional pop structure. There was no chorus, no bridge; just four long verses that started with spare and simple accompaniment and then built in intensity as the instruments played increasingly grand ornamental fills. Vince Welnick described it nicely: "It would go from this poignant but intense space to this big, majestic thing that would just pour out. That song and 'So Many Roads' really meant a lot to Jerry, you could tell." In it's early versions, the song had no solo break between the verses, but it had a moody and unusual open-ended instrumental coda that wasn't tied to the melody of the song, but rather spilled off in other more musically abstract directions.

In another excerpt Blair Jackson talks about the lyrics and then gets a great quote from Steve Silberman that gives insight into the climate of serious Deadheads' opinions about the music when Days Between came about and how it was received:

... Days Between is painted in an emotional chiaroscuro, at once fond and foreboding, filled with promise and dread. In one verse, "Summer flies and August dies / The world grwos dark and mean." But in another "a hopeful candle flickers / in the land of lullabies." One part of the final verse has "Hearts of summer held in trust / still tender young and green," then immediately offsets that with "left on shelves collecting dust / not knowing what they mean."

" 'Days Between' joined the Grateful Dead oeuvre right at the time - 1993 - when old-time Deadheads were asking themselves if Garcia and Hunter were still capable of creating art that had a primordial, frightening intensity: the beauty at the edge of terror that Rilke described," comments Steve Silberman. "As the other songs written roughtly in the same period seemed to mine well-worn images and attitudes - almost reveling in their seasoned facility to created and archetypal mood, like 'Lazy river Road' - 'Days Between slipped between your clothes and your skin like a chill wind out of a grave. I think it's the most uncompromisingly adult lyric Hunter ever wrote."

So that's the kind of stuff that I live to read, and passages like that kept me glued to this book when it first came out in 1999. I re-purchased it recently and re-read it, happily having forgotten enough of the incredible amount of information to make it very informative to read again.

There is information about every album Jerry made, every musical endeavor, and every tour the Dead went on. The book describes the "ups and downs" of maintaining the world's most successful touring rock band and the pressures that come with it (for instance - the Grateful Dead wanted New Years Eve off to spend R&R time with their families but for many years played the concerts out of a sense of obligation).

There is a ton of other great info in the book about Jerry's musical and non musical relationships, activities, and personality traits. There is information in this book that you will not find anywhere else (like for instance, insight into John Kahn's life - a subject rarely written about buut of great interest to me).

I highly recommend Garcia: An American Life to anyone who likes the Grateful Dead enough to read this blog. The book will not disappoint and you will feel like you understand the life of Jerry Garcia more than you previously did. You may find yourself feeling sympathy for him because of his drug addiction and pressures of being the leader of the Grateful Dead. During other parts of the book you may experience anger at the irresponsible and insensitive actions of the man who's unhealthy lifestyle caused him to die prematurely at age 53.

I once e-mailed Blair Jackson about something and he emailed back too, which was really cool.

Garcia: An American Life Book Rating on a Scale of 1-10: 10.0