Boston Run in September 1993 - Utterly Ridiculous

I haven't been very regular in updating the blog but I assure you that I'm always listening to Grateful Dead, and almost exclusively Grateful Dead from the 1990s.

It's been 17 years since Jerry died and thanks to technology I've been able to download and hear soundboard recordings of tons of shows (although  I wish the band would officially release all the recordings from the 1990s).

I've never been very good about memorizing which shows really stand out and I'm not one of those Deadheads that can tell you what show has "the best performance of Samson ever". One reason for this is because after I hear a great tape, I am immediately trying to forget it so that I can "rediscover" it again in another year or two.

Well in the last week or two, I worked my way through a run of shows from Boston in September 1993 that contain some unbelievable Grateful Dead moments and is probably the best GD run ever (to my unique tastes). Of course, if I could go back to any show in a time machine, it would be the Harmonic Convergence show in 1987, but a close second would be this run back east.

Grateful Dead Played Better on the East Coast?

I have to admit, although I've seen some great shows, I never saw the band firing on all cylinders like this run.  It features huge stretches of flawless and inspired performances by Jerry. Of course, he is just newly playing the "Lightning Bolt" guitar which allowed him to play easily and fluidly compared to the previous Doug Irwin guitars. To those who disparage the "acoustic tone" of Lightning Bolt, I would urge them to listen to Jerry reinvent some old tunes during this run (I write a lot more about Lightning Bolt here).

Again, I have listened to show recordings for the 17 Grateful Dead shows I went to and they just don't compare to the band in Boston during this run (possible exception was the Sunday night Vegas show I saw in 1994).  Shoreline (aka Snoreline) shows in particular pale in comparison.

I have come to the undeniable conclusion that the band played better on the East Coast (specifically New York, Philadelphia, and Boston).

Audio and Video Links and More Discussion about These Shows

I found one youtube video of a complete concert from these shows (the 3rd of 6 shows - Sunday, 9/26/93 thanks Voodoonola!). I'm going to post links to the archive.org recordings for all these shows.

Then down below  the video, I am going to maybe weigh in on some specific thoughts and highlights from these shows (I do this way down the page so that the person who may be hearing these for the first time can listen without knowing the setlist and enjoy the surprise of the show).

• First show,  Friday, 9/24/93 - archive.org link 
• Second show,  Saturday, 9/25/93 - archive.org link 
• Third show,  Sunday, 9/26/93 -  archive.org link  
• Fourth show,  Tuesday, 9/28/93 - archive.org link  
• Fifth show,  Wednesday, 9/29/93 - archive.org link 
• Sixth show,  Thursday, 9/30/93 - archive.org link 

Some Random Thoughts from This Historic Boston Run

• First show,  Friday, 9/24/93 - Setlist Link

This show is great, but I wasn't listening as closely because I didn't realize it was such a monumental run. Any show with Scarlet/Fire is great and the Days Between was good as well.

• Second show,  Saturday, 9/25/93 - Setlist Link

This first set is ridiculous.  There is an absolutely incredible Loser and the Cassidy/Deal closer shows Jerry playing at a magical level.   The Foolish Heart is always an ambitious choice and this is a "pretty good" version (very long).  Crazy Fingers and The Wheel are 2 of my favorite songs and make the 2nd set a winner, but overall, the 1st set owns the night.

• Third show,  Sunday, 9/26/93 - Setlist Link

So it was during this tape that I really started realizing how great this run is.  High Time (first set) and Ship of Fools (2nd set) are rare and awesome to hear especially in the same show.  The Standing on the Moon closer and Rain encore left me speechless.

• Fourth show,  Tuesday, 9/28/93 - Setlist Link

This is the only show that I didn't have the soundboard of so I listened to the audience recording from archive.org.  More of the band and Jerry playing great.  A great China/Rider and a personal favorite Attics of My Life highlight this show.  The ending Throwing Stones then Good Lovin' and then US. Blues encore just further highlight how much more special the Dead seemed to treat their East Coast runs.

• Fifth show,  Wednesday, 9/29/93 - Setlist Link

Sugaree and Dire Wolf highlight the first set, and the surprising/disappointing (choice) Tennessee Jed set closer is redeemed when the band comes out and opens the 2nd set with Eyes of the World. Terrapin is great and the surprising Playin' Reprise is great coming out of Space.

• Sixth show,  Thursday, 9/30/93 - Setlist Link

This is my favorite show of this run...  Here Comes Sunshine is incredible and the Candyman and Stagger Lee are played really well although you can hear Jerry's voice is really struggling...I think it was the last show of Fall Tour. If you really want to hear how clear and beautiful Lightning Bolt sounded, listen to the opening notes of Candyman from this show.... that guitar just cut through clear as a bell.

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds is a personal favorite so as 2nd set opener I think that's great.  Crazy Fingers played for the 2nd time this run and is good (Stagger Lee is also played twice on this run and it's one of my all time favorites with Crazy Fingers so you can imagine how much extra that makes me like this run and this show in particular).  Jerry plays some great guitar at the end of He's Gone (during the "ooooh nothing's gonna bring him back..."), I've never heard him play like that during this part of the song.

Other One>Wharf Rat is not a sequence I like that much but instead of the usual Lovelight after they switch it up and go to Not Fade Away where Jerry plays and sings just incredibly (what happened to the 1st set hoarseness I have no idea).  The show ends on such a high note and then of course what else could end a 6 night run (and tour) better than Brokedown.... perfection.

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.

1993 Was So Great - Incredible Grateful Dead Era

In the last entry, I posted these two videos to represent a great performance by The Grateful Dead in 1993 and how great Jerry played on Lightning Bolt. These videos are so good they bear repeating. Spoiler alert  - I will be wanking on about these below so don't scroll down if you don't want to know the songs played before watching. Also, the soundboard on archive.org is here.

Richfield Coliseum on September 9th, 1993 Set 1

Richfield Coliseum on September 9th, 1993 Set 2

~~~Spoiler Alert All the magic is up there, below is my wanking about this show below~~~~

Wow, nice concert.  I would describe this as a magical show. Can't imagine what it would've like to be at this one, and I look forward to my next listen of the next night's show (on my next jog).

How about that Lightning Bolt?

I saw the Shoreline run before this in August where, according to this site, Jerry introduced Lightning Bolt. That was a pretty phenomenal Shoreline run (by Shoreline standards).  Jerry took to the guitar well as this show from Richfield shows.

In this Richfield show, the St of Circumstance 2nd "build up jam"(starts at about 22:30 in the 2nd set video), the extended jam in Terrapin (starts at 30:30 2nd set),  and of course the Morning Dew are just amazing and make this one for the ages.

How about that weird sound during Morning Dew (at around 1:22:00 and 1:23:40 in the 2nd set video)?  WTF is that? It's also on the soundboard for this show.

Finally, I'm always a fan of Victim for the Crime for some reason.... and I might really be revealing a bias for this period (more likely my fond memories) but I even love the I Fought The Law encore.

Thanks to StickyFingers44111 for uploading this incredible footage.

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).

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).

Death Don't Have no Mercy - Grateful Dead Song Review

Death Don't Have no Mercy is a great slow bluesy grind that the Dead played early in their career (from 1966 through 1970) and also revived in 1989.

Death Don't Have no Mercy was written by Reverend Gary Davis and Jerry Garcia sings the whole song on Live/Dead. I can only assume that he did so on all the old versions of the song.  The 1989 version of the tune has Jerry singing the first verse, then Bob, then Brent, and then Jerry.

This song is really dark, and could be boring.  But the performances I've heard are really ominous and the Dead "pull it off" by keeping the song interesting with this dark energy.

An Unbelievable Guitar Performance

The version that is on the So Many Roads Box Set features some really unbelievable soloing by Garcia. Garcia's lyrical guitar style is typically associated with clean jazzy leads (or at least that's what I feel best represents his talent).  I do not really associate Garcia with "shredding the blues" - which is what many guitarists build their entire career on.

However, this performance features Garcia "shredding the blues" and it is just an unbelievable lead.  It is really flawless and almost hard to believe it is a "one-take" live performance.  I could almost point to this guitar performance as a sort of pinnacle of Garcia's later years.  Also, bonus points for him pulling it off at Shoreline (commonly referred to as "Snoreline"), where Garcia (and the band) often seemed a little too relaxed to pull off career defining musical moments.

Here is the link where you can hear 9-29-89 Shoreline on archive.org.

Death Don't Have no Mercy Song Rating on a Scale of 1-10: 8.3

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

Dark Star - Grateful Dead Song Review

Dark Star.
What can you say about Dark Star? It is almost larger than life.

As you can see I took a 3 year hiatus from the blog to think about this post.  Not really, but it's good to be back (had some technical/google/login type issues).

Dark Star is perfect - a simple motif that represented a vehicle for free form exploration.  The lyrics are simple and utterly psychedelic. "Glass hand dissolving to ice petal flowers revolving." Perfect.

Throughout the band's entire career this song was anticipated and probably even more so toward the end of the  band's tenure in the 90's. I never got to see this song in concert, but there's a few versions that I have close to my heart that I will briefly discuss:

Dark Star from Live/Dead Album (in 1967)
This to me is "the original." It's just fantastic.  The band really does a nice job locking into patterns with each other and evolving gradually and collectively  - with Jerry's twangy guitar leading the way.

There's also a "2:45 "Single Version" on the Live/Dead reissue that is really cool, with a jumpy beat, a nice shaker, and a tamboura in the background.

Dark Star from Sunshine Daydream Movie (Veneta Oregon Concert in 1972)

In this performance the Dead appears to be able to play this song completely unconsciously, thus allowing them to really let themselves go and (apparently) trip out on the performance.  Jerry looks to be "far, far away" in this performance.

I highly recommend you check this movie out, there's some great footage (and especially audio) of the extended Grateful Dead Family putting on a concert.   Part of the Dark Star has been posted to youtube. It claims to be "1 of  4 parts" but I can't find the other 3 and it's not a satisfying way to enjoy the footage anyway (on youtube's flash player). The DVD is out there -  if you can possibly get your hands on it, I recommend doing so.

Dark Star from "Warlock's" Shows in Hampton Virginia (October 9th, 1989)

Must see video on Youtube is here.  The band announced these shows and sold tickets as "The Warlocks" or "Formerly the Warlocks" or something like that.  Can you imagine being there for that run? Wow, here are some notes from the youtube uploader:

In addition to the spectacular renditions of each song, it was also the 1st Dark Star since Berkley 1984, the 2nd Death Don't Have No Mercy since 1972, the 1st Attics of My Life since 10-28-1972 and the 1st time Dark Star and Death Don't were played in the same show since 11-2-69 ...

That video gives me chills, and I return to it often.

Dark Star from First Set at Shoreline (August 16th, 1991)
I am a veteran of several Shoreline shows (not this one though) and you may know that I am biased towards late Dead.  So I am fascinated that on a summer day in 1991 during a pretty routine 1st set Jerry played Dark Star between Desolation Row and Promised Land. WHAT? I love trying to imagine having been there for that. I bet it was still daylight even. It's a "short" version and none too expansive, but still very novel. The last time they played Dark Star in the first set was 20 years prior (in 1971).

This show has a ridiculous 2nd set opening medley - check it out if you can.

Dark Star from Dick's Picks Volume 27 (December 16th, 1992)


This is my favorite Dark Star.  I know I know.... most Deadheads would laugh at this 5 minute "half a Dark Star" and hey, "how can you pick a favorite anyway," right?  Still, I just love hearing the hint and the tease and then the crowd's reaction the instant Jerry plays the notes.   Also, it's at Oakland Coliseum where I have some powerful memories.  They don't even play the opening "theme" (which always seemed to get butchered in later years anyway).  It's a "second half" of the Dark Star that presumably "started" on some previous night.

I've heard other versions where the crowd's reaction is unbelievably loud (like on audience recordings) but that was many years ago when I had a tape collection. I love hearing the crowd react when they recognize what song the Dead are going to play.

For serious musicians: take a look at this "Master Class" piano exploration of Dark Star. This video is over an hour and a half and I admit I haven't even made it into this video further than a few minutes. Still, there's gotta be some amazing insight in there about how the Grateful Dead approached Dark Star.

Dark Star Song 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).

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).

Brown Eyed Women - Grateful Dead Song Review

Brown Eyed Women is a great fun old Grateful Dead Song. This song came out on Europe '72 and is one of those tunes that Robert Hunter was referring to years later when he pointed out that there was a lot of original music created around that time that he wished had gotten properly recorded in a studio (like Jack Straw, Ramble on Rose, and others).

For me, the Europe '72 version is just a great version of Brown Eyed Women. I love this type of Dead song with Robert Hunter's lyrics harkening back several decades to a past era of American life. He sings about a man who raised a ragged family of farmers and/or moonshiners. The "old man" and Delilah Jones (the mother of twins, two times over and the rest were sins) recur throughout the song and a great tale of love and loss is born.

Brown Eyed Women also boasts one of those memorable refrains to start off some of the verses "..Gone are the days when the...." This song is Grateful Dead songwriting at its finest and I was lucky enough to see this song live at Shoreline Amphitheater on 9/18/1994. I will always listen to Brown Eyed Women when it comes on a tape or podcast.

Brown Eyed Women Song Rating on a Scale of 1-10: 7.9

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).

Bertha - Grateful Dead Song Review

Bertha

Bertha was a great rocker, and when the Dead were around I really liked it. The main version I originally familiarized myself with was the one off of the Skull and Roses CD, and it is a catchy upbeat song. I have a great memory of rocking out to it on the lawn at Shoreline, having just ran into a bunch of my Deadhead friends on 8/26/1993 (I missed the opener Hell in a Bucket that night - those must've been some crazy days for me to be all the way at Shoreline and not get my a** inside for the opener…).

Years later, Los Lobos also played Bertha as an encore when I saw their concert at the Fillmore and we rocked out to it (the song is on Los Lobos excellent greatest hits).

But as much as I liked Bertha during the Grateful Dead’s concerts and touring days, I have to say that in the 14 years that have gone by since during which all I’ve had are tapes to listen to from the past – I’m kind of tired of hearing Bertha. It has a pretty one dimensional rock structure in G, not much of a jazzy feel, Jerry doesn’t step out on it too much, and is about 2 verses too long.

Bertha Song Rating on a Scale of 1-10: 7.1

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).