Gimme Some Lovin' - Grateful Dead Song Review

Gimme Some Lovin' is a relic from an era of The Dead that I narrowly but regretfully missed.

Throughout The Grateful Dead's career they mixed in fun "party rock" songs into their set to make sure they put on a remarkable "rock n roll" show (and probably had a lot of fun themselves).  These songs provided a counterpoint to more "serious" and "though provoking" songs like China Doll, Let it Grow, Space etc.

Gimme Some Lovin' is a Spencer Davis Group song written by Steve Winwood, Spencer Davis, and Muff Winwood.

It is a mid tempo rock song that Brent and Phil sang together. If you never noticed that Phil was singing too, you are not alone (I kind of forgot myself until I queued up the below video to get psyched to write this).  Brent really owns this song vocally and of course his screaming organ is heavily featured in it.

This song seemed to come up in the 2nd set and alleviate any tension built up by songs like Terrapin, Space, etc. I love hearing it when it comes up on tapes and can't even imagine how great it would've been to have seen it live (like at the Alpine show which there is a video for below - thanks thepitts3463 for posting). You can see in the video how much fun the band is having while playing this song.

If you'd never heard of The Grateful Dead and found yourself at a show in the mid to late 1980s because someone drug you there (most of us ended up at our first Dead show this way), you might struggle to enjoy some of the music without having heard it and developed a connection to it.  But if they played Gimme Some Lovin', then most likely you would be on the bus instantly from that point on.

Gimme Some Lovin' Song Rating on a Scale of 1-10: 8.5

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 Need Love - Grateful Dead Song Review

Don't Need Love is a cool Brent tune that is pretty underrated.  It was played a handful of times in 1984, 1985, and 1986 and always in the 2nd set.  Considering it's position in the 2nd set, I can imagine some heads finding it a disappointing choice (taking the place of something like Dear Mr. Fantasy perhaps).

Now that I think about it, I'm kind of surprised the song wasn't a 1st set tune. It brings the same kind of mellow energy that Candyman or Friend of the Devil have.

The song has a very 1980s mellow waltz feel that features Brent's synth.  It really reminds me of something that Michael McDonald or Steve Winwood would sing.  For that matter it also could fit in the Beach Boys repertoire from that era.  It also reminds me a bit of the song So Far Away (From Me) by Dire Straits.

Enough with the comparisons, the song is a solid Brent tune with a catchy beat that is really laid back.  The lyrics are clever, as he sings I don't need love and I don't need you but the implied sentiment seems to be that he really does want love and is just burned by it.  Brent takes a great solo during the tune and does a bit of showboating with the vocals. Not all versions feature a solo by Jerry.

I am sure that people who were at the shows where this song was played connected with the lyrics and it caused a little bit of introspection.

It's such a simple song but I really like it.  I wish they recorded this one on one of the LPs. 

Don't Need Love In 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).