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.

Fire on The Mountain - Grateful Dead Song Review

Fire on the Mountain is one of those "entry level" Grateful Dead tunes that everyone loves.  Of course, as it usually comes on the heels of Scarlet Begonias (as part of the eponymous "Scarlet Fire" abbreviation on tapes back in the day), the band is usually primed and hitting on all cylinders while feeding on the high energy of an enthusiastic crowd by the time Fire on the Mountain hits its stride.

Why do I call it an "entry level" song? Probably because it is so instantly like-able. It's such an infectious chant, and the entire song is built on the same 2 major chords.  It's about as simple as a song can get harmonically, so it's so accessible to the listener no matter what their musical taste or background is.

The song came from a Mickey Hart album originally and the music is credited to Mickey (words by Robert Hunter).  I have always imagined that the song's lyrics were a message from Hunter to Garcia about his life which was consumed by the Grateful Dead machine and a message to Garcia to "slow down." I have absolutely nothing to back up this theory but some lines would make sense if this were the case:

You say it's a livin, we all gotta eat
But you're here alone, there's no one to compete.
If mercy's in busness, I wish it for you
More than just ashes when your dreams come true.

also

The flame from your stage has now spread to the floor
You gave all you had. why you wanna give more? 
The more that you give, the more it will take
To the thin line beyond which you really can't fake.


Fire Without Scarlet?

One thing I've never liked the idea of is a Fire on the Mountain that is played without Scarlet Begonias prior. that's like skipping dinner to eat dessert, it just doesn't feel right.

Legendary Versions 

I wish I kept better track of the great versions of songs like Fire on the Mountain that I hear.  I think most Fire on the Mountains are probably very good but some are great.  The song is very long though and I think it has the potential to drag a little bit.  Also, the soloing is all Garcia, so if he is really "feeling it," it might push the song from great to legendary.

I admit that when I listen to live show recordings (typically on jogs, occasionally long drives) I usually listen pretty carefully to Scarlet Begonias and the jam into Fire on the Mountain, but then I usually fast forward the rest of Fire on the Mountain. As much as I love it, I've heard hundreds of versions and it's a really long and repetitive song.

I do know 2 versions in particular that I've heard many times that are really great. You are probably familar with them as well:

• Cornell 5/8/1977 (after "Take a Step Back")  you can hear this show here on archive.org.  This show is familiar to almost all Deadheads it is often touted as the "best show ever" and if you are skipping  to the 2nd set be sure to start the tape at the legendary "take a step back" speech.

• Hamilton, Ontario 3/22/90.  The video for this entire 2nd set is below  (thanks to youtube uploader jamman6565 for this upload). This version is from a highly regarded show in Canada that has been brought to my attention so many times that I think it's safe to say it has "legendary" status. This version is the tail end of the Brent era and is very high energy and very special.  This version is also included on the So Many Roads box set.

Fire on the Mountain Song Rating on a Scale of 1-10: 9.4

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.

Jerry Wept: A Compilation of Performances from the 1990s

This is what I'm watching this morning... wow...youtube is so great, thanks to Wheatskins for this compilation.

74 Tracks of a Dylan/Dead Rehearsal

There doesn't appear to be anything new about this recording, but thanks to this article on OpenCulture.com   that I was tipped off by @Stephenspower and @brainpicker on Twitter, I am now listening to 74 Tracks of Dylan with the Dead on archive.org.

The recording is from June 1st 1987 and was recorded at Grateful Dead's rehearsal spot - Club Front in San Rafael.

I've never been too hot on the Dylan and The Dead album and live recordings I've heard, but this is  really great listening.  It's a very relaxed rehearsal session with the band calling out songs, discussing the instrumentation, and finding their way haphazardly through a slice of the Dylan catalog.

The OpenCulture article has some interesting quotes from Dylan's autobiography about his surprise at these sessions because (in his words),

 "the band wanted to rehearse more and different songs than I had been used to doing with Petty [on his recent tour with Tom Petty]. They wanted to run over all the songs, the ones they liked, the seldom seen ones."

Jerry is playing spritely and seems to be very confident on the Dylan repertoire.  There's even some beautiful pedal steel in these recordings.  Occasionally, the band starts really gelling, but this seems to be more of a discovery expedition to see which songs might feel good on the upcoming tour.

I've got to say, there's a lot of Dylan songs in this collection that I have not heard yet (and I'm a pretty big Dylan fan too).

I am Grateful to the twittersphere for tipping me off to this recording.

Grateful Dead to Release Spring 1990 Box Set

You may or may not know that I really love the late era Dead from the 1990's.  (See my "Open Letter for the Release of all 1990s Grateful Dead Audio and Video").

Well, I just heard about a new box set from Spring of 1990... NICE!  It's expensive ($200) but I will purchase it on principal  - to show strong support for the release of this era of Dead music.

I should have all of these shows on file and before I accept delivery of this new release (ships in late August) I will listen to them on my iPod so I can hear them without any "spoilers" from reading the CD liner notes. In fact, I don't even like to spend much time on the Dead.net page about these shows because I don't want to know what epic songs are included.

Yes, I know I'm kind of weirdo, but I like to listen to the Dead like I am at the concerts  -without any idea of what's coming next. Actually, I don't think I'm alone at all in this preference.

I will follow up and write more about this run of shows after I listen.

But this is a GREAT NEW RELEASE and I'm VERY EXCITED!!

Bob Weir's Cool Deal at TRI and Move Me Brightly Jerry Celebration TONIGHT

In a very cool article in Business Week, Bob Weir discusses how he is using TRI studios (Tamalpais Research Institute) to stream live music to Yahoo's users.   The money made on these streaming concerts will be split generously with the musicians (which is rare in the music industry).

Tonight (August 3rd) will feature a concert called "Move Me Brightly" which is a celebration of Jerry Garcia's music.  The show will feature members of Vampire Weekend, Phish, and the Hold Steady (with Luke Wilson as the master of ceremonies - did not know, is he a Dead Head?)

Here is TRI Studios website, where you can see the concerts and learn a lot more.

Nice going Bobby!

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.