A couple of cool Grateful Dead Pictures

I'm so sorry this photo is so tiny.  This is really ridiculous for me to share it but something about it really  appeals to me.  It's a side of the Grateful Dead you don't really see  - the backstage.  I think that's Kidd Candelario in the foreground. I'm friends with him on Facebook and this is  a picture someone tagged him in.

This one is Jerry prowling at night.  He lived hard, you can just tell.  That's a special Fender briefcase that is the color and material of a Fender guitar case.  Look how dirty it is... I'm guessing this is 1980 or so.

Who Was John - Jerry Garcia Band

I've heard more than one person say they enjoyed JGB shows more than Dead shows.  Songs like this support this line of thinking.  Even Donna sounds good:




I'm going to digress unnecessarily here and hypothesize that the era that I saw the dead (mid 1990s) was probably the time that you could best make the argument that JGB was a better show.  FIrst of all, JGB was sick at this time. Secondly, the Grateful Dead started struggling in the mid 1990s, especially in 1994 and 1995.

I think Jerry seemed very happy playing in JGB.  Bill Kreutzmann has controversially stated that Jerry did not enjoy playing with The Grateful Dead during the bands' swan song.

 (thanks Jimmi B for posting this on Youtube)

The Rolling Stone Grateful Dead Issue - The Ultimate Guide

There was a lot of hype about this in the Grateful Dead Facebook Communities that I 'like' on Facebook.

I got the issue and it's a collection of old interviews.  Most are with Jerry which is nice.  There's a new article about the 20 "must see" shows and there's only one in the 1990s (and a ton in the 1960's) so I didn't even read that.  There's also a new article from Bob Weir which I'll get to soon.

I've got to say that I'm thus far a little underwhelmed by this "ultimate guide."

I Fought the Law - Grateful Dead Song Review

My bias for 1990's Dead and also my favoritism toward Jerry is probably going to really come out on this post because I actually like I Fought the Law.

IFTL (tape abbreviation) was universally derided as a disappointing encore. I remember people immediately streaming to the exit in disgust when it began.  Many songs that came about in the 1990s that are in retrospect pretty terrible (Wave to the Wind, Childhood's End), were at least unique enough at the time for Deadheads to reserve judgement, but not I Fought the Law.

What can I say, I found it enjoyable and still do. There is a youtube of it at the bottom of this post (no video but an audio version).  I think it's sounds like a pretty fair representation of I Fought the Law.  I like the way Jerry sings this part in a high register:

I left my baby and it feels so bad 

Guess my race is run 

She's the best girl that I ever had 

I fought the law and the law won

This song was very short at least.  Also, it was exclusively played as an encore, so at least it didn't mar the momentum of a great set with its inclusion.  The song came about in March 1993, just a couple of months before my first show and was played somewhat frequently (35+ times until August 1995)... so this is definitely "my era" of seeing the Dead, and I saw it several times (maybe my fond concert memories are making me remember this song too kindly).

A Warning to Deadheads?

A theory that I heard bandied about the parking lot scene was that the song was intended to be a warning to Deadheads about police crackdown and undercover police.  That seems to be a stretch but heaven knows there were some legal atrocities occurring during this period at the hands of "mandatory minimum" laws.

I Fought The Law Song Rating on a Scale of 1-10: 6.5

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(read my blog manifesto to understand my Grateful Dead background a little more).

Note: comments are encouraged and appreciated (enter them below) but it takes several days for them to show up in the blog entry (due to a Disqus plugin issue).  

JGB at Blockbuster Pavilion, Devore CA 5-13-1994

The first few minutes only are stills.  This is Jerry playing a really great show at this late date.

Many people don't know that The Grateful Dead had shows booked the following year (late 1995) at this location which was sometimes referred to as the Glen Helen Blockbuster Pavilion in Devore CA. Tickets to this concert were sold, but the shows were not meant to be.

Thanks to BurningShoreProphet for the youtube post.

I Know You Rider - Grateful Dead Song Review

I wish I was a headlight, on a northbound train
I wish I was a headlight, on a northbound train
I'd shine my light through the cool Colorado rain

This song is obviously best remembered coming out of China Cat Sunflower hence the "China Rider" abbreviation for the medley that was adopted on cassette sleeves.

The song is listed as composed by "traditional" and early recordings are credited to the great field work of ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax (so you know this song goes way back). I've heard a dozen or more different versions from various bluegrass and Americana themed groups.  Most of these alternative takes on the song are much slower. Nothing compares to the Grateful Dead's interpretation, they really "souped it up."

2nd Set Opener (Most Commonly)

Getting China Rider is about as good as it gets to open the 2nd set in my experience (note that it also appeared other locations in the set earlier on in the band's tenure, including occasionally opening the show).  I will never get tired of the jam from China Cat into I Know You Rider.  It's just a collective swell  behind Jerry's "pedal to the medal" soloing.  This combination is one I can guarantee I've never fast forwarded through in 20 years of listening to The Grateful Dead.

Jerry's Verse

If I had to pick a favorite part, well of course it would be "Jerry's verse" where he sings the lines at the top of this blog... this is a part of the recording where you would actually prefer to be listening to an "audience recording" so you can hear the swell of cheers when he belts it out.


I Know You Rider Without China Cat Sunflower

As I said in my review of  Franklin's Tower and Fire on the Mountain, hearing the songs that are part of a famed medley (ie Help>Slip>Frank and Scarlet>Fire) without their proper predecessor just doesn't feel right.  It's like having dessert without enjoying dinner first...


Favorite Versions

I think that the versions of this with Brent are the ones are the most excellent.  The version on Without a Net is definitely one of my favorites.  I think that the song was really consistent even until the last days of Jerry playing it, but it probably lost a little fire at the tail end of the Grateful Dead (during Vince Welnick's tenure).

Of course, there's also a fantastic version on Europe '72.  I seem to be bringing up that double disc in all the recent song reviews, it's really amazing how packed that live recording is with great Dead songs.  It's also interesting to contemplate the vocal overdubs that are on those recordings.  Some day I'm going to do a close listen to the versions on Europe '72 and compare them to the soundboards from box set release of the entire tour that was The Dead finally did a couple years ago.  73 CD box set (!) Is that the biggest box set of all time?  How do we get a similar release from the 1990s??


I Know You Rider Song Rating on a Scale of 1-10: 9.2

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).

Note: comments are encouraged and appreciated (enter them below) but it takes several days for them to show up in the blog entry (due to a Disqus plugin issue).  

It's All Over Now - Grateful Dead Song Review

This is a cool Rolling Stones rocker that may be alternatively known as "I Used to Love Her." I like this song.  I like that the Dead would choose a "lesser known" Rolling Stones song and no doubt it got a good crowd reaction when it was played.  I think many casual Deadheads aren't familiar with this song, possibly because it wasn't played too often. It had a nice long run however, appearing in 1976 and played all the way up until 1995.

The video below is from Alpine Valley in 1989 (thanks Kulpo42 for the upload). As always, I'm amazed and going to point out how great it is to hear Jerry play the main rhythmic figure throughout the song. The solos are great (Brent and especially Jerry) and the background vocals add a lot to the song  (also by Brent and Jerry).

It's hard not to be reminded of The Last Time because that's also a Rolling Stones song, also somewhat "lesser known," and features a somewhat similar repetitive guitar figure that Jerry seemed to really get into.  The Last Time is more of a 2nd set post "space" tune and All Over Now was more of a first set rocker.

All Over Now is a great tune that is consistently delivered (perhaps owing to its simplicity its long 19 year run in the repertoire).

All Over Now 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.

Note: comments are encouraged and appreciated (enter them below) but it takes several days for them to show up in the blog entry (due to a Disqus plugin issue).