WGT Vol. 9: Moon Boots

50 Years Dead

(& My 40 Trips Around the Sun)

9/28/1975 is a date familiar to many Deadheads. On hiatus, the Dead played a handful of unique shows in 1975 featuring material from Blues for Allah, including the legendary One from the Vault show on 8/13/1975. Each show from '75 finds the band birthing a singular space-jazz fusion, breaking new ground while subsuming their influences. Despite the lack of shows, in many ways the hours spent poodling about in Weir's studio working out the material for Allah makes 1975 the most significant year in Dead history. So each of the four shows are special, but if there was a Dead show played on your birth date, you can possibly understand the significance 9/28/75 holds for me as we complete our 40th trip around the sun together. 

Many older Deadheads likely do not share a birth date with a Dead show, if they saw the band before, say, 1978. But for us younger Heads born between 1965 - 1995, the Dead having played approximately 2,300 shows, you have about a 1 in 4 chance of being born on the date of a Grateful Dead show. Using the old Deadhead math (that I never really bought into), that one out of every three shows was either mind-blowing, average, or terrible, you have about a 1 in 12 chance of being born on the date of a legendary Dead show. Except of course if you were born in 1975, when only 4 shows took place, in which case you have a 1 in 91 chance of being born on the date of a show, or 1 in 273 chance of being born on the date of a legendary show. Well, consider me lucky I guess. 

The music from this show, included on the new 30 Trips Around the Sun boxset, is tremendous, featuring a closing passage that includes the final time the band ever jammed out The Eleven, and a triumphant GDTRFB. Help>Slip opens the show, but Franklin's Tower, played later in the set, stands alone, and is most representative of what the band had achieved. 1973 and '74 found the Dead fluently speaking a country-jazz hybrid while sorting through many other styles and influences. But in 1975, they were speaking their own language. Listen to the Franklin's, and the forest you see is the space-jazz sound they had created, but the trees speak to their own individual influences. For me, the focus is always on Garica, and I can detect the slow country funk he absorbed via Bakersfield, until he takes off in the solo. Against the background of his fellow musicians' roots, the gestalt creates a mirage of something new, obscuring the past. Less inventive players like Clapton could mimic JJ Cale and turn his sound into pop-rock gems, but Garcia and the Dead went deeper. There's an archetypal motif about rewards derived from selflessly honoring the past, but I can't seem to recall what it is...

But what makes this show special for me, it being my birthday and all, is the onstage banter (check the end of Slipknot and TLEO), which includes discussion of a baby being born. So, what are the odds of being born on the date of a legendary Dead show in which there is onstage banter about a baby being born? 1 in 2,318, to be precise. 

What does it all mean? Everything, nothing? Being stuck in a duality, a bit of both I guess, but mainly whatever meaning I choose to give it. Right now, it's just a cool statistic. But what happened to that baby, my cosmic soul brother or sister? Were they baptized backstage in ayahuasca with Owsley as the Godfather? I mean, I am statistically lucky to share a birth date with this show, but what are the odds of being born at a legendary Dead show. This kid wins.

Are you still out there Augustus Nugjar Killowat III? What has become of the baby? Did you follow the Golden Road to Terrapin Station? Or did your life proceed by it's own design? Anyone know who this kid is? Would love to get an update.

So happy birthday to me and 9/28/1975. Enjoy this month's installment of cosmic rhapsody. Only three more chapters to go in this compilation, we're getting down to the wire. Give it a listen then read below, or vice versa. Previous volumes are in previous blog posts. Until next month:

See here how everything

Lead up to this day

And it's just like

Any other day

That's ever been

Sun goin up

And then the

Sun it goin down

Shine through my window and

My friends they come around

Come around

Disc Nine: MOON BOOTS

This is just kind of a classic early 90's second set, although the song order is a bit jumbled.  It features some of the best songs from the era, tunes that really benefited from the sounds the Dead were harnessing in the 80's.  As opposed to the frantic pace of the 80's, they were able to slow things down to allow them to breathe and open up to interesting spaces.  Even more so than the previous disc, this set has a cohesion that makes it feel like a show they might have played, in my fucking dreams!

1.       Tuning>

2.       Foolish Heart – 6/22/91.  This version is from an excellent second set at Soldier Field.  Unfortunately, I didn't catch this show, and would have to wait until the following summer to see the Dead for the first time.  This song really summed up where the Dead were at in this period.  When they were on, it was a swirling kaleidoscope of colors, rhythms, and sounds.  When they were off, it was a hot mess.  Some nice lines here and there, but overall some lightweight lyrics from Hunter.  Can't say that Jerry felt the lyrics were particularly important in this song either, as I've never heard a version in which he sings them all correctly.  This song is all about the circular melody that chases after itself.  It really benefits from Hornsby on the piano as well.

3.       That Would Be Something – Jerry Ballads.  A melody that apparently Jerry just couldn't resist, as he would frequently find himself riffing on it coming out of Space, or the end of pretty much any jam.  Kind of a strange cover choice, but I suppose its simplicity and catchiness made it an attractive song.  The track length here is almost identical to the version on McCartney's solo debut.  FYI!

4.       Moon Boots Jam – Jamming at the Edge.  From 9/8/93 in Richfield, OH.  The first night of a three night run.  I missed this night, but would catch the next two.  It was about a week after I had started my freshman year at the University of Dayton. I met a few Deadheads and like minded individuals, and we blew out of town for the shows.  No tickets, drugs, or plans on where we would stay, and things couldn't have turned out any better.   An insanely memorable couple of nights, and some of the strongest and most lasting friendships I made in college.  Grateful Dead magic, man.  Would've liked to see this jam live, but oh well.  The Dead were riffing on Standing on the Moon, but ultimately decided to go into Black Peter.

5.       Standing on the Moon – Good Ole Grateful Dead.  I used to love this song in high school.  Jerry standing on the moon, looking down on earth at all the fucked-up shit happening below.  'If you guys could see it from up here, you'd get it.'  Far out.  As corny as that may seem now, I was right, it’s a great song.  The verses are hippy-dippy, but the performance is as good as any the Dead ever played.  After the verses, Jerry goes into the refrain, "A lovely view of heaven, but I'd rather be with you," and the song becomes about something else.   Rather than the man in the moon looking down on earth, Jerry is singing that he wants to be with us.  And hell yeah we want to be with him; and on that night we are.  Then Jerry goes into a ferocious solo and the show climaxes with him fanning out on the chords.  Jerry comes back with a few more "Rather be with you('s)," and its gravy from here on out.  Whatever he's selling, you're buying.  If you're lucky enough to be at the show tripping balls, your face has just melted, your fists are up in the air, and you're about to blow your lungs out.  You start to weigh the pros and cons of going on tour.  But then Bobby starts up Lovelight or Sugar Mag, and it's time to party.  It doesn't get any better than this.  I was high when I wrote this, in case you couldn't tell.  One strange thing about this version, you can hear Phil say "That was Huey Lewis" toward the beginning of the song.  Apparently Huey had sat in with them on harmonica for a few tunes.  Kind of strange combo.  Unfortunately, fans clamoring for a cover of Want a New Drug would continue to be unfulfilled.

6.       Adams Family Tune Up – 10/3/87.  Just Jerry having some fun, and the band joins in.

7.       Terrapin Station>

8.       Mock Turtle Jam – 3/15/90.  Compare this version to the previous one on disc 5, and it's almost like a completely different tune.  This is more of the psychedelic beast the tune morphed into as it evolved.  Rather than petering out, the jam builds and builds, like a musical fractal spiraling around.  Like Foolish Heart, a song that benefited from the modern technology they embraced.  Really the Dead's signature tune in the last half of their career, as Dark Star became rarer, and they became more of an arena rock and even stadium band.  A big tune for those big spaces.  There was something special in the air in the Cap Center this night for sure, as the band is really feeling it.  A fine version, but when they get to the Mock Turtle Jam, shit just blows up.  Like psychedelic Dixieland, each band member soloing, just going off, yet each musical thread weaving around the others.  My favorite Dead song for a long time, until it was unseated by China>Rider.  If I ever wanted to get fired up, just put this tune on and get carried away.  Lyrics that consciously didn't really make sense were my rallying cry for a number of years:

Counting stars by candlelight

all are dim but one is bright:

the spiral light of Venus

rising first and shining best,

Oh, From the northwest corner

of a brand-new crescent moon

crickets and cicadas sing

a rare and different tune

Terrapin Station

in the shadow of the moon

Terrapin Station

and I know we'll be there soon

9.       Playin' Reprise – 9/25/90.  I was never a huge fan of the song Playing in the Band, but it often lead to some excellent and out there jams.  Like Dark Star, it was just too long and diverse of a tune to find a signature version to include.  But the Playin' Reprises were always bursts of energy.   A song so nice Bob had to play it twice, apparently.

10.   Help on the Way>Slipknot>Franklin's Tower – Garcia Tapes.  This version is with Branford Marsalis, who played a few memorable shows with the Dead in the early 90's.  Other than Hornsby, who was really a semi-member of the band, Branford is one of the few guest musicians on this compilation.  Inspired by Branford, Garcia steers this Slipknot into some pretty heady territory.  In later years, the Slipknots may have lost a bit of precision, and Franklin's a bit of energy, but another song that morphed along with the band's sonic palette of the era.  Help and Franklin's are both songs with classic verses, but I've never pondered either's meaning too deeply.  They don't seem to add up to much.  Hunter lyrics that don't really register anything on the conscious level, but are brought to life by his greatest actor, Jerry, who brings out the feeling in each song.  Help on the Way, shock and foreboding, Slipknot, tension and exploration, Franklin's Tower, triumphant release.  Amazing how drastically the mood changes from Help to Franklin's, yet it all feels so connected and seamless.  The songs don't seem to have any relation, and yet they play off each other so well.  Really a brilliant combination of energies, thoughts, and feelings.  Even if Hunter's lyrics were not as impressive as others, he did give us this classic piece of advice for anyone who's ever found themselves in a certain state of mind:

If you get confused just listen to the music play

Bonus! HERE'S 20 seconds of Jerry Garcia laughing ringtone for IPhone.

WGT Vol. 8: Soy Capitán

50 Years Dead

Looking back on the creation of this compilation and how my preferences crystallized, I've also come to understand my dislike for certain material. It's a funny thing talking to other Deadheads about their favorite shows, top tunes, moments, etc. Opinions vary so widely. If the music intersects with our personality, life history, and taste at the right moment, a new favorite may be born. That may partly explain why all these tracks made my compilation but may not be on others' best of lists. 

If that initial exposure to the music is negative though, it can also have a lasting effect. Like a lot of other Heads sorting their way through the Dead's catalog, I fumbled through officially released material and whatever tapes I could get my hands on. It being around 1990, there was surprisingly little in the way of live albums. Live/Dead, Skullfuck, Bear's Choice, Reckoning, and Dead Set. Europe 72 and Anthem, kinda. At this point, I had exhausted all my options, but I had to have more. I had seen it before, sitting on the shelf, but something about it just gave me a bad feeling. Eventually I caved to my addiction, and coughed up the $15 for Steal Your Face. Should've trusted my instinct. 

What a weirdo album. A bunch of country and Chuck Berry covers by Bobby. Some slow Jerry tunes. All muddled in an audio sludge. Hard to believe they were recorded at such legendary shows, Winterland '74. This is what they chose? Really dreadful stuff. I still haven't been able to shake the initial impression some of those tunes gave me. Of the 14 songs on that album, only 7 versions of those tunes made it onto this compilation. I was likely already familiar with Casey Jones and U.S. Blues. Around and Around and Big River are undeniably catchy. Black Throated Wind is vintage Weir, but a bit beyond my years at the time. There are more than enough big versions of Sugaree and Stella Blue out there to melt an icy heart. But Cold Rain and Snow still leaves me kind of cold and wet. I've previously written of my mixed emotions regarding MS 1/2 Step. Promised Land, Beat it on Down the Line, El Paso? No thanks. I'm starting to warm up to Ship of Fools. That song has got potential. Must've Been the Roses will always be a nice tune. 

But for other people, maybe they were lucky enough to hear this batch of songs for the first time from another source. Maybe they caught Cornell '77 or Veneta '72 prior to SYF, and El Paso is elevated to cherished status by the strength of those shows. Or maybe their dad was a big Marty Robbins fan. Or maybe they were just at the right place and time in their lives to break through the sludge and appreciate the genius lying beneath the surface of this album. A summer break in college. The only tapes in your car, along with Tommy and Joshua Tree. A never-ending bag of shake, seeds, and stems. A job that didn't require you do much more than show up. Things could've turned out differently. This could've been an entirely different compilation. Or maybe I would be extolling the virtues of U2. I don't think so. There ain't enough grass in Mendocino County, broseph. 

So enjoy this round of tunes and moments that hit me at the right place and time in my life. If these aren't your favorites, give it a few years, see what happens. Or maybe the stars will align for you now. As always, give it a spin prior to reading below to enjoy the surprises as they come. Previous volumes are in previous blog posts. You know where to find em. See you back here next month for more of the same. 

Disc 8: Soy Capitán

THIS is kind of the "80's" disc, although much of it is probably from the late 80's or early 90's, but whatever.  As I've said, not my favorite era of the Dead, but it has some nice moments, particularly the incorporation of interesting sounds into the music.  This disc is also very Bob Weir and The Other One heavy.  It features several Weir songs that benefited from the sound and playing of the era.  I decided to use The Other One as the thread that holds it all together.  I think it turned out quite nicely as a cohesive whole.

1.       Introduction – 4/23/69.  From a fairly enthusiastic new convert.

2.       We Want Phil – 6/10/90.  Loved to hear those old tapes when the crowd would break out into a "we want Phil" chant, so I had to include one here.  This version includes some nice banter from Phil, as well as Jerry.

3.       Box of Rain – Fallout from the Philzone.  What can I say about this tune?  It's a beautiful song, priceless melody, brilliant lyrics.  Phil wrote the song while his father was dying in the hospital, coming up with the music as he drove back and forth to see him.  Quite a departure from his more avant-garde leanings, the music has a very emotional quality.  Hunter's lyrics were a perfect match, essentially describing what Phil was going through.  I don't think lyrics can get much deeper than this, tapping into existential truths of the human condition.  Thoughts and feelings we all share, with images familiar yet ambiguous enough for each of us to transpose ourselves into the song.  Really genius at work here.  Hunter has said that he came to realize he didn't need psychedelics to tap into his unconscious.  As with many artists, the veil between his conscious mind and the nether regions was thin and more readily accessible than it is to other people.  You can really tell by listening to this song.  It's also my wife Julie's favorite song, and she has requested that I play it at her funeral.  I guess she likes to plan ahead.  An excellent choice.

4.       Shall We Go Jam – Jamming at the Edge.  Just a short little snippet of the Dead teasing Dark Star.  This is with Hornsby, and he seemed to bring the playfulness back out in later years, nudging Garcia to have a bit more fun.

5.       Shakedown Street – Dead Set bonus track.  A dose of Grateful Dead disco funk, bringing some pop influences of the era into their music, and turning it into something absurd.  Love all the different effects they used in this song, kind of a defining song for the late 70's and early 80's.  Some versions tend to drag on and go nowhere, which is cool.  But this version clocks in at about 10 minutes and is straight to the point, no messing around.

6.       Mermelada – Jamming at the Edge.  Also known as Spanish Jam, previously seen on disc 4.  Musically they are similar, but sonically quite different due to the different midi and synth effects used.  This version is like a psychedelic haze, the spaceship getting ready to land.  Very cool indeed.

7.       Estimated Prophet – So Many Roads.  A classic Bob Weir tune from the second half of the Dead's career.  Like Shakedown, it does a great job of incorporating the advances in sounds that the Dead were on top of, and allows Bobby to get loose with his vocals and do some howling.  Classic murky, yet bouncing, reggae guitar line from Garcia too.

8.       Jam out of Foolish Heart – So Many Roads.  Again we see the effect that Hornsby had on the band, and Garcia in particular.  Following Foolish Heart, and preceding drums, Garcia stuck around to jam with Hornsby, with some support from Vince Welnick too.  The jam dances around The Other One melody, exploring it inside and out, without ever really touching on it.  You can really hear them feeding off each other, pushing back and forth, further and further.  Some cool interstellar Floyd type space explored towards the end.

9.       Spanish Lady Jam – Jamming at the Edge.  Another Other One jam.  It was one of, if not, the most played songs in Dead history, for good reason.  There were just so many directions the song could go, fast, slow, weird, into other songs, or who knows.  Again, nice use of the effects in this version.

10.   Throwing Stones – 3/15/90.  A classic late era Bob song, kind of a grownup hippies' call to arms.  A very well composed to song, with various sections.  Bob tells the story, the song builds, Jerry takes off on a soaring riff and solo, ala St. Stephen and Samson, and then a nice vocal breakdown.  After the chaos that typically preceded this song towards the end of a second set, where you might have gotten a bit lost in your head, this song did a good job of pulling you in, helping you focus, sing along, and get down.

11.   Faded Jam – Jamming at the Edge.  This is kind of a hybrid Other One/Not Fade Away jam.  I think it does a great job of showing how the Dead could really get out there and be playful with the up-tempo rockin' stuff too.

12.   West L.A. Fadeaway – Jerry Ballads.  Musically and lyrically a darker version of Althea.  Always a treat to hear, it allowed Jerry to dig deep and get nasty.  Is the song about a mobster, or is it about Jerry searching for a fix.  It was commonly believed that this song was about John Belushi, and his fatal overdose at Chateau Marmont in L.A.  And it could be about that too, but it isn't quite about any of these things really.  But there does seem to be something in the meaning of it, whatever that is, that we can all relate too.  Makes me wanna smoke cigarettes.  Some decadence on the dark side of town.  Hornsby appears on this version too.  This verse appeared in the first live version in 1982, but subsequently vanished:

Here's what Ginger says, she talks like she ain't nobody's fool

Here's what Ginger says, she tries to live by the golden rule

She says you treat people all right,

other people will probably treat you cool

13.   Neal @ The Wheel Jam – Jamming at the Edge.  A very extended jam on the Other One, this version breaking it down, and breaking out the flute synths along with other sonics.  What other rock band lead guitarist played flute synth?  This rendition reveals what Jerry might have described as the patterns existing in chaos.

14.   Good Lovin'>

15.   La Bamba>

16.   Good Lovin' – 9/18/87.  A Good Lovin' with La Babma seamlessly sandwiched in the middle. I believe this would've been around the time the Richie Valens movie, starring Lou Diamond Phillips, came out.  Los Lobos supplied much of the music to that movie, including covering the title song.  Jerry was a fan, and became friends with the band, performing with them live following one of his two comas.  Jerry also exploring his Spanish roots here, and you can tell he's having a helluva time.  Bob turns up the heat in Good Lovin' nicely too.  Just some of that classic Grateful Dead playfulness.