We'll Get There, Vol. 5: High Time

50 Years Dead

Spoiler alert: Mississippi Half-Step did not make the cut on this compilation. I enjoy the song, but it's not a favorite. I just haven't connected with it the way I have connected with other songs. Or I've never had a moment with it, possibly up until recently. I've always wondered why others dig it so much. It's a nice song and all, kind of mellow. The lyrics don't seem to add up to much though, and while the Rio Grand-io refrain is nice, what does it have to do with the rest of the song? 

Rewind to a few weeks back, April 20th, the Stoner Holiday, and I'm driving the streets of Encinitas, CA. Just minding my own business, sober as the pope, running errands, grooving to Dick's Picks 14, from Boston in 1973. On comes Half-Step. At 4:20 into the song, a splice in the audio abruptly occurs. It was jarring, and lasted for what seemed like just a few seconds, although in reality it was closer to 20. Initially, it sounded like the changing of a radio station, guitar strums, and aliens speaking in tongues, or backwards, or what the fuck was that?! I was kind of rattled. Maybe you had to be there. 

The audio splice from the half step I mentioned yesterday. #deadfreaksunite pic.twitter.com/ZmLUizoTs1

— Mitch Carroll (@iwalklikeagiant) April 21, 2015

Thinking I had stumbled on some kind of Rosetta Stone, I went off on a quest to determine what the hell was going on here. The internet provided no clues, or reports from others who had similar issues with their copies of Dick's Picks 14. Strangely, the audio files I had on my computer did not contain the splice, it was only on the CD's. I'm not sure if the CD's came from that source, but I think they did. Regardless, how did that splice get there? It surely seemed intentional. Was some kind of cosmic joke being played on me? Feeling in the midst of a spiritual emergency, I set to analyze the audio by slowing it down. You can listen for yourself. 

Slowed down audio of the alien splice from Half-Step. Nothing significant. #unsolvedmysteries #deadfreaksunite pic.twitter.com/dDytCzP0DD

— Mitch Carroll (@iwalklikeagiant) April 22, 2015

Unfortunately the results were not particularly meaningful. But it did lead me on a path of exploration regarding the song and its origins, which held the profundity I sought. While I still don't quite connect with the song, I appreciate it as a misfits song, and one particularly relevant to Garcia's life story. From the Annotated Grateful Dead page on the song, via Gan's Playing in the Band, Garcia discusses the impact of a friend's death on charting the course of his life: 

"Lost My Boots in Transit, A Pile of Smoking Leather..."

"Events in my life suggested to me that maybe it was going to be my responsibility to keep upping the ante. I was in an automobile accident in 1960 with four other guys...ninety plus miles an hour on a back road. We hit these dividers and went flying, I guess. All I know is that I was sitting in the car and there was this...disturbance...and the next thing I was in a field, far enough away from the car that I couldn't see it.

The car was crumpled like a cigarette pack...and inside it were my shoes. I'd been thrown completely out of my shoes and through the windshield. One guy did die in the group. It was like loosing the golden boy, the one who had the most to offer. For me it was crushing, but I had the feeling that my life had been spared to do something...not to take any bullshit, to either go whole hog or not at all...That was when my life began. Before that I had been living at less than capacity. That event was the slingshot for the rest of my life. It was my second chance, and I got serious."

We go through stages of development in life, and meanings change as our perspectives evolve. The abstract becomes palpable, contradictions lie in balance, rational thought is not quite all it's cracked up to be. If you don't understand what a certain song means yet, don't worry, we'll get there.

Enjoy this round of cosmic slop. Previous volumes echo through eternity, and can be found on the blog. We'll fucking get there. 

"Do I contradict myself? Very well, then I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes."

-Walt Fucking Whitman

Disc Five: High Time

Disc five starts off with a little leftover goodness from '74 before the hiatus in '75, and continues with the next evolution of the Dead's sound.  From '75 on, Mickey is back in the band, and for better and worse this charts a different course for the Dead.  The sound is beefed up, bigger, but more lumbering.  There also seems to be a move away from the mellow country vibe, to space-jazz and arena rock.  Some of the delicacy is lost, but the intensity increases, a possible reflection of what was going on within the band on a personal level.

1.       Bill Graham Introduction – 9/27/69.  Bill Graham was an integral part of the Dead's scene, and his introductions were unique and legendary.  Here's a brief example.

2.       Eyes of the World – 6/18/74.  The first of three tracks from this excellent show, often cited as a favorite among fans.  Trey and some of the guys in Phish have mentioned this as a favorite as well, and you can hear why on this track.  Fluid country-jazz, tight playing, and exploratory.  Possibly not so coincidentally, on the 20th anniversary of this show Phish played what I and many others regard as their greatest show ever at the UIC Pavilion.  Inspiration, move me brightly.

3.       It's a Sin – 6/18/74.  The second track from this show is an instrumental blues jam, played flawlessly; the band digs deep and gets nasty.

4.       High Time – Good Ole Grateful Dead.  I was never a huge fan of this song, but had never heard one from this era.  With Donna on backing vocals, and a more psychedelic sound, this version is really unique and I think stands out from others, which could fall flat.

5.       Blues for Allah outtakes – Same.  Just a funky little instrumental jam from the sessions for Blues for Allah.  Many outtakes from these sessions have leaked out, and they're pretty similar to this, but much longer.  You can hear the band fuckin' around with the sounds and melodies of the songs that would comprise Blues for Allah, but in an embryonic state.  Sonically they were really going for something different with this album, and they took the time to work it out in the studio.

6.       Terrapin Station – Garcia Tapes.  An early version of this tune, another one of the three to be repeated on this compilation.  In the early days, this was more of a folk-prog tune, and is probably the peak of the space-jazz thing they started with Blues for Allah.  Musically, it starts with an entrancing, lilting melody that sucks you in.  Entering the Inspiration portion of the tune, it builds to a triumphant soar, and finally ends up in an other-worldly cosmic sludge during the end jam.  All the way, the music is a perfect match for the lyrics.  Garcia and Hunter's synchronistic writing of this tune has been well documented, so I won't get into that.  Lyrically, the Lady with a Fan portion of the suite is a classic tale, it starts out with very visual imagery: a storyteller sitting around a campfire, conjuring up his muse, and letting the story unfold as the fire glows.  A woman and two suitors. One goes for it, the other takes a pass.  You decide if he was wise.  The storyteller doesn't give an answer, or really give an end to the story, but it leaves you wondering.  Incredibly simple tale, but one we can all relate to.  Archetypal stuff.  The Terrapin Station section of the song is about songwriting and inspiration itself.  That ever elusive thing that's all around us if we just dial in to that rare and different tune.  And what is Terrapin Station?  Some kind of slow moving state of inspiration?  In creating this set, and tapping into the essence of the Dead, as defined by the "We'll Get There" title, I have to wonder if that is what Terrapin is all about.  Reaching for some place or thing, and all the while not realizing that getting there isn't what it's all about.  It's about the journey there, where you are right now.  The journey is the destination.  Inspiration is all around you if you open yourself up to it.

Terrapin - I can't figure out

Terrapin - if it's the end or the beginning

Terrapin - but the train's got its brakes on

and the whistle is screaming: TERRAPIN

7.       Crazy Fingers Jam – Beautiful Jams.  Crazy Fingers is a really cool song.  They took that space-jazz sound, and added some reggae flavor to the mix.  The 70's were when reggae exploded, and Garcia covered a variety of Marley, Tosh, and Jimmy Cliff songs, in addition to reggaefying other tunes like Friend of the Devil.  This jam is from 9/30/76, and features the main theme of the song, and expands on the bright, merry-go-roundesque melody.  It then returns to touch on other key changes in the song.  Particularly enjoyable is the blossoming build-up toward the end.  You'll know it when you hear it.  Just mellow out, light a fatty, and expand your mind, man.  Although the lyrics are not included in this jam snippet, the song treads on some of the same thematic terrain as Terrapin.

8.       Jack-A-Roe – Fallout from the Philzone.  Another classic folk tune to get the Grateful Dead treatment.  Phil wrote in his liner notes that this version was slowed down from how they typically did it, with a nice loping banjo feel.  Couldn't agree more.  This is all about the groove.  Never before have electric guitars sounded so un-rock and roll.

9.       The Wheel – Good Old Grateful Dead.  A cosmic and glorious tune, Garcia's leads channeling Bird.  Lyrically this is a fan favorite, and a message to both the fans and the band:  couldn't you try just a little bit harder, couldn’t you try just a little bit more?  It was also usually both a landing space from and launch pad to some spaced out jams.  Kind of a brief respite in the midst of insanity, some recognizable lyrics to latch onto and make sense of before things get weird again.  Hope you enjoyed it, because now it's time to go a little bit further than you've gone before.   

10.   Wharf Rat – Good Ole Grateful Dead.  This segues right out of The Wheel, a perfect pairing.  Of all the Jerry ballads, in my mind this one takes the cake.  The music is so well composed, beautiful, almost Dark Star-esque in some passages, and intensely dramatic and powerful in others.  The story, and the verses, mirror the music.  This is almost a ballad version of A Day in the Life, like two songs mashed together, but intensely related.  Two different narrators, telling different stories, yet a profound moment of empathy.  The centerpiece of the song being the gospel bridge, with perfect church keyboard accompaniment by Keith, breaking it down for the vocal climax:

But I'll get back

on my feet someday

The good Lord willing

if He says I may

I know that the life I'm

livin's no good

I'll get a new start

live the life I should

      The song finishes off with a jam that finds the band scaling the walls of heaven, busting down the pearly gates.  Dig it!

11.   At a Siding – Jerry Ballads.  Often mislabeled as L'Alhambra (particularly by myself), this is from the Terrapin Station Suite, and appears on the studio version, but was only performed once, on 3/18/77 shortly after Terrapin debuted.  It's a shame they didn't keep on playing it.  It's intense, dramatic, incredibly psychedelic, and as you can hear, very well played.  Who knows why they dropped it from their repertoire?  One can only conclude they melted too many faces the one time it was played, and they had to retire it for the good of the audience.  The show that night is said to have resembled the end scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark where the Nazi's faces all melt off after the ark is opened.  Poor fuckin' Deadheads, just thought they'd trip balls at a Dead show, not get murdered by Jerry Garcia.  Fuck!

We'll Get There, Vol. 4: Mind Left Body

50 Years Dead

There is a significant proportion of the population that will never understand or appreciate the Grateful Dead. You will not be able to convince them otherwise. You will feel an urge to rationalize, to cite numerous examples of the Dead's contribution to music, the literary genius of Robert Hunter, technical advancements to the live concert experience, their business success, the community of Deadheads, the respect and admiration of other musicians and artists, moments of cosmic transcendence. Attempts to do so will be futile and will fail to capture the essence or magnitude of their genius. You will be mocked for your adoration and defensiveness, and labeled a drug-addled hippie. They are right. There is something wrong with you. Something very, very wrong with you. They are normal. You are a freak. Own it. But are there people out there trying to convince others of the genius of U2, Coldplay, Pearl Jam, or god knows what other paint-by-numbers rock n' roll bullshit? A select few perverts, I suppose. And at night, while they sleep, with their pj's buttoned up, tucked away in their lily white suburban picket fence fantasies, you're on the battlefields of the cosmos, trying to negotiate the path from the fridge to back your couch, as the Dead ride a Bo Diddley beat through a black hole back to the first drum circle around a fire. And what does the shaman waiting there say? "Where does the time go."

We'll fucking get there.

Enjoy this month's dose of the Dead. Previous installments can be found in earlier posts on the blog. See you back next month. Until then, keep on keepin' on, brother. Keep on keepin' on, sister.

Disc Four: Mind Left Body

More buttery goodness from 73-74 here.  The playing is delicate, beautiful, expressive, tight, agile, exploratory, and any number of other superlatives.  There would be great years after this, but none would be greater.  They had really come into their own, and the music reflects that self-confidence and sense of identity.  Enjoy.

1.       Weather Report Prelude – Beautiful Jams.  Taken from 11/9/73, just a brief but gorgeous passage of music.  Jerry playing pedal steel (or is that slide?).  I never particularly enjoyed the song Let it Grow, with its goofy lyrics about the woodcutter's daughter, but the Prelude, Weather Report Suite Part I, and the outro jam were always special.  Too bad the main part of the suite, Let it Grow, had to ruin it for the rest.  I guess that's just Bobby being Bobby.  Although not included on this compilation, the lyrics to Weather Report Suite Part I are really something:

Circle songs and sands of time

And seasons will end in tumbled rhyme

And little change, the wind and rain

2.       Unbroken Chain – Good Ole Grateful Dead.  This is from the sessions for the album Mars Hotel.  Just Lesh on acoustic guitar and vocals, showing the band his new tune for the first time, walking them through the changes.  Turns out he's a pretty good acoustic guitar player, vocals aren't too shabby either.  Interesting that the song did not change significantly from what he brought to them, it just got the full band treatment.  Always a special song to the fans, the Dead would wait over 20 years to perform it live for the first time, on 3/19/95 in Philadelphia.  Lucky fuckers.

3.       Stella Blue – Garcia Tapes.  This one is from '73.  One of the three songs on this compilation to be repeated, a stark contrast to the other version from five years later.  This one just floats and melts, very patient, mellow, and contained.  The song has a real organic feel to it, and is the perfect accompaniment to a sunset on a lake.  The song builds, but doesn't go for the cataclysmic peaks it would shoot for in later years, instead preferring a more contemplative tone.  The instruments weave a psychedelic web, those reflective and cosmic lyrics, and Garcia's yearning vocals.  Perfect.

All the years combine

they melt into a dream

A broken angel sings

from a guitar

In the end there's just a song

comes crying like the wind

through all the broken dreams

and vanished years

Stella Blue

Stella Blue…

4.       Dark Star>Spanish Jam>U.S. Blues – So Many Roads.  This jam, coming out of Dark Star, going through a Spanish Jam, before ultimately winding up in U.S. Blues, is from 6/23/74.  Spanish Jam was one of those jams performed throughout the Dead's entire career, this one being based on the song Solea from Miles Davis' Sketches of Spain.  Billy starts a military march style rhythm on the snare, and the rest of the band fall in around him.  Phil dropping bombs, and Jerry just screeching. Perfectly transitioning into U.S. Blues, dancing around the intro for some time, totally locked in and going through some changes, before Billy leads them into the first verse.  Garcia's country-rock chops really shine.  The liner notes to So Many Roads accurately describe it as '74 Dead in a nutshell: close to the experimental edge, but ready to rock out.

5.       Peggy-O – 5/19/74.  The next 45 minutes and remaining tracks on this disc all come from the same show. These are the tracks that closed the show out as well; the only thing missing is about 2 minutes of a little tune-up jam after Peggy-O.  Peggy-O is one of those classic and timeless folk tunes the Dead made their own.  Much like the Stella Blue on this disc, this version is mellow and blissful.  Later versions had more muscle, but the delicacy here seems to suit the song better.  This is one of the earliest renditions of the song.

6.       Truckin'>

7.       Mind Left Body Jam>

8.       Not Fade Away>

9.       Goin' Down the Road Feeling Bad – 5/19/74.  Just an amazing seamless sequence of music, highlighting some of the greatest hits in the Grateful Dead canon.  Truckin', back when it was a kick-ass blues rock song, before it became a "Long Strange Trip" prom night cliché.  Over 15 minutes, they give the song a workout, keeping the tempo up the whole time.  They seem to be headed toward a bluesy Nobody's Fault type jam, but instead the pace kicks up for some more pickin'.  Then Phil hints at Not Fade Away, but instead Mind Left Body Jam comes next.  Based on the song Your Mind Has Left Your Body, originally appearing the album Baron Von Tollbooth and the Chrome Nun by Paul Kantner (Jefferson Airplane/Starship), a few members of the Dead played on the album, may have helped write the song, and I suppose liked it well enough to keep playing it, sans lyrics.  Head over to the Grateful Dead Guide blog for an extensive essay on the history of this jam.  (And you thought I was wordy?)  Bobby's four chord progression, Garcia's wailing slide, the song goes back and forth between a howl and a playful bounce.  Listen closely, and you can hear the roots of certain parts of The Music Never Stopped, as portions of this jam would be incorporated into the song, written within the next year or so.  And then Phil finally gets his way and they're off into Not Fade Away.  Another repeat, and much different from the version played four years earlier.  Both are quite exploratory, but the first one is more ferocious and raw, this one more grooving.  A nice breakdown at the end, before gliding into Goin' Down the Road with that classic lyrical Garcia melody.  So much emotion packed into those notes, so bittersweet and sparkling.  Another classic American tale, summing up the longing for freedom and independent nature of the American spirit.  Also the perfect landing pad after a psychedelic voyage.  Much as Rider was for China Cat, a very earthly song, soulful lyrics and vocals, and a chance to shake it off.  A nice anthem for the end of the 60's:

Going down the road feeling bad,

Don't wanna be treated this a way

10.   One More Saturday Night – 5/19/74.  Another chance to rock out before they close the show.  The song grooves along at a relatively mellow tempo for the first part of the tune, then they break it down, build it back up to a peak, and unleash the Weir.  Donna is restrained for much of the tune, but she obviously doesn't want to be outdone.  Ridiculous energy, would've been a lot of fun to be there.  A few nice words and they're off, just another night at work.

We'll Get There, Vol. 3: Laughing Water

 50 Years Dead

Deadheads can be an insufferable bunch. We've been given this great gift, and we just want more and more. While we contributed to it's greatness, that only entitles us to a chance, and it can't always be on our terms. You can't make every party, and there'll be more. Paranoid delusions, self-righteousness, holier than thou hippiedom tantrums. Get over yourselves and relax. Here's a refresher course. Give it a listen before reading the track notes below. Previous  volumes are on the blog. Check back next month for more if you think you can handle it.

Melt on meltin' on.

Disc Three: Laughing Water

The country, blues, rock, jazz hybrid continues to coalesce, with the Dead ultimately gaining a mastery of their new musical language toward the end of this disc.  Aiding this development was the fact that Bill continued to be the only drummer during this period.  While this may have cost them some muscle at times, it suited the songs stylistically and made the jamming more fluid and dynamic.  Additionally, in October of '71, Keith Godchaux would join the band on piano, followed by Donna shortly thereafter.  They appear on all but the first two tracks.  Although Keith never stood out as a soloist, his supporting contributions were typically tasteful and beautiful.  Donna was a mixed bag, from nice harmonizing to painful, unnecessary howling.  I believe the period of 72-74 are the best years for the Dead, and it's no coincidence that there was only one drummer during that span.   Not to hate on Mickey too much, as the other discs will show he contributed to plenty of excellent music, but the Dead were better when it was just Bill.  Tracks 4-8 are from the trip to Europe in 1972, one of their most beloved tours.  You'll hear why.  Sadly, this would also be Pigpen's final tour, and you can hear the sound progress to jazzier and more ensemble playing on the final 7 tracks.

1.       American Beauty Radio Ad

2.       Ripple – Workingman's Dead outtake.  A much simpler version than the one that appeared on American Beauty, this was recorded during the sessions for Workingman's Dead, but ultimately didn't make the cut.  This draft has kind of a campfire sing-along feel to it.  While the track on American Beauty is more produced, and ultimately a superior version, it's nice to hear this song still hold up when stripped to its bare essence.

3.       Friend of the Devil – American Beauty.  Another American classic from Garcia and Hunter.  And you can't top the studio version.  I much prefer it to the slowed down versions the Dead would soon come to play.

4.       Me & My Uncle – Hundred Year Hall.  Cowboy Bob doing a mini-Western movie.  Classic.

5.       Cumberland Blues – Garcia Tapes.  This song's got all the core elements of the era: American symbolism and storytelling, harmonies, country-jazz fluidity, excellent improv, and classic songwriting.

6.       Dark Star – Beautiful Jams.  Actually just the tail end of the Dark Star.  Bright, lyrical, and nimble playing by Garcia and the band.  Bob hints at a Mind Left Body Jam, but Garcia steps on the accelerator, and they're off dancing around Sugar Magnolia, before weaving around the MLB Jam again.  They finally settle on Sugar Magnolia.  One of those magical jams that is so fleshed out, familiar, and expressive, all the while a totally original group improvisation.  "What song are they playing, man?  Holy shit!!!"

7.       Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu – Steppin Out with the Grateful Dead.  Just a fun song, and well played.  Only performed it 5 times, all in 1972.  Too bad it didn't stay in the repertoire.

8.       Black-Throated Wind – Steppin Out with the Grateful Dead.  Vintage Bob Weir here, again doing the singer-songwriter thing.  Bob's roots were in the coffee-shop folk movement from the early 60's, so I guess he can't escape that.  Nice imagery of life on the road, again very American.  And excellent support from the rest of the band, particularly Bill.

9.       Here Comes Sunshine – Dick's Picks Vol. 1.  The first track on the first Dick's Picks, it was the first live version of the song I had ever heard when it was released in 1993, and it was stunning.  Still is.  Old Dick knew his stuff.  Fluid and jazzy playing, they never take it too far out, or stray too far from the tune; they just explore the melody inside and out, over and over.

10.   Big River – Dick's Picks Vol. 1.  The Johnny Cash classic, this track gives Garcia a chance to do some serious pickin'.  The entire band is locked in, pushing the song forward.  Tasty.

11.   Jam>

12.   China Cat Sunflower>

13.   Jam>

14.   I Know You Rider – Dick's Picks 12.  Recorded on 6/26/74, this is quite possibly my favorite musical passage in Grateful Dead history.  It starts out with a heavenly jam, exploring that melody every which way, taking it there and back again, until finally they all settle on the China Cat intro.  One of the first Grateful Dead originals, the song progressed significantly from its clunky psychedelic origins.  The main riff is bluesy, not in the traditional sense, but Grateful Dead bluesy.  A close cousin of the riff in Viola Lee Blues if you listen carefully.  While most blues has a crunch, pretty much everything the Dead did had a bounce to it.  Each member contributed significantly to the sound, but in particular I think Garcia's bluegrass roots are responsible for the "Dead bounce."  A carousel melody and kaleidoscopic lyrics from Hunter, the entire song triggers that thing inside that makes you feel like tripping, out in nature, on a beautiful summer day.  Regarding the lyrics to China Cat, Hunter said:

"A cat dictated "China Cat Sunflower" to me. It was just sittin' on my stomach, purring away, and sayin' this stuff. I just write it down; I guess it's plagiarism. I've credited the cat, right?"

Again, the Dead stretch the song out there, the music dancing forward always, meandering about, taking interesting little melodic interludes along the way to Rider.  One reason in particular I enjoy China>Riders from this era is the distinct jam played in between, often known as the "Feelin' Groovy" jam, due to its melodic similarities to Simon and Garfunkel's 59th St. Bridge Song.  But to my ears, it always sounded like the Uncle John's Band intro, both in melody and rhythm.  Whatever the case, it's another one of those magical moments, as in the Dark Star earlier on this disc, that leaves you wondering "What. The. Fuck?!!"  And just before you can analyze it for a second more they slide into Rider.  Both of these tunes languished in the Dead repertoire until they were paired together, and it really was the perfect combo: the intensely psychedelic with the immaculately soulful.  Just after being launched into outer space, getting lost in your mind, you're back on earth, barreling down the track.  Another train reference, in what is likely the peak moment in the entire Grateful Dead catalogue:     

I wish I was a headlight, on a North bound train;

I wish I was a headlight, on a North bound train;

I'd shine my light through cool Colorado rain.

Literally it doesn't make sense.  Why would anyone want to be a headlight on a train?  Why do we all go bonkers when we hear this?  But on an unconscious level, it's quite similar to tripping: cruising at high speeds, shining a light in the darkness, feeling wild and free.  Something about the lyrics to both songs summed up the Dead's ethos so well: the intensely weird with the intensely American.  It doesn't get any better than this, sports fans.

15.   Around and Around – Dick's Picks Vol. 1.  Of course the Dead had to have some Chuck Berry.  Like Buddy Holly on the previous disc, their forefathers get the Grateful Dead treatment.  A great rocker from this era, Jerry does some high speed noodling, the whole band build it up, and Bob tries to blow his voice out.  Fun stuff.