Thankfully, we don't have to choose (unless, I suppose, some maniac put a gun to our head and forced us to choose one side over the other.) I view the whole album as a journey, a song cycle, a complete movie-like "theater of the mind" experience. To me, it's all of a piece.
This is my absolute favorite era of the Dead's songwriting: the period after American Beauty and before Wake Of The Flood, encompassing the originals on Skull And Roses & Europe '72, along with the Garcia LP & Bob Weir's Ace (which included Bobby's first collaborations with John Perry Barlow). So many great great songs that proved to be so resilient over the years.
Whoa Bear almost missed this thread. Always loved this disc. For me the best of the many Dead side projects. As mentioned before the entire work comes accross as a song cycle each tune intertwining with the next. Choice stuff!
Yes, an oversight on my part. But, side one has four absolutely great “songs”. That’s where I was coming from. I love the instrumental noodling on side two, and of course, as @notesofachord mentioned, The Wheel.
Same. One of the songs that pulled me in, big time, when I was first discovering the Dead. Now I'm struggling to remember the first version I heard (I'm pretty sure it wasn't the studio version).
Fun fact - Jerry got a solo record deal from WB so he could get a down payment on a house he wanted to buy. What a sellout!
I tend to separate the songs of the whole 71/72 period into two custom "albums": THUNDER AND LIGHTNING (1971) Bertha (Skull and Roses) Playing in the Band (Skull and Roses) Mr. Charlie (Europe '72) Sugaree (Garcia) Loser (Garcia) - Deal (Garcia) Bird Song (Garcia) Wharf Rat (Skull and Roses) Greatest Story Ever Told (Ace) The Wheel (Garcia) All songs written or debuted live before July 1971. Probably my favourite Grateful Dead album! RAMBLING ROSE (1972) Jack Straw (Europe '72) He's Gone (Europe '72) Chinatown Shuffle (Lyceum, 5/26/72) Ramble On Rose (Europe '72) - Brown Eyed Women (Europe '72) Comes a Time (Hundred Year Hall) Tennessee Jed (Europe '72) One More Saturday Night (Europe '72) All songs written or debuted live after July 1971. All the Weir/Barlow songs are kept for Bobby's solo album
I just checked out a couple, including 10-31-80 and the Without a net version, both in E. They changed the riff a bit, was that before 72 or only in 80?
All the songs on this album are great, though I think only To Lay Me Down equals or surpasses the best live versions. There is some worthwhile instrumental stuff on side 2 but also some "I'll have what he's smoking" moments to be sure. I always see this album and Ace as kind of paired, but if forced to choose would go with Ace - which has one of the Dead's best ever studio performances on Playing In The Band.
We included Bird Song as one of three nods to the GD at a Janis tribute show we did in 2017. We also included Lovelight (which she sang with the GD twice) and the GD arrangement of Bobby McGee (which the GD did first - and I believe Bob or Jerry showed Janis the song on the Festival Express tour). Don't think I will share our version of Bird Song as it was more than a little rough sounding
Only in 80, although I think both riffs are in the studio version, and in any case there are live versions from 1971 where they play both riffs (one in the intro, one during the verse, I think). Then he settles on the one, then when they bring it back he goes with the other.
Sugaree (Garcia, Hunter) Opens with some alternating chords of B and E. Awesome R and B comp chords in the rhythm. Jerry is a fine player in the R and B style with sharp percussive chords. The verse kicks off and Jerry plays great fills in call and response style to his vocal. A fine backbeat. At :45 the arrangement fills in for the awesome pre-chorus. Starts with minor chords and then rises and what a rise…..chiming reverse arpeggio triplets from Jerry that lead to an almost classical romantic like peak. Cool inversions on the top three strings. The chorus follows and has just a hint of blues due to the Mixolydian mode…..one of Jerry’s favorite modes to use. The verse returns at 1:40 after a short transition and the pre-chorus and chorus follow. Another short transition at 2:45 with some bluesy bends from J. The verse, pre-chorus and chorus follow again. Jerry plays fine understated bass throughout. Another short transition at 4:00 and the final verse enters and Jerry sings in ballad style. The final pre-chorus and chorus follows. At 5:00 the chorus gets repeated, and the song builds. Jerry variates the melody a little. At 5:40 the turnaround gets extended and comes to a stop with Jerry’s vocal trailing off in echo. Brilliantly simple R and B based song from Garcia. A Dead staple in concert. Fantastic guitar work. I am not sure what effects if any were used on Jerry’s guitar, but his tone is killer on the song. IMO one of Jerry’s best songs. The music fits the lyrics perfectly.
SUGAREE Lyrics By: Robert Hunter Music By: Jerry Garcia When they come to take you down When they bring that wagon round When they come to call on you And drag your poor body down Just one thing I ask of you Just one thing for me Please forget you knew my name My darling, Sugaree Shake it, shake it, Sugaree Just don't tell them that you know me Shake it, shake it, Sugaree Just don't tell them that you know me You thought you was the cool fool And never would do no wrong You had everything sewed up tight How come you lay awake all night long Well in spite of all you gained You still have to stand out in the pouring rain One last voice is calling you And I guess it's time you go Well shake it up now, Sugaree I'll meet you at the jubilee And if that jubilee don't come Maybe I'll meet you on the run From Dead.net
One of the first things that caused me to go from loving the Dead to really loving the Dead. I thought this song was boring when I first heard it (on Steal Your Face) but then it sank in...it revolutionized the way I thought of an effective melody. I was about 15 and had been a Beatles freak since I was 4, and that had been starting to pall for a while. The more austere sense of melody here really floored me with how honest and natural it sounded, and eventually I came to prefer Hunter/Garcia to Lennon and McCartney. It was another couple years I think before I heard this studio version...
Glad to see this thread! I love this album so much I recently spent a sick amount on a sealed copy of the 2014 RSD white pressing mastered by Kevin Gray. [image cribbed from the Listening To On Vinyl thread]
I notice that at :45 Jerry plays the B chord with his little finger. One technique I never adopted. I use the ring finger for that one.
Interesting. My assumption would be by that time he must have been loaded with dough. Not always the case when it comes to musicians and record deals.