I have to disagree with this. I think that most forms of artistic expression allow for extended artistic growth and maturity, and that it's rock music that's the outlier, because of its simplicity and focus on youthful matters.
I guess I meant within popular music forms. Hip Hop/Funk/Disco etc (maybe those are all rock?) are all 'better to burn out than fade away' music. I'll put blues there too. I think most blues artists do their best work in their first 10 years or so. Its nice that BB and Buddy Guy and John Lee Hooker kept going for so long, but the best stuff was early on.
Thank you for that use of words. Perfecto!!!! Yes...yes...that is absolutely true of rock n’ roll. Maybe being turned on by that band in 1989 is my problem!!! Nobody still did what they didded dare do. 1/4 Of my listening is ‘79 or under....but when I dubbed shows, I listened to everything in real time. All of anyone’s collection was early stuff. It was pretty well versed when I started collecting in ‘89....kids kicked you the good stuff in terms of sound/everything. I’m trying to check off every show, you know...just cuz. My name is David...just another 1 in 10,000
On the other hand, I saw the Dead in '92-94, fell in love with the "Eyes" from Without a Net, and never even heard Live/Dead or any early live stuff until I stumbled upon the Archive circa 2011-12, but now I mostly listen to the '60s and '70s, usually '68-early '69 or the Keith & Donna years. There are good shows from any year, but I don't think the band kept improving after 1979.
Even in with the room for extended artistic growth and maturity in jazz, I think it's also rare for jazz musicians to be doing their most innovative, peak work after age 50, much less 60. Not that they can't do good work or put on a terrific concert, but do they keep coming up with new and surprising ideas that put their previous work in the shade? Even Coltrane, who would have turned 50 in 1976, probably would have settled into something more comfortable and familiar in the '80s and '90s, even if that happened to be just good spiritual jazz.
It might be because it’s more accessible. It wasn’t until the late 60’s that he left traditional song forms completely behind. I much prefer the later more intense challenging group music. the late 70’s Unit was red hot and the late 80’s & early 90’s collaborations with the Euros are just incredible. But it is among the most “difficult” music I know and I rarely use that descriptor.
Now listening to 5/24/69[Hollywood Florida]on TIGDH on SiriusXM's Grateful Dead channel via the webstream now playing Turn On Your Lovelight.
Well, I did specifically say, “I think it was pretty clearly the drugs and lifestyle that muted his gift, and that’s a shame but far from unprecedented.” And yesterday I think I waxed poetic about Jerry and his coke and heroin appetite for destruction.
Well, of course! Absolutely! I was trying to imply that the drop off was relatively slight. It’s all relative
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If you listen to the Eric Clapton Crossroads 2 - Live in the 70's box he got even better after Layla. Listen to the solos on that version of The Core. Top notch stuff from a musician at the top of his game. I have friends that argue the same thing about Jorma, that he was at his peak during JA years but an album like Yellow Fever argues against that theory.
So as far as non-jam launching just great standalone Dead songs go, Brown Eyed Women is fairly easily my favorite. I love it in all its incarnations, the luscious 72-73 slow takes, the coked/heroined out early-mid 80s, whatever, I always love it. Anyone have an all timer of the faster paced version introduced in 76? Mine is Cornell 77. The go to BEW. There are so many great ones though. Other all time versions for you?
Good point. Actually, now that my head is clearer than before, I recall Cream reuniting in 2005 and those DVD's at Albert Hall bring a Clapton that blows away the Eric from his earlier years. So I have to concede, for most musicians and bands, they certainly get better. That said, the dead were nothing short of amazing early on. That's simply what god given unabashed talent is. It's just true. Their ability to musically project their muse, inspiration and desires never felt obstructed by some technique or practice yet to be realized. And from a song writing point of view, the early stuff they provided live illustrated by Anthem of the Sun, Red Live-Dead and Skull **** is over the top. Whatever the absolute truth on "playing ability" may be, the dead were at their best from 69-73, with a large dose of 74'. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy the entire journey...I very much do. I play the two box sets from 1990 often and love how good they were when they were good. It was a different thing in the early years. and for me personally, those are the years I'd take with me to the after-life if I had to choose. Fortunately, I don't have to make such theoretical choices and can listen and enjoy it all. You can assume that maybe that's because that's the period I entered as a 17 year old in 1971. Perhaps, but I don't believe that's the explanation. Even Lesh wrote in his book that after taking a break in 75', they never got back to the magic they had before then. Of course, it remained magical, but it's like Hunter said "Do I think some will have those days again; yes, but not me" as he mused on his first time in England. ‘To Lay me Down’ was written a while before the others [on the Garcia album], on the same day as the lyrics to ‘Brokedown Palace’ and ‘Ripple’—the second day of my first visit to England. I found myself left alone in Alan Trists’s flat on Devonshire Terrace in West Kensington, with a supply of very nice thick linen paper, sun shining brightly through the window, a bottle of Greek Retsina wine at my elbow. The songs flowed like molten gold onto the page and stand as written." I was there. It was a different time and magic was real and unique to the time. All the recordings we have from that early period bear this out. Did magic continue? absolutely, but was it better; my witness statement says "no". By the way, it's a real compliment to Steve's forum and those following this thread that we can have this type of discussion in a respectful manner. Not many places on the web can do that. Peace, Love & Rock n' roll, Zafu
Just finished Bruce’s “Pastures of Plenty”, a beautiful and ambitious epic with great guitar work by our beloved Jerry, with thanks to Woody Guthrie ...
