The Phil Lesh thread.

I could see theater concerts resuming at some time with seating in alternate rows with empty seats between groups of people. I expect large scale GA events are memories we will tell our grandkids of like we told our kids of the days of 3 channels and no VCRs and our grandparents told us about outhouses and party lines

 

Grateful duck eh.... @Rne

 

Or there will be a vaccine and the story will be about a couple months we had to stay home.

 

Crosby would have been one of the guests at the 80th birthday shows:

What performances have you lost?
Well, it’s grim, man. I lost Phil Lesh’s birthday, right? I was really looking forward to that. I was looking forward to playing with him, and we had plans on doing “Laughing” and “Cowboy Movie” and things that we cut together. It was a pretty exciting weekend looking like a real thrill, a bunch of really great players coming in that respect Phil and think he’s a really great musician. That’s gone.

David Crosby on Live Music's Uncertain Future -- and Why He Hasn't Given Up on Reuniting CSNY

 

Phil's singing is much improved when he is not playing bass at the same time

Phil Lesh & The Terrapin Family Band Share ‘Box Of Rain’ Isolation Video

 

So good! I had not seen this, so thanks for posting! I can only hope to be this good at 80 (or 50).

 

He is also at his best when singing his own songs.

Also, and I don't know quite how to articulate this, but it struck while watching the video: Phil now looks as old as Jerry did in '92-'95.

 

Yeah, he looks great for being 80. Having money and not doing hard drugs and alcohol certainly helps I'm sure

 

I think he may have done some drugs and alcohols

 

What.., I'm shocked!

I meant in the last 20 years

 

Yep, 30 years at least. But he did hit it very hard for a very long time. He didn’t get hep c from a swing set. His answer to “do you still smoke” has been “none of your business”. Not that any of that matters, he made all the right health choices for a very long time and he’s alive today because of it.

 

Listening to Phil & Friends 2002-06-01 Berkeley, CA - Greek Theater and the Dark Star is MINDBLOWING. I love Haynes and Herring.

 

This video underlines for me how essential players listening closely to one another is to successful performance of Grateful Dead music. I couldn't make it to the end.

I don't fault the individual musicians as I understand the situation it was recorded in made listening to each other impossible. I do question the judgment of whoever decided to mix all these folks together playing over one another and release it like this.

 

I love Phil’s vocals, it warms my soul to hear him sing

 

I didn't care much for the guitar solo, but I liked Phil's performance.

 

Phil’s Modulus 6 string bass will be auctioned in June along some other of his items and other items from other musicians.

 

Also one of his Ken Smith basses. I wonder if @Archtop is in the market for a new ax?

 

Is there a link to more info? (Not that I’m in the market for a trophy bass...)

 

I'm currently reading Joel Selvin's book "Fare Thee Well". It definitely seems like it has an anti-Phil (and his wife Jill) bias. Anybody here read this book? Thoughts?

 

Yes, I read it, and that certainly seems to be the case. On the other hand, if he did all his due diligence and all the evidence pointed that way, so be it.

 

Oh, man- I would die just to have a chance to hold one of Phil’s basses!

 

I read it. I found it interesting, but nothing actually surprised me.

 

He's a monster on DP34 bonus disc especially CCS>IKYR

 

Phil didn’t participate in the book, the author is a San Francisco music critic that has a long history of writing negative things about the Grateful Dead. Phil’s doesn’t like him for that reason. He needed a hook to have content to sell books, I don’t think his writing is without bias, sensationalism and certainly doesn’t give Phil’s perspective at all.

With that said, the issues between Phil and the other band members isn’t a secret. He was the only band member that didn’t want to contest Jerry’s will or sell the vault to Microsoft. It created some bad feelings with the other members and Mickey said it must be because the liver that was donated and saved his life must have come from a guy that was a jerk. Phil takes the memory and donation of Cody very, very seriously.

now add to that Phil started his own band and ran it as a business with his wife. It was all his creative control, everyone was on the team to support his vision, Art and business. Do that for ten to fifteen years and then try to mix in Mickey and billy. It’s hard to go back and being a partnership of equals and yield creative/business decisions.

everyone always wants to blame a woman, Phil isn’t doing a thing because of Jill. Jill does whatever she does because she is working at Phil’s direction. If people don’t get on board with her being a manager and working on his behalf, he isn’t cool with it.

He is very happy with his work as a band leader, playing stadiums for big money wasn’t his passion, unlike the drummers who didn’t have much success in their work as band leaders, certainly not from a financial perspective. Phil saying”no” to them hurt their last chance for a big grossing tour. they aren’t going to have great things to say about Phil or Jill as a result. Phil has cock blocked their big payday out of principle in very big ways multiple times.

so if you’re going to write a book and tell that story, you have to pick a side. Phil is either a stubborn jerk or he’s a man of principle that isn’t willing to compromise his on things he feels strongly about and his wife is his partner in making that happen. Honestly, you don’t need a book to to know the story. Just listen to the music, it’s all there.

 

That puts some perspective on things.