Some of the best songs in their shows were covers. I didn't want to leave these off the list because they're two of my favorite songs they did.
1) And We Bid You Goodnight
My favorite cover ever, it's an old folk song/spiritual that was written to be sung at funerals as they lowered the body into the ground. Early on in their career they would close their shows with an accapella version of it. A song written for closing out our Earthly existence employed at the end of rock concerts; here's an example of the band's unspoken vision. Life is short, but not as short as the best moments or the best shows; if you've got a beautiful vision look upon it until it's over, if you've got to say goodbye say it now and I can kiss you as you cry.
2) Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad
Another ancient song, covered by, among others, Woody Guthrie. "Going where the water tastes like wine"; and it's on the journey that it turned. The Dead were always headed to that wedding party in Canaan; it's the end that's unescapable, what matters only is how you're going down the road.
Showing posts with label Grateful Dead. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Grateful Dead. Show all posts
Friday, May 8, 2009
Thursday, May 7, 2009
The 10 Greatest Grateful Dead Songs (Part 5)
continued from last post
9) Ramble On Rose
"Just like Jack the Ripper, just like Mojo Hand", "Just like New York City, just like Jericho". A song that connects all the dots. New York city really is just like that ancient biblical town, the bible got the name's wrong, Mary Magadalane's Christian name was clearly Ramblin' Rose.
10) Deal
"If I told you all that went down it would burn off both your ears". And if you heard all that's gone down since you've been gone it would probably burn off both yours too. Or maybe not, it would proably have taken a lot to do that. Here's a mediocre version of a great song by a great band. And here's a website somebody sent me where you can download Grateful Dead songs. Inspiration, Move Me Brightly And we bid you goodnight.
9) Ramble On Rose
"Just like Jack the Ripper, just like Mojo Hand", "Just like New York City, just like Jericho". A song that connects all the dots. New York city really is just like that ancient biblical town, the bible got the name's wrong, Mary Magadalane's Christian name was clearly Ramblin' Rose.
10) Deal
"If I told you all that went down it would burn off both your ears". And if you heard all that's gone down since you've been gone it would probably burn off both yours too. Or maybe not, it would proably have taken a lot to do that. Here's a mediocre version of a great song by a great band. And here's a website somebody sent me where you can download Grateful Dead songs. Inspiration, Move Me Brightly And we bid you goodnight.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
The 10 Greatest Grateful Dead Songs (Part 4)
continued from last post
7) St. Stephen
An awesome song, and here it is played for Hef on Playboy After Dark in 1969. An example of one of Jerry's great riffs, and it's hardcore rock and roll, forget the off key singing, it doesn't matter. They were a powerhouse at their best, knocking down walls and doors all the way straight up to Hugh Hefner's castle. Listen to the version on "Live Dead" for the best version of this song that I've heard.
Here's a link to "Live Dead" on Itunes.
8) Dire Wolf
Robert Hunter is alive and well, "don't murder me, I beg of you don't murder me. Please don't murder me". The Dead have released a ton of live albums over the years, and my favorite one of them all, and the one that got me into them in the first place was "Dick's Picks, Volume 8; Harpur College". It's a show from 1970 and they do a stripped down acoustic version of a bunch of their songs, including this one, and they just sound awesome. Dire Wolf's one of the best tracks on the cd and also one of their best songs ever. It's catchy but not stupid, Jerry was great at writing beutiful melody's and Robert Hunter was great at making them shine. And shine on it does; shine on you crazy dire wolf.
Here's a link to "Dick's Picks Vol. 8" on Itunes
continued next post
7) St. Stephen
An awesome song, and here it is played for Hef on Playboy After Dark in 1969. An example of one of Jerry's great riffs, and it's hardcore rock and roll, forget the off key singing, it doesn't matter. They were a powerhouse at their best, knocking down walls and doors all the way straight up to Hugh Hefner's castle. Listen to the version on "Live Dead" for the best version of this song that I've heard.
Here's a link to "Live Dead" on Itunes.
8) Dire Wolf
Robert Hunter is alive and well, "don't murder me, I beg of you don't murder me. Please don't murder me". The Dead have released a ton of live albums over the years, and my favorite one of them all, and the one that got me into them in the first place was "Dick's Picks, Volume 8; Harpur College". It's a show from 1970 and they do a stripped down acoustic version of a bunch of their songs, including this one, and they just sound awesome. Dire Wolf's one of the best tracks on the cd and also one of their best songs ever. It's catchy but not stupid, Jerry was great at writing beutiful melody's and Robert Hunter was great at making them shine. And shine on it does; shine on you crazy dire wolf.
Here's a link to "Dick's Picks Vol. 8" on Itunes
continued next post
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
The 10 Greatest Grateful Dead Songs (Part 3)
continued from last post
5) Scarlet Begonias
This song is Hunter and Garcia firing on all cylinders. An awesome guitar riff (he wrote some of the most original ever) interspersed with Robert Hunter's bursts of genius. "I knew without asking she was into the blues", "She wore scarlet begonia's tucked into her curls" and "Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right". And at the end of the song the band finally gets to the promised land,
"The sky was yellow and the sun was blue,
Strangers stoppin' strangers just to shake their hand,
Everybody's playing in the heart of gold band, heart of gold band".
This was one of the first songs that made me realize how good they were. I originally heard the cover of it by Sublime, which is really good and easy to like; you don't have to be into 22 minutes of jamming on a 3 minute song to hear that it's great. I wasn't into long jams at the time and I'm still not. But once you see that at the core of what their playing is a great rock song it all makes a lot more sense. Strip it down boys, there's something at the bottom worth seeing.
6) Uncle John's Band
They could write hooks, this should have been a hit. Even in highschool when I didn't like them I still liked this song. The melody is so pretty you can lose track of how the words are, once again, tinged with Robert Hunter's saddness and sense of fate.
"Cause when life looks like Easy Street, there is danger at your door"
"I live in a silver mine and I call it Beggar's Tomb;
I got me a violin and I beg you call the tune"
"Goddamn, well I declare, have you seen the like?
Their wall are built of cannonballs, their motto is "Don't tread on me".
Come hear Uncle John'n Band playing to the tide,
Come with me, or go alone, he's come to take his children home"
"It's the same story the crow told me; it's the only one he knows.
Like the morning sun you come and like the wind you go.
Ain't no time to hate, barely time to wait,
Wo, oh, what I want to know, where does the time go?"
It's like all along the watchtower the hour was getting late, but when the two riders who were approaching got there the place was empty; and the children all gone home.
continued next post
5) Scarlet Begonias
This song is Hunter and Garcia firing on all cylinders. An awesome guitar riff (he wrote some of the most original ever) interspersed with Robert Hunter's bursts of genius. "I knew without asking she was into the blues", "She wore scarlet begonia's tucked into her curls" and "Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right". And at the end of the song the band finally gets to the promised land,
"The sky was yellow and the sun was blue,
Strangers stoppin' strangers just to shake their hand,
Everybody's playing in the heart of gold band, heart of gold band".
This was one of the first songs that made me realize how good they were. I originally heard the cover of it by Sublime, which is really good and easy to like; you don't have to be into 22 minutes of jamming on a 3 minute song to hear that it's great. I wasn't into long jams at the time and I'm still not. But once you see that at the core of what their playing is a great rock song it all makes a lot more sense. Strip it down boys, there's something at the bottom worth seeing.
6) Uncle John's Band
They could write hooks, this should have been a hit. Even in highschool when I didn't like them I still liked this song. The melody is so pretty you can lose track of how the words are, once again, tinged with Robert Hunter's saddness and sense of fate.
"Cause when life looks like Easy Street, there is danger at your door"
"I live in a silver mine and I call it Beggar's Tomb;
I got me a violin and I beg you call the tune"
"Goddamn, well I declare, have you seen the like?
Their wall are built of cannonballs, their motto is "Don't tread on me".
Come hear Uncle John'n Band playing to the tide,
Come with me, or go alone, he's come to take his children home"
"It's the same story the crow told me; it's the only one he knows.
Like the morning sun you come and like the wind you go.
Ain't no time to hate, barely time to wait,
Wo, oh, what I want to know, where does the time go?"
It's like all along the watchtower the hour was getting late, but when the two riders who were approaching got there the place was empty; and the children all gone home.
continued next post
Monday, May 4, 2009
10 Greatest Grateful Dead Songs (Part 2)
continued from last post
3) Ship of Fools
"I won't slave for beggars pay, likewise gold and jewels. But I would slave to learn the way to sink your ship of fools". It's one of their best lines ever, he says he wants your ship to sink and would be a slave to make it happen. There's a darkness to the Grateful Dead that's often smothered in the flood of peace and drugs and love that their image conjures them up to be. But the whole thing is more complex than that, in the summer of love we were in Vietnam too. And in sunshine daydreams we're also drowning ships of fools. God bless the edges beneath the surface; like Ringo Starr once said, peace and love, peace and love, stop sending me your shit.
4) Casey Jones
What other great songs came out in 1970 with the phrase "high on cocaine" in the first 10 seconds. They weren't a bunch of pussies; this was standing right the fuck out there. And it was also doing something as brilliant as Bob Dylan has ever managed to do. Take an ancient American folk song, in this case "The Ballad of Casey Jones", and make it relevant forever. (Or until I die at least). On Bob Dylan's new album he says "some people say I have the blood of the land in my voice"; maybe, but here's the blood of the land too; and it's the original blood on the tracks.
continued next post
3) Ship of Fools
"I won't slave for beggars pay, likewise gold and jewels. But I would slave to learn the way to sink your ship of fools". It's one of their best lines ever, he says he wants your ship to sink and would be a slave to make it happen. There's a darkness to the Grateful Dead that's often smothered in the flood of peace and drugs and love that their image conjures them up to be. But the whole thing is more complex than that, in the summer of love we were in Vietnam too. And in sunshine daydreams we're also drowning ships of fools. God bless the edges beneath the surface; like Ringo Starr once said, peace and love, peace and love, stop sending me your shit.
4) Casey Jones
What other great songs came out in 1970 with the phrase "high on cocaine" in the first 10 seconds. They weren't a bunch of pussies; this was standing right the fuck out there. And it was also doing something as brilliant as Bob Dylan has ever managed to do. Take an ancient American folk song, in this case "The Ballad of Casey Jones", and make it relevant forever. (Or until I die at least). On Bob Dylan's new album he says "some people say I have the blood of the land in my voice"; maybe, but here's the blood of the land too; and it's the original blood on the tracks.
continued next post
Sunday, May 3, 2009
The 10 Greatest Grateful Dead Songs (Part 1)
They don't get the credit as songwriters that they deserve. Garcia/Hunter should be spoken of in the same breath as Jagger/Richards, Lennon/McCartney... Great, great songwriters whether you like taking drugs or not.
1) Ripple
"If I knew the way I would take you home" sang Jerry. I believe him; and he may not have known the way but he did the best anyone can ever do to try and get you there.
2) He's Gone
"Steal your face right off your head". I'm not sure why it means a lot but people would cheer at this line, and rightfully so. Like there usually is with The Dead, there's something intangible here, suffused with good vibrations. And deep ones also. The kind that now are gone but still haven't been forgotten.
continued next post
1) Ripple
"If I knew the way I would take you home" sang Jerry. I believe him; and he may not have known the way but he did the best anyone can ever do to try and get you there.
2) He's Gone
"Steal your face right off your head". I'm not sure why it means a lot but people would cheer at this line, and rightfully so. Like there usually is with The Dead, there's something intangible here, suffused with good vibrations. And deep ones also. The kind that now are gone but still haven't been forgotten.
continued next post
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