should i give the grateful dead a chance?

What is Bob on about in weather report suite?
Song is all over the map

the love of the women, the work of men, things of that nature

Stella Blue vs Black Peter

After becoming more familiar with Bobby’s compositional style, I can read jack straw as his

I might be wrong but I think at least elements of the Weather Report Suite were come up with in jams and developed into a finished song, as you would see it listed as Weather Report Jsm on some live tapes. D think if that was the case, it was a fairly unique song in the Dead’s catalog.

I think a few other of ‘Bobs’ numbers came together that way too. They wrote that way early on and went back to it for Blues for Allah, but more often the song were written or covers brought into the band.

WRS is one of those Bobby songs that reminds me of show tunes. You settle into a groove then all of a sudden a new character jumps on stage out of nowhere and hollers “what shall we say shall we call it by a name?” And the songs takes a left turn. St of Circumstance would be another example.

Lazy Lightning too, but it usually makes me think of a 60s sitcom theme. “On this week’s episode, Lazy Lightning has a misunderstanding with his/her roommate and hilarity ensues”

https://i.imgur.com/ZGCOPTc.jpg

So DP8 is my favorite DP yet, so acoustic ‘70

Speaking of Bobs and "Stella Blue," Dylan recently covered it in Spain, but I haven't listened yet.
Was taking a break from his Neverending and Dead's too, although this Jambase report on a June 30 release has me intrigued:

Grateful Dead – RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C. 6/10/73
Five previously unreleased Grateful Dead from spring 1973 are the focus of Here Comes Sunshine 1973, a massive 17-CD boxed set that arrived today. One of those five shows — RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C. 6/10/73 — is out now on streaming services, in physical formats and as a digital download. The Grateful Dead’s June 10, 1973 performance was the second of two nights played at the huge multi-purpose stadium in the District of Columbia. The Allman Brothers Band shared the bill each night. Highlights from June 10, 1973 include an impactful “Morning Dew” opener along with jam-filled versions of “Bird Song,” “Playing In The Band,” “Eyes Of The World” and the beloved “Dark Star.”

A third set saw the band — guitarists Bob Weir and Jerry Garcia, bassist Phil Lesh, drummer Bill Kreutzmann, vocalist Donna Jean Godchaux and keyboardist Keith Godchaux — joined by Allman Brothers Band guitarist Dickey Betts and drummer Butch Trucks as well as longtime Garcia collaborator Merl Saunders on organ. The assembled musicians treated fans to a run of covers that included Bob Dylan’s “It Takes A Lot To Laugh It Takes A Train To Cry,” the Elvis-popularized “That’s Alright Mama,” Chuck Berry’s “Promised Land” and “Johnny B. Goode” and Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade Away.” Both “Drums” and “Goin’ Down The Road Feelin’ Bad” were encapsulated by “Not Fade Away.” Plangent Processes tape restoration and speed correction were used on the original recording with mastering by Jeffrey Norman.

There was some discussion of that show on the live GD thread. It’s a true gem.

It’s probably because it is the first GD song I ever heard but I have a soft spot for “Cumberland”
That G groove to F# and B is just

This show is great so far- wouldn’t have thought a 20+ minute EotW could hold my attention but salute! Donna’s great too!

This is the way.

lol, John Mayer solo show last night:

oh my god, the crazy bastard actually did it pic.twitter.com/Z1DKiDaSSh

— Rock Solver (@rocksolveresq) October 19, 2023

Haha that’s hilarious

And here I thought that "Dark Star > Me and My Uncle > Dark Star" was rough.

Your body is a wonderland... like a patient etherized on a table.

douche

hahaha the absolute madman

Unfortunately setlists has since been updated to note it as:

"Your Body is a Wonderland" (with "Dark Star" by Grateful Dead)

Still hilarious combination though

Your body is a wonderland... like a patient etherized on a table.

― BrianB

the patient it seems is not so well sleeping
the screams echo up the hall

"Truckin'"-->"No Such Thing"-->"Waiting On The World To Change"-->"Truckin'"

this actually makes me like john mayer a tiny bit ... something i would have thought impossible.

lol

(not that i ever want to hear this)

You want love?
We'll make it
Swim in a deep sea
Of blankets
Take all your big plans
And break 'em
This is bound to be a while

Your body is a dark star
Your body is a star, pouring its light into ashes
Your body is a dark star

https://i.imgur.com/nwTMjxM.jpg

https://open.spotify.com/track/727MIUcOQhC9etXDqhHic8?si=dRV2m-A6Q0GFORxutGmSNA

Sounds like a college cover band

No sloppier than Chuck himself was in 72....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGhMdhdDIlM

Love this 87 terrapin
Jerry so focused
Rest of the band not sure what part comes next

https://www.stereogum.com/2250575/grateful-dead-most-top-40-albums-billboard/news/

Beat That On Down The Line, Taylor...

13 studio albums, 180 live albums? something like that. Honestly Taylor could easily beat this by releasing 50 live albums.

Don't give her any ideas

Digging the new Dave's Picks with the pair of '85 Frost shows. I get why they fall back on '77 and the '72-'74 well so often with these archival releases, but it's nice for a change of pace. Jerry's voice is mostly shot, but he seems to make up for it with his solos. The 4/27/85 show seemed to have the better rep from the tape trading days, but the second night is better to me - less individual peaks maybe, but Jerry's voice is better, a better overall setlist and killer flow. I mean the entire second set run of "Hell in a Bucket > Crazy Fingers > PITB > China Doll > Drums > Space > PITB > Wharf Rat" is a nice run with great transitions. Both nights had a spark in the "Drums/Space" section.

Listening to Angel’s Share. Phil trying to teach “unbroken chain” to the band in the studio, hilarious

When is that clip from? I’ve heard rehearsal banter from 1995 when Phil is teaching the band unbroken Chain and it’s great. Jerry is definitely not keeping up.

Guessing calstars is referring to the digital studio outtakes they released with the Wake of the Flood reissue, from the August '73 sessions.

Yes
Phil reprimands “Weir” and then he and Jerry discuss the turn around

The funky middle section is a complete shambles, again sounds like a college band in a basement

In the ‘95 recording Phil’s explaining the arrangement to the band and yells over to Garcia, “you got that, Gorilla??” (Or something like that).

I didn't realize they had never played it until then, wow

asked this in the "digital era legacy song" thread but doesn't seem to be many deadheads in there, so i'll ask here

when did “althea” become one of the most popular dead songs? it’s not on a major album or any of the greatest hits, not one of the 50 most played according to jerrybase. yet it has 20 million more streams on spotify than “sugar magnolia.” what gives? is it a john mayer thing?

is it a john mayer thing?

I think so, yes

Yeah, I think that's a big part of it. I mean, it's also a damn fine song that I know non-Deadheads in my life even like, but it's probably the Mayer thing. He's talked in several interviews about how that was the song that got him into the Dead.

It’s also just like a really cool song and riff

I refuse to give Mayer credit for anything lol

Go To Heaven is their most underrated LP imho

If I had any ILM cred to worry about in the first place I might be ashamed to admit this, but I will be going to see Dead & Johnny at the Sphere this summer. No interest in seeing U2, got shut out of Phish there, so I took the chance when buddies of mine got an extra for a show out there (also because I've never even been to Vegas, so my wife and I are going to make a long weekend out of it).

If you're looking for non-Mayer culprits, Al Franken talks about how great Althea is at the beginning of the Long Strange Trip documentary from 2017, which was where I was first heard about it since I had wrongfully skipped Go To Heaven before then.