Play For Life

 

Dave's Picks #38? Sure-fire winner of course. The Dead could hardly do no wrong back in '73, and this inspired and fine-sounding registration of a gig in Uniondale, New York shows why. Hey now, just check that divine take on their delicious mini Western Jack Straw below to hear what I mean.

Grateful Dead - Jack Straw (live Uniondale '73)

Red As The Rose

 

You're probably familiar with Rain And Snow, for it was often covered by the good old Grateful Dead, retitled Cold Rain And Snow. But have you heard the version Garcia & co based it on? Here's that timeless beauty, as performed by Appelachian banjo player Obray Ramsey.

Obray Ramsey - Rain And Snow

To The Levee

 

A decidedly more acoustic take of Friend Of The Devil? I'm game of course. Classic song. Hey now, that landmark album called American Beauty is 50 years old, and you can find this demo and more on the fascinating new companion American Beauty - The Angel's Share.

Grateful Dead - Friend Of The Devil (demo)

Way To Go

Hey now, it's a marvellous summer for Deadheads everywhere. The classic Workingman's Dead just turned 50 and its anniversary edition comes with a fine fine '71 show at Port Chester's Capitol Theatre. Check below to hear a sharp take on Easy Wind, with Pigpen growlin' da blues as only he could. And then there's The Angel's Share, which is strictly for the freaks. If more than two and a half hours worth of Workingman outtakes, complete with in-studio chatter, doesn't faze you, do carry this load one way or another.

Grateful Dead - Easy Wind (live Port Chester '71)
Grateful Dead - New Speedway Boogie (demo)

On My Way

Hey now, you'll probably agree one can never have enough early seventies live Dead. And this clear-sounding 34th installment of Dave's Picks proves the point with verve. The sunny location is the magic city of Miami, the year is 1974, and Garcia & co. sound remarkably mellow. Don't think twice, my amigos da musica.

Grateful Dead - Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo (live Miami '74)

Coast To Coast

This new volume of Dave's Picks takes us back to 1977, a renaissance year for the Dead. And although this DeKalb university gig lacks the quality of near-mythical Cornell or even Binghamton, it's still solid all around. Hey now, you can't find a ride like that no more...

Grateful Dead - Might As Well (live DeKalb '77)

Groovy Thunder

It's nearly time for the inevitable FTSOTS end of year list, but let's get the finest reissues and archival albums of 2019 out of the way first ok? You'll come alive when the band starts swinging... With stocking stuffing artwork by the almighty Tinca, it's ho ho ho and here we go.

1. Peter Laughner - The Peter Laughner Box
2. Bob Dylan - The Rolling Thunder Revue: The 1975 Live Recordings
3. Jimi Hendrix - Songs For Groovy Children: The Fillmore East Concerts
4. v/a - If You're Not Part Of The Solution: Soul, Politics And Spirituality In Jazz '67-'75
5. Jim Sullivan - If The Evening Were Dawn
6. Neil Young & The Stray Gators - Tuscaloosa
7. Sachiko Kanenobu - Misora
8. Grateful Dead - Dave's Picks Vol. 30: Fillmore East 1970
9. v/a - Black Man's Pride 3: None Shall Escape The Judgement Of The Almighty
10. Tunng - This Is Tunng... Magpie Bites And Other Cuts

Peter Laughner - Fat City Jive

Connect The Lines

Hey now, I guess we can all agree that Dead archivist Dave Lemieux's got the best job ever. He just finished curating Volume 32 of his Dave's Picks series, which means a 3 disc registration of a fine fine 1973 gig at the Spectrum in Philly. And if that's not enough, he picked a bunch of choice nuggets for 30 Days of Dead month again, too. Head on over to board that bus here and keep waving your freak flag high.

Grateful Dead - Wave That Flag (live Philadelphia '73)

Vanished In The Air

Just got the sad news that Robert Hunter has passed away. The Californian writer, best known as non-playing member and lyricist of the Grateful Dead, was 78. He wrote the words for classics as Dark Star, St. Stephen, Ripple, Dire Wolf, Uncle John's Band and Trucking amongst many others. Miss him.

Grateful Dead - Friend Of The Devil (live San Francisco '70)

Your Cities I Will Burn

Back online, and there's trouble on the road to Fennario. Always loved this old Scottish folk song, also known as The Bonnie Lass o' Fyvie. "The captain fell in love with a lady like a dove..." Dylan recorded it for his eponymous debut album, and reinstated it in his Never Ending Tour setlists in the nineties at times, basing his new arrangement on the way Jerry Garcia & co tackled it some two decades earlier. Two excellent examples below.

Grateful Dead - Peggy O (live Springfield '74)
Bob Dylan - Pretty Peggy-O (live Frankfurt '96)

Come On In

Hey now, yet another Dave's Picks has hit the shelves. Installment #30 takes us back to the legendary Fillmore East of January 1970, just a few months before the masterful Workingman's Dead was released. Makes for essential listening of course. Need proof? Dig this crisp take on Robert Hunter's intriguing fable of the dire wolf. "An easy chorus, and you can even sing with it, it's fun..."

Grateful Dead - Dire Wolf (live New York City '70)

Dead And Gone

The Dead woeing their audience in acoustic mode. Two complete unplugged sets here, recorded during their October series of shows in San Francisco's famous Warfield theatre back in 1980. Fingerlicking good sound quality, too. These are high times for deadheads everywhere, as there's a new volume of Dave's Picks on the way as well, in the form of a classic Fillmore East gig from 1970. Hey now!

Grateful Dead - I've Been All Around This World (live '80)
Grateful Dead - Jack-A-Roe (live '80)

Cooled Me With A Fan

A cold day like today calls for two heartwarming old chestnuts by bluegrass Jerry, recorded long before he became known as Captain Trips.

Jerry Garcia - Roving Gambler
Jerry Garcia - Sugar Baby

Blood & Wealth

The famous FTSOTS end of year list will be with you shortly, but let's get the old stuff out of the way first. Here are the reissues and compilations of the year, in all their raging glory. Out of a ton of goodies, and with exclusive fine art by Tinca, I picked the following.

1. John Coltrane - Both Directions At Once: The Lost Album
2. Bob Dylan - More Blood, More Tracks: The Bootleg Series Vol. 14
3. Neil Young - Roxy: Tonight's The Night Live
4. Thelonious Monk - Mønk (Live In Copenhagen '63)
5. Van Morrison - Live In Boston '72
6. Grateful Dead - Pacific Northwest '73-'74: Believe It If You Need It
7. v/a - Basement Beehive: The Girl Group Underground
8. The Louvin Brothers - Love And Wealth: The Lost Recordings
9. Songs: Ohia - Love & Work: The Lioness Sessions
10. v/a - Black Man's Pride 2: Righteous Are The Sons And Daughters Of Jah

John Coltrane - Untitled Original 11386 (Take 1)

Bells Of Heaven

Hey now, not enough dough or stamina to get lost in that massive new Pacific Northwest ’73-’74 Grateful Dead box set? Solace is found in the form of a handy three disc sampler of highlights called Believe It If You Need It. All aboard? Let's hit the north with Jerry & co.

Grateful Dead - China Doll (live Seattle '74)

Smoke On You

The Jerry Garcia Band tackles a deep cut from the Dylan songbook at Berkeley's Keystone back in '75. Funky but clean, if you know what I mean...

Jerry Garcia Band - Tough Mama

Coming Around

"The bus came by and I got on, that's when it all began..." Good 'ole Dave, probably the man with the best job in the world, continues his documenting of prime live Dead. For what's already volume 26, he picked a fine fine '71 show at Albuquerque's Civic Auditorium. Keith Godchaux's on keyboards here, as Pigpen was sadly absent for health reasons. He was back in time for the equally groovy bonus disc though, which spotlights an Ann Arbor gig later in the same year. Hey now!

Grateful Dead - The Other One (Live Albuquerque '71)
Grateful Dead - Tennessee Jed (live Ann Arbor '71)

Play For Life

Hey now, new Dave's Picks alert! Hot on the heels of late last year's wonderful Volume 24, which presented a truly cooking Berkeley show from '72, here's Binghamton '77. It was the last show of the year the two sevens clashed for Jerry and co, but there's lots of energy here, not to mention a setlist to die for. Maybe not up there with the famous Cornell gig from the spring, but definitely worth your precious time.

Grateful Dead - Jack Straw (Live Binghamton '77)

Songs Of Its Own

The Dead with a horn section? Yup, they tried that experiment too, albeit for a short run only. During nine September '73 gigs Garcia & co shared the stage with Joe Ellis (on trumpet and flugelhorn) and Martin Fierro (on flute and sax). The results were a mixed bag to say the least, but sometimes it did actually take flight, as you can hear below. Thanks to the always interesting Save Your Face blog for the tunage btw. Hey now...

Grateful Dead - Eyes Of The World (Live Buffalo Sept. '73)
Grateful Dead - Eyes Jam (Live Buffalo Sept. '73)

Crowed For Me

Our famous end-of-year list is nearly ready, but patience please, let's put the old stuff to the test first. 'Cause hell yeah, 2017 sure was a great year for reissues and compilations of all kinds. Here's the top of the iceberg, already starting to melt. Suitcase of Songs artwork by the wonderful Tinca. It's flashback time, my amigos da musica...

1. Lal & Mike Waterson - Bright Phoebus
Lal & Mike Waterson - The Scarecrow
2. Bob Dylan - Trouble No More: The Bootleg Series Vol. 13
3. Neil Young - Hitchhiker
4. v/a - Even A Tree Can Shed Tears: Japanese Folk & Rock '69 - '73
Ryo Kagawa - Zeni No Kouryouryoku Ni Tsuite
5. Erasmo Carlos - Carlos, Erasmo...
6. Lynn Castle - Rose Colored Corner
7. Grateful Dead - Cornell '77 & Dave's Picks Vol. 24: Live In Berkeley '72
8. Lloyd Parks - Time A Go Dread
LLoyd Parks - Shake Up Yu Dread
9. v/a - Warfaring Strangers: Acid Nightmares
10. Alice Coltrane - The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda