I am not a Dead fan. I’m too much a child of punk: loud fast rules, the Ramones could play an album in the time it takes the Dead to play a song. And, also? Their rhythms clunk and if i wanna hear jam, I wanna hear rhythm jams. Parliament, Brown -folks like that.
So why I woke up in the mood for Grateful Dead today is way beyond me. Maybe because when you can get past the endless boogie, you’ve got an ace country-tock band.
1. He’s Gone – The harmonies carry it and the beat is a pretty weird syncopation.
2. Uncle John’s Band – A hippie folk seduction, finger picked. And where did those maracas come from?
3. Friend of the Devil – What’s next? “Okie From Mussokee”?
4. I Know You Rider – Sometimes i think you can blame Phish’s entire career on this.
5. Box Of Rain – Now you got it, American Beauty and Workingman’s Dead
6. Mountains of the Moon – Yank folk masquerading as English masquerading as song.
7. St. Stephen – boogies hard into oblivion.
8. Mama Tried – Straight up Merle Haggard cover.
9. Tennessee Jed – Good enough to singlehandedly turn you on the Dead
10. Bon Cross-Eyed – Sounds like led zep without the led and without the zep