For you Dead Fans out there...

[thegenius]

Had an overnight shift last week...it was surprisingly slow. Had 8-10 people in the ED at any one time.

I was playing the Dead over the Bose speaker system in the doc box, and every half hour or so would crank up the volume just a little. For those knowledgeable of the Dead...was playing 1977-02-26.

I had at least 6 nurses come up to me and say "Doc...you're playing great music!"

I had it pretty loud around 4:30 AM.

Patients were magically getting better. Comatose patients were moving all their limbs. Encephalopathic patients suddenly became oriented. I even had one guy with a swollen knee say "man...the swelling's gone down. How did that happen???"

"The Wheel my friend.....The Wheel. We put it in the air here."

There was no complaining at all during Eyes of the World.

I was air-drumming at 5:00 AM in front of my 22 yo scribe who had never heard of the Dead. She said "this is pretty good...it's keeping me awake!"

"The therapeutic benefits of live Grateful Dead jamming on critically ill patients in the ED: A randomized double-blind trial." Garcia et al. 1977, Journal of Psychedelics

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[RustedFox]

Great post.

"Ripple" will always have a special place in my heart.

 

[Apollyon]

Obligatory GD joke:

When Jerry Garcia died, how could they tell?

 

[thegenius]

Haha

What did the Grateful Dead fan say when he ran out of weed? “What is this awful music you are listening to?”

I’m all seriousness....the best part of that night were the nurses who all said nice things about my choice in music...I was surprised by some of them too.

 

[hundreddaysoff]

Tomorrow night try it with John Mayer instead of Jerry and see if anyone dies.

 

[bearstanley]

I had it pretty loud around 4:30 AM.

close.

this reminds of of that oliver sacks' piece about the dead: https://www.cse.iitk.ac.in/users/se...95_anthropologist-on-mars_the-last-hippie.pdf

my badge clip is a stealie and it frequently sparks some interesting conversations. love seeing fellow heads in the department.

 

[Birdstrike]

Recently was road trippin’ and was groovin’ to Europe ‘72 Vol 14 5/10/72 for a couple hours until my wife was like, “What’s with the nails on a chalkboard for the past 170 miles? Change it. I’m dying here.” Then my kids took over and pretty soon some rap song with a Billy Ray Cyrus feature was non-consensually assaulting my cochleas.

 

[Birdstrike]

As a GenXer I didn’t get The Dead for the longest time. But what got my attention, was when my favorite band at the time Jane’s Addiction, who I loved for their brutally-shredding psychedelic guitars, put out the Dead cover Ripple. That allowed me to listen to The Dead with new ears and appreciate their mellow grooviness from time to time, usually on road trips.

Dylan was the same for me. Couldn’t get him for the longest time, harsh voice and all. But after cover, after cover after cover, by so many great artists in their own right, you realize there’s some great stuff there. Who else is covered by a range of artists as wide as Hendrix, Guns N’ Roses, Darius Rucker, George Harrison, Queens of the Stone Age, Rage Against the Machine, PJ Harvey to Adele?

That doesn’t happen without there being greatness there.

Can’t say that playing Dylan in the ED wouldn’t destroy a few eardrums of the weak, though. Definitely not for woosies.

 

[Apollyon]

Haha

What did the Grateful Dead fan say when he ran out of weed? “What is this awful music you are listening to?”

I’m all seriousness....the best part of that night were the nurses who all said nice things about my choice in music...I was surprised by some of them too.

Dude - I was kinda in the bag last night when I posted that. I forgot that we had this exchange in the past!

Hey, if it's good enough once...

 

[thegenius]

close.

this reminds of of that oliver sacks' piece about the dead: https://www.cse.iitk.ac.in/users/se...95_anthropologist-on-mars_the-last-hippie.pdf

my badge clip is a stealie and it frequently sparks some interesting conversations. love seeing fellow heads in the department.

35 pages, whoa what is that about? I'll read it.

 

[thegenius]

Recently was road trippin’ and was groovin’ to Europe ‘72 Vol 14 5/10/72 for a couple hours until my wife was like, “What’s with the nails on a chalkboard for the past 170 miles? Change it. I’m dying here.” Then my kids took over and pretty soon some rap song with a Billy Ray Cyrus feature was non-consensually assaulting my cochleas.

I was streaming some psychedelic trippy DS or The Other one last year from the early 70s. The PA said "Steve...your choice of music is pretty good but this **** is awful. It sounds like chickens fighting and scratching each other inside of a box trying to get out."

I'm actually going through all the juicy spacey bits from the Europe 72 tour. I'm close to 5/10/72. 5/11/72 perhaps has the darkest most evil dark star ever.

 

[thegenius]

As a GenXer I didn’t get The Dead for the longest time. But what got my attention, was when my favorite band at the time Jane’s Addiction, who I loved for their brutally-shredding psychedelic guitars, put out the Dead cover Ripple. That allowed me to listen to The Dead with new ears and appreciate their mellow grooviness from time to time, usually on road trips.

Dylan was the same for me. Couldn’t get him for the longest time, harsh voice and all. But after cover, after cover after cover, by so many great artists in their own right, you realize there’s some great stuff there. Who else is covered by a range of artists as wide as Hendrix, Guns N’ Roses, Darius Rucker, George Harrison, Queens of the Stone Age, Rage Against the Machine, PJ Harvey to Adele?

That doesn’t happen without there being greatness there.

Can’t say that playing Dylan in the ED wouldn’t destroy a few eardrums of the weak, though. Definitely not for woosies.

Funny man...I actually hated the Dead in college when I roomed with a deadhead. I listened to heavy metal at the time. I thought they sucked.

Then...around year 2000 I was just cruising the internet and came upon archive.org/details/GratefulDead and streamed Lazy Lightnin > Supplication from Cornell 77. I said "wow that is pretty good stuff!!!!!!"

And as they say...the rest was history.

I started downloading their shows...couldn't get enough of them. Metal was long lost by then.

Now...the Dead are an integral part of my life. They bring me such happiness. They have such a wide array of songs...they know what to sing and how to sing it when they do happy songs, playful songs, dance songs, soulful songs, psychedelic songs. In my opinion their lyrics are what their music apart from their contemporaries.

 

[Birdstrike]

American Beauty for studio albums. Skull and Roses is one of my faves, too. I love music that takes me to a different time. A time I’d otherwise not be around.

 

[RustedFox]

In my opinion their lyrics are what their music apart from their contemporaries.

So much this, not just for the Dead - but also for so many other great bands. Allusion, inference, and allegory are what is missing from most music these days.

 

[Birdstrike]

Sugaree. Mellow. Relaxing.

 

[thegenius]

You guys know about the Relisten app? (for iPhone)
Easy access to every dead concert. Can stream any show anytime you want. It interfaces with Grateful Dead : Free Music : Free Audio : Free Download, Borrow and Streaming : Internet Archive (www.archive.org/details/GratefulDead)

It's free too!

 

[thegenius]

So much this, not just for the Dead - but also for so many other great bands. Allusion, inference, and allegory are what is missing from most music these days.

As an aside...I thought 90's rap was fun...good lyrics, fun to listen to. 2010 rap is terrible. Can't understand them....lyrics are terrible always talking about how "I'm gonna shoot you 5 times, then I'm going to f**$ your girlfriend, her sister and her mom. I'm the best rapper in town"

 

[Birdstrike]

@thegenius I've had Grateful Dead shows on near non-stop repeat on Spotify since you started this thread. Thank you.

Great stuff.

 

[d2305]

'Driving that train, high on cocaine." I'm surprised any of them are still alive.

 

[Birdstrike]

'Driving that train, high on cocaine." I'm surprised any of them are still alive.

They're battling Keith Richards for most indestructible.

 

[thegenius]

@thegenius I've had Grateful Dead shows on near non-stop repeat on Spotify since you started this thread. Thank you.

Great stuff.

Right on!

What's on Spotify? Just the studio albums? Or like Dick's Picks?

 

[Birdstrike]

Right on!

What's on Spotify? Just the studio albums? Or like Dick's Picks?

Dozens of live albums across multiple decades. Dick’s picks, download series, tons of Europe ‘72 concerts. Plus all the studio albums & compilations. Not everything but over 160 albums total.

Even found So Many Roads, from last show ever, 7/9/95.

Not bad.

 

[thegenius]

Oh that's cool. I didn't know Spotify could do that...but then again I don't know anything about Spotify. I usually just play whatever is on my phone (I have all of the Dick's Picks on my phone), or I just stream something from the Relisten app (which mirrors archive.org).

The music is so good. It sucks though when you are in the middle of a good song, then you have to get up to do patient care, come back 15 minutes later and you missed all the good bits. :-(

 

[gutonc]

Oh that's cool. I didn't know Spotify could do that...but then again I don't know anything about Spotify. I usually just play whatever is on my phone (I have all of the Dick's Picks on my phone), or I just stream something from the Relisten app (which mirrors archive.org).

The music is so good. It sucks though when you are in the middle of a good song, then you have to get up to do patient care, come back 15 minutes later and you missed all the good bits. :-(

There are good bits?

 

[deleted547339]

They're battling Keith Richards for most indestructible.

Anyone battling Keith Richards for that title is fighting a losing battle.

 

[gutonc]

Anyone battling Keith Richards for that title is fighting a losing battle.

I was certain that Hunter Thompson was going to win that battle, but alas.

 

[B-Bone]

anybody seeing Dead and Company? I caught them once, and it's a really fun time. Great band. Definitely not a John Mayer fan, but he really does fit in and really does a great job in the "Jerry spot". Arguably better then Trey did at the Fare Thee Well concerts. For anybody who loves to try to call the opener, I just heard about this:

headiestgame.com

This is the kind of crap me and my buddies do at Phish shows, etc. Funny to see it as an "enterprise".

 

[Birdstrike]

anybody seeing Dead and Company? I caught them once, and it's a really fun time. Great band. Definitely not a John Mayer fan, but he really does fit in and really does a great job in the "Jerry spot". Arguably better then Trey did at the Fare Thee Well concerts. For anybody who loves to try to call the opener, I just heard about this:

headiestgame.com

This is the kind of crap me and my buddies do at Phish shows, etc. Funny to see it as an "enterprise".

I have not seen Dead and Company but I wouldn't mind if they came around here. Like you, I also am not much of a John Mayer fan.

Mini-story: My wife kind of liked him when he was new and "Your Body Is A Wonderland" was a hit, before he became ""John Mayer,"" maybe, 15 years ago. She wanted to go to the concert. I went on itunes and searched John Mayer and "The John Mayer Trio" came up. I clicked play and I was like, "Alright. Kinda bluesy, rocks a little bit, some firey guitar solos. This guy has some decent guitar chops. Let's check it out."

So we go to the concert. Had to drive two hours and stay overnight at a hotel kind of thing. We get to the concert. All 16 year old girls with their Dads. T o t a l s n o o z e f e s t . He played all the super slow songs and not a single one of the more rockin' John Mayer Trio stuff which he's abandoned and didn't even change the radio versions one bit. No improv, no showboating, just straight easy listening snoozers. Even my wife who was the fan, was disappointed. But I've seen clips of him live with other artists. He really can play the guitar pretty well. He just hasn't made it his thing. He's strictly stuck with the record label advised more commercial stuff, which I understand because cash is king nowadays, but that particular brand is not exactly up my alley.

So to see him abandon his own radio stuff and be forced to play the old Dead stuff is actually an interesting idea. Weird enough idea to maybe work.

 

[B-Bone]

No question Mayer can play. He's a Berklee College trained musician. The thing I am about to say will elicit boo/hiss responses from purists, but Dead and Co (in my opinion) is probably better than most 80's-90's Dead stuff. Definitely more high-energy and a lot more fun. Jerry on smack just isn't that entertaining. I only saw the Dead twice, in the early 90's when I was in high school. While it was definitely an epic scene and something I'm glad to have been a part of, the shows themselves were pretty mediocre at best. Especially listening to those shows recently; that's some garbage.

 

[Birdstrike]

No question Mayer can play. He's a Berklee College trained musician. The thing I am about to say will elicit boo/hiss responses from purists, but Dead and Co (in my opinion) is probably better than most 80's-90's Dead stuff. Definitely more high-energy and a lot more fun. Jerry on smack just isn't that entertaining. I only saw the Dead twice, in the early 90's when I was in high school. While it was definitely an epic scene and something I'm glad to have been a part of, the shows themselves were pretty mediocre at best. Especially listening to those shows recently; that's some garbage.

I watched an interview with Bob Weir on youtube a few days ago. He was telling some stories about Jerry at the end. One time he fell asleep on stage. He describes him as literally standing up, nodding off, eyes closed, but fingers still noodling along on the neck of the guitar. In another one, he describes looking over at the sound of the most bizarre but purposeful sounding guitar solo and realized he was playing the solo note for note, but was one or two steps down the fretboard and didn't notice.

It makes me wonder if he really had an MI in rehab or if it was just an OD death they didn't look into very hard. I mean, after all, what's the point of an in depth autopsy with tox labs at that point. It's Jerry Garcia, ffs.

 

[Birdstrike]

I don't know anything about Spotify.

About $10 a month and unlimited instant-access streaming of any music on there, which nowadays is 99% of everything some except rogue bootlegs. Even some bootlegs end up on there once they become official. I've been pretty happy with it. It's pretty good if you want to check out random varied music without any increased cost of purchase.

 

[thegenius]

I've seen DeadCo several times...I'll say that they just don't play with the oomph they used to. They play too many songs slow. Like Shakedown Street. It's meant to be played moderately fast and they will play it slow. I'll see them if the ticket prices are reasonable (like 60-80), but I'm not paying $150 or so to see them. Had a good time in Colorado last year, or the year before, maybe because I was doing things I should not have.

I used to not like John Mayer all that much either until I saw this youtube video, which changed my opinion of him. If you have about 30 minutes to kill I do recommend watching it. It was kind of mesmerizing to watch. He is explaining his approach to how he plays Dead songs, how he practices, etc.

 

[Birdstrike]

I've seen DeadCo several times...I'll say that they just don't play with the oomph they used to. They play too many songs slow. Like Shakedown Street. It's meant to be played moderately fast and they will play it slow. I'll see them if the ticket prices are reasonable (like 60-80), but I'm not paying $150 or so to see them. Had a good time in Colorado last year, or the year before, maybe because I was doing things I should not have.

I used to not like John Mayer all that much either until I saw this youtube video, which changed my opinion of him. If you have about 30 minutes to kill I do recommend watching it. It was kind of mesmerizing to watch. He is explaining his approach to how he plays Dead songs, how he practices, etc.

Cool video. As someone with a background in guitar (beginner, hobby, not remotely proficient) could you imagine having to step into that role, the role of a legend, then having to learn hundreds of songs you might have to play live to the level of the guys who wrote them and have been playing them perfectly, seamlessly and effortlessly, and different every time, for 50+ years?

Wow. Anyone that can pull that off without getting thrown off stage, has my respect.

PS: Also interesting that Mayer said learning those songs made him a better guitar player. Interesting not only because you don't normally think of GD's guitar parts as exceedingly technical, but because they made Mayer realize he was literally not using an entire finger for the last 30 years. Lol

 

[Birdstrike]

Warren Haynes is great a great guitar player, too. W A Y better than John Mayer. He did a great job for the Dead, too.

 

[Birdstrike]

Nice solo from Mayer at 52:00-53:00

 

[Birdstrike]

Thanks for starting this thread, @thegenius. It's given me a reason to go back and rediscover this music at a much deeper level. I can't stand modern day computerized bullshht. I've always loved to dig deep into the classic stuff, even when I was a kid.

And, dude, that Relisten app is frickin' awesome. Just unreal. Couldn't have imagined this kind of easy access, sound quality and technology 30, or even 20 years ago. Best time ever, to be alive. Listening to China Cat Sunflower, 1970-02-04 #2 right now.

 

[Apollyon]

John Mayer is just a total dick to women, though. Being a musician doesn't give you a pass to being a decent human being.

 

[RustedFox]

John Mayer is just a total dick to women, though. Being a musician doesn't give you a pass to being a decent human being.

Most women are awful to most women, though.

All lulz aside, what did the king of sissyPants rock do, now? I missed this bit of music news.

 

[24GaugeEJ]

When he played a 7 minute version of Brown Eyed Women on Jimmy Fallon, I started paying closer attention. By the way, 2-26-77 is one of the greatest shows any band has ever played. Love the Terrapin and Help on the Way on that one!

 

[Birdstrike]

It’s amazing. I’ll go to find the studio version of some of the Dead’s best, most classic songs, and one literally does not exist. Every single version is a live version. And this is for multiple songs, classic songs. That’s how frickin’ unbelievably confident these guys were in their musicianship. “You want to here our music? You can’t listen to it, you’ve gotta come see it!”

Contrast that to today, where not only are the studio versions of music fake, plasticized, computerized and pre-programmed, but even the “live” versions are. Not even a single sound on the track may be real. Even the vocals are fake. The lyrics manufactured by a team of a dozen strangers in a song writing factory, by people who’ve never met nor will meet the artists.

I prefer the gritty, imperfect, leathery-old, organic music like this. Perfect in a broken way.

 

[Birdstrike]

Check out Playin’ In the Band, 5/24/72. Great, great stuff. A band at its peak. Fabulous, improved, light-years of soloing.

 

[Birdstrike]

John Mayer is just a total dick to women, though. Being a musician doesn't give you a pass to being a decent human being.

I operate under the assumption that many, if not most, artists at this level are psychosocial train-wrecks. So, you’re probably right.

Good art, good talent, does not equal good person, good behavior. If endorsing artists’ character and actions was required to enjoy their art, we wouldn’t have much art to appreciate.

But yeah, if you’re saying John Mayer is a total jerk, I’ll take your words for it without argument.

 

[thegenius]

Thanks for starting this thread, @thegenius. It's given me a reason to go back and rediscover this music at a much deeper level. I can't stand modern day computerized bullshht. I've always loved to dig deep into the classic stuff, even when I was a kid.

And, dude, that Relisten app is frickin' awesome. Just unreal. Couldn't have imagined this kind of easy access, sound quality and technology 30, or even 20 years ago. Best time ever, to be alive. Listening to China Cat Sunflower, 1970-02-04 #2 right now.

I used to browse and listen to all the shows on archive.org (www.archive.org/details/GratefulDead). I even wrote a Java app that would download concerts from archive.org. So on my computer I've got like 600 shows, and over the past decade would listen to them, take some general notes. I never knew about the Relisten app until another Head that I work with introduced it to me. Changed my life. Imagine, at any time, you have access to 2,500 "albums" (concerts) and you can listen to them as often as you want, for free! I stream them via Bluetooth in my car. I'll go hiking where I live, and bring my portable speaker and play them while hiking. For the same show you have audience versions, soundboard, even matrix. So many good quality sound recordings. These guys make me happy.

I'm going through all the spacey psychedelic stuff now...listening to the all the different ways they played The Other One and Dark Star in 1972. Every show is different. What a year 1972.

Imagine being any other band. They make an album. Then they tour for a year. Play the same set list, same songs, same way, every single show. Wouldn't you want to poke your eyeball out to stave off boredom?

 

[thegenius]

PS: Also interesting that Mayer said learning those songs made him a better guitar player. Interesting not only because you don't normally think of GD's guitar parts as exceedingly technical, but because they made Mayer realize he was literally not using an entire finger for the last 30 years. Lol

LMAO

"Hey....I have another finger I can use! How about that???"

 

[thegenius]

Check out Playin’ In the Band, 5/24/72. Great, great stuff. A band at its peak. Fabulous, improved, light-years of soloing.

1972 was the first year Playin extended from a normal song to a jamming one (it came out the prior year). All those Europe 72 PITBs are all solid. Ferocious energy, they maintain intensity for 10-12 minutes. Then in Oct/Nov/Dec 1972...they really stretch it out to 20+ minutes and they are awesome! 1972-11-18 and 1972-11-19 come to mind (especially the former) and an intense 25 min Playin.

These guys played in beautiful, acoustically spectacular, famous concert halls in Europe in 72. Imagine your in the band and you are playing here:

wouldn't you perform balls out?

Those are from Concertgebouw, Amsterdam 5/10/72.

In the time it took me to write this post, I listened to Playin' 5/24/72. It was great!

 

[thegenius]

I operate under the assumption that many, if not most, artists at this level are psychosocial train-wrecks. So, you’re probably right.

Good art, good talent, does not equal good person, good behavior. If endorsing artists’ character and actions was required to enjoy their art, we wouldn’t have much art to appreciate.

But yeah, if you’re saying John Mayer is a total jerk, I’ll take your words for it without argument.

I don't really know anything about Mayer....except he has dated/hooked-up with numerous A-List celebrity, hot women. Some of these women are certifiably crazy themselves. Women like Katy Perry, Renee Zellweger, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Aniston, Kim Kardashian, Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Love Hewitt

man oh man does it ever pay to be good at guitar!!!!

 

[Birdstrike]

I used to browse and listen to all the shows on archive.org (www.archive.org/details/GratefulDead). I even wrote a Java app that would download concerts from archive.org. So on my computer I've got like 600 shows, and over the past decade would listen to them, take some general notes. I never knew about the Relisten app until another Head that I work with introduced it to me. Changed my life. Imagine, at any time, you have access to 2,500 "albums" (concerts) and you can listen to them as often as you want, for free! I stream them via Bluetooth in my car. I'll go hiking where I live, and bring my portable speaker and play them while hiking. For the same show you have audience versions, soundboard, even matrix. So many good quality sound recordings. These guys make me happy.

I'm going through all the spacey psychedelic stuff now...listening to the all the different ways they played The Other One and Dark Star in 1972. Every show is different. What a year 1972.

Imagine being any other band. They make an album. Then they tour for a year. Play the same set list, same songs, same way, every single show. Wouldn't you want to poke your eyeball out to stave off boredom?

Okay. So, I’m going through Relisten checking out random shows. Then I came across a forum that suggested 6/23/74 as an all time great. I check Relisten and it’s not there. I go back to the Dead forum and click the link and it takes me to archive . com where I’m listening to it. Neither are complete!

 

[thegenius]

Okay. So, I’m going through Relisten checking out random shows. Then I came across a forum that suggested 6/23/74 as an all time great. I check Relisten and it’s not there. I go back to the Dead forum and click the link and it takes me to archive . com where I’m listening to it. Neither are complete!

I see it in Relisten. You have to scroll to the bottom of 1974. Relisten is weird in that...for each year....there are two sections within called “Not Part Of The Tour” and “Part of Tour” or something like that. So for 1974....there appears to be a big gap in dates, but if you keep on scrolling down on Relisten you’ll see all the remaining shows.

This is from my phone:

There are 17 versions and I bet most are complete.

Great show by the way....superb Dark Star > Spanish Jam > US Blues!!!

 

[Birdstrike]

I see it in Relisten. You have to scroll to the bottom of 1974. Relisten is weird in that...for each year....there are two sections within called “Not Part Of The Tour” and “Part of Tour” or something like that. So for 1974....there appears to be a big gap in dates, but if you keep on scrolling down on Relisten you’ll see all the remaining shows.

This is from my phone:
View attachment 265512

There are 17 versions and I bet most are complete.

Great show by the way....superb Dark Star > Spanish Jam > US Blues!!!

Ah, thanks. Got it.

 

[Birdstrike]

Ok, @thegenius, you're gonna like this. Watch the band and listen. Great song, great version of Jack Straw from 8/27/72.
Then watch it again and look at everything but the band, then read the comments. You'll die. A classic in too many ways to count! Lol

Should be government mandated viewing for all millenials.

cc: @24GaugeEJ @bearstanley & @B-Bone