There's a written story, I thought it was in Blair's Garcia: An American Life or Neil Young's Waging Heavy Peace but now I can't find it...about Jerry going up to Neil's ranch to record something and getting lost on the dirt roads upon leaving after a "long" night. Do you know where to find it?
I am pretty sure the story is in Neil's Waging Heavy Peace. I think the version was that Jerry got lost trying to get there, so no recording was ever done. More's the pity. 24 hours of Neil, Jerry, a studio and anyone else would have been a nice artifact.
I don't think Jerry or anyone in the band called the song "Lady With A Fan." Maybe Hunter did. For publishing reasons, they would have had to give Terrapin Station seven different names in order to get publishing for seven different songs. Otherwise they would have only got publishing money for one ("mechanical" publishing rights were antiquated and weird).
Note that thanks to the Terrapin naming, both Hunter and Kreutzmann get writing credits. Thus every member of the band got a writing credit, very common on 70s rock albums (the Godchauxs were one credit, corporately speaking). In that respect the Dead were like every other band.
Everyone with a big music collection has some obscure favorites that no one has ever heard of, or perhaps only faintly recalls. I am listening to a great live recording of Miller Anderson, still rockin' it in Germany somewhere, even though he is Scottish (http://tela.sugarmegs.org/_asxtela/asxcards/MillerAnderson2015-09-26ZumHirschMetzingenGlemsGermany.html).
Miller Anderson was the primary guitarist and vocalist for the great Keef Hartley Band, from the 60s and early 70s, which no one has ever heard of either (even though they played Woodstock to no acclaim). Battle Of Northwest Six (circa 69) for the uninitiated. He had a bunch of other albums, no one but me ever bought them, except apparently Germans. I was surprised recently to find out he's still rolling on and sounding great.
Let’s see, my non-JG rotation has lately leaned heavily on:
Gil Evans - The Individualism of Gil Evans (divine. RIP Phil Woods) Joan Shelley - Over and Even (great new “folk”/amerikana) The Jasmine Isle: Javanese gamelan music (a classic gamelan recording) The Necks (I am joyfully rediscovering their back catalog) The Meters (always and always)
I've gotta ask how someone who is so learned in all aspects of Garcia's non-GD career "doesn't know GD very well"? I assume that, for personal enjoyment, you prefer listening to JGB/GOTS more than listening to the GD, but was that always the case? Was there a point when GOTS overtook the GD as a main interest of yours (either scholarly or aesthetic), or were you just never that into the Dead? What was the doorway to Garcia, then?
And, horror stories about the state of JG/GD in 1983-84 notwithstanding, I feel like Garcia's playing in this era is often better than you would think, certainly when you ignore all the reportage about his life and just listen to the music he was making. I think his *listening* (ie, responding/acknowledging what else was happening onstage) probably suffered more than his playing did, which wasn't as much of an issue with the JGB (who were all essentially sidemen) but was a big issue with the GD.
Well, I know it better than any normal person would, but there are so many aficionados out there that I don't claim any particular expertise. I saw the Dead a fair bit in the Bay Area 1986-1990, and then stopped being interested. When shn became a thing, and FTP sites, I was able to gain access to legion.etree.org and a few other Garciacentric places, and an obsession was born.
Oh, and good point about where unhealthy Garcia's playing suffered most. Certainly not in his guitar playing, which on 10/18/84 is exquisite. And agreed that not listening would have been less of an issue for JGB than for GD.
Since Bill Keith just passed away, here's somethin'. On Bill Keith's banjo: "Bill Keith used to play an old Gibson top-tension banjo, and it's been said (unconfirmed) that Jerry bought it, but Bill's banjo had a hearts and flowers inlay pattern, not flying eagle, so I doubt this is it...unless for some unlikely reason Jerry changed the neck. This could be one of David Grisman's many instruments rather than one of Jerry's."[115] Played at soundcheck on 2/2/91 Warfield, San Francisco.
115.)^Cohea, Larry, 2015-07-17, email to Sandy Rothman, then to author.
Nick Katzman's 1975 KickingMule 111 album. Mississippi Delta blues performed on guitar and "Ruby Green" vocals on many of the cuts. Recorded at Mickey Harts' barn. Pretty much flawless presentation with a great vibe.
Sorry! My bad,....That's what I get for writing off the cuff. According to the liner notes the album was recorded at Blue Bear Studios - Kicking Mule facilities in SF. Mark Needham was the engineer. It was mixed at Rolling Thunder Studio in Novato and at Accurate Sound in Redwood City. Ruby Green is the Alias of Joy of Cookings Terry Garthwaite. Katzman has been living in Germany for the past 35 years or so. In any case,.great album.
Chris Robinson Brotherhood is near the top of my list these days, the shows have an unbeatable vibe going on and the music is hot
ReplyDeleteI will check them out!
ReplyDeleteNeil Young! Goin' to his show this Saturday at Greek Berkeley.
ReplyDeleteGod, I love the Greek. Have fun! I saw some video of relatively recent concerts in which Neil was absolutely tearing stuff up.
ReplyDeleteEver notice on every tape list ever written it reads "Terrapin Station" when they are actually just playing "Lady With A Fan"?
ReplyDeleteThere's a written story, I thought it was in Blair's Garcia: An American Life or Neil Young's Waging Heavy Peace but now I can't find it...about Jerry going up to Neil's ranch to record something and getting lost on the dirt roads upon leaving after a "long" night. Do you know where to find it?
ReplyDeleteI am pretty sure the story is in Neil's Waging Heavy Peace. I think the version was that Jerry got lost trying to get there, so no recording was ever done. More's the pity. 24 hours of Neil, Jerry, a studio and anyone else would have been a nice artifact.
DeleteNo idea.
ReplyDeleteAnd, re Terrapin, that's the kind of thing that could drive a person crazy.
I don't think Jerry or anyone in the band called the song "Lady With A Fan." Maybe Hunter did. For publishing reasons, they would have had to give Terrapin Station seven different names in order to get publishing for seven different songs. Otherwise they would have only got publishing money for one ("mechanical" publishing rights were antiquated and weird).
DeleteNote that thanks to the Terrapin naming, both Hunter and Kreutzmann get writing credits. Thus every member of the band got a writing credit, very common on 70s rock albums (the Godchauxs were one credit, corporately speaking). In that respect the Dead were like every other band.
sorry, I meant Hart and Kreutzmann got writing credits
Delete:-) https://archive.org/details/attentionkmartshoppers kmart tapes :-)
ReplyDeleteI-)
Everyone with a big music collection has some obscure favorites that no one has ever heard of, or perhaps only faintly recalls. I am listening to a great live recording of Miller Anderson, still rockin' it in Germany somewhere, even though he is Scottish (http://tela.sugarmegs.org/_asxtela/asxcards/MillerAnderson2015-09-26ZumHirschMetzingenGlemsGermany.html).
ReplyDeleteMiller Anderson was the primary guitarist and vocalist for the great Keef Hartley Band, from the 60s and early 70s, which no one has ever heard of either (even though they played Woodstock to no acclaim). Battle Of Northwest Six (circa 69) for the uninitiated. He had a bunch of other albums, no one but me ever bought them, except apparently Germans. I was surprised recently to find out he's still rolling on and sounding great.
Let’s see, my non-JG rotation has lately leaned heavily on:
ReplyDeleteGil Evans - The Individualism of Gil Evans (divine. RIP Phil Woods)
Joan Shelley - Over and Even (great new “folk”/amerikana)
The Jasmine Isle: Javanese gamelan music (a classic gamelan recording)
The Necks (I am joyfully rediscovering their back catalog)
The Meters (always and always)
Awesome!
ReplyDeleteI have been listening to a lot of country and bluegrass.
The Mono Byrds and Airplane releases on Sundazed vinyl.
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/dgQEOkuCRZ0
ReplyDeleteKarl denson tiny universe
ReplyDeleteI'm just discovering Peter Kaukonen's Black Kangaroo LP from 1972
ReplyDeleteI don't know that one. How is it?
ReplyDeleteI can't believe how well Garcia plays on this GD show:
https://archive.org/details/gd1984-10-18.128497.schoeps.oade.BCE.flac16
I don't know GD very well, certainly not 80s GD, but he is playing wonderfully all through this one.
I've gotta ask how someone who is so learned in all aspects of Garcia's non-GD career "doesn't know GD very well"? I assume that, for personal enjoyment, you prefer listening to JGB/GOTS more than listening to the GD, but was that always the case? Was there a point when GOTS overtook the GD as a main interest of yours (either scholarly or aesthetic), or were you just never that into the Dead? What was the doorway to Garcia, then?
ReplyDeleteAnd, horror stories about the state of JG/GD in 1983-84 notwithstanding, I feel like Garcia's playing in this era is often better than you would think, certainly when you ignore all the reportage about his life and just listen to the music he was making. I think his *listening* (ie, responding/acknowledging what else was happening onstage) probably suffered more than his playing did, which wasn't as much of an issue with the JGB (who were all essentially sidemen) but was a big issue with the GD.
Well, I know it better than any normal person would, but there are so many aficionados out there that I don't claim any particular expertise. I saw the Dead a fair bit in the Bay Area 1986-1990, and then stopped being interested. When shn became a thing, and FTP sites, I was able to gain access to legion.etree.org and a few other Garciacentric places, and an obsession was born.
ReplyDeleteOh, and good point about where unhealthy Garcia's playing suffered most. Certainly not in his guitar playing, which on 10/18/84 is exquisite. And agreed that not listening would have been less of an issue for JGB than for GD.
ReplyDeleteSince Bill Keith just passed away, here's somethin'.
ReplyDeleteOn Bill Keith's banjo:
"Bill Keith used to play an old Gibson top-tension banjo, and it's been said (unconfirmed) that Jerry bought it, but Bill's banjo had a hearts and flowers inlay pattern, not flying eagle, so I doubt this is it...unless for some unlikely reason Jerry changed the neck. This could be one of David Grisman's many instruments rather than one of Jerry's."[115]
Played at soundcheck on 2/2/91 Warfield, San Francisco.
115.)^Cohea, Larry, 2015-07-17, email to Sandy Rothman, then to author.
Nick Katzman's 1975 KickingMule 111 album. Mississippi Delta blues performed on guitar and "Ruby Green" vocals on many of the cuts. Recorded at Mickey Harts' barn. Pretty much flawless presentation with a great vibe.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a very cool choice. Who is "Ruby Green", and why does she get scare-quotes, or am I missing some kind of reference (always possible)?
ReplyDeleteI am not sure that album is on the canonical list of records recorded at Hart's ...
http://hooterollin.blogspot.com/2012/08/album-projects-recorded-at-mickey-harts.html
Sorry! My bad,....That's what I get for writing off the cuff. According to the liner notes the album was recorded at Blue Bear Studios - Kicking Mule facilities in SF. Mark Needham was the engineer. It was mixed at Rolling Thunder Studio in Novato and at Accurate Sound in Redwood City. Ruby Green is the Alias of Joy of Cookings Terry Garthwaite. Katzman has been living in Germany for the past 35 years or so. In any case,.great album.
DeleteThanks for this detail. I added a Comment to my own post about projects at Hart's ranch studio.
Delete