Retro Reviews: The Grateful Dead: Live / Dead

       I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. All the albums reviewed are indeed classic albums. 

The Grateful Dead – Live / Dead (1969)

***1/2

Producers: Grateful Dead, Bob Matthews, Betty Cantor

Musicians: Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Tom Constanten, Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, Micky Hart, Bill Kreutzmann

Songs: Dark Star, St. Stephen, The Eleven, Turn On Your Love Light, Death Don’t Have No Mercy, Feedback, And We Bid You Goodnight

Reviewed By Matthew Anthony Allair

    The band, The Grateful Dead is in an interesting place. A bay area psychedelic, and counterculture band, that chasing the heels of their Northern California peers. Jefferson Airplane, and Big Brother, yet those bands may have a slight leg up the dead as far as songs, but that might be changing. Those who have been able to see them live often offer up a different point of view over anyone who is just familiar with their three studio albums. The second, the experimental Anthem Of The Sun, had moments of whimsy, but the quality of the material felt uneven and lacked focus. This years Aoxomoxoa had some more focused material, and the presence of lyricist Robert Hunter has given them a more narrative thrust, however lose it may be. They are trying to put across more songs, while still dedicated to the ensemble sound. Their decision to release a live album, and a two disc set, may have been the most beneficial move yet. Let's acknowledge the album cover, the Dead has been one of the few bands to produce the most vibrant album designs yet, and this is no exception, 

    The principle of jazz and free jazz is to build from the inside out, find the core of a piece and build from there. The opening number “Dark Star”, which was a very short form single previously, encapsulates this notion well. It’s a slow burn, exploration, Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir’s guitars weave together, alternating between lead and rhythm and at moments blur into one. Phil Lesh’s bass work acts as a lead instrument that counterpoints the guitars. The first vocal verse comes in at around six minutes. Then progresses, Tom Costanten’s Organ eggs the band onward, one of the guitars goes out of tune, so they play with that in real time. The drums often take on an ambience in the freer second half.  The guitars hedge out of control until the 21-minute mark when the second verse vocal comes in. A guitar abruptly ends the track.

    Side Two’s “St. Stephen” opens with a laid-back tone, a track from the third album that is allowed to grow here as it moves into its heavy groove. The lyrics have a certain whimsy and the interplay between the band has a certain vibrancy Some of the organ work hints at an Irish dirge, the drums jump from a march to more free form. The shift to “The Eleven” just effortlessly falls into place, the number almost fall into chaos in the beginning, but they fall into sure footing fairly quickly, The chord structure of “The Eleven” will harken back for some people to the late fifties or very early 60s. Way past the five minute point do we get the vocal, but it’s a pleasant ride. 

    Side three dominates with “Turn On Your Love Light”, another RNB cover that has a spirited opening, the guitar interplay manages to substitute for a horn section. There are moments with the Dead that remind me of this other new duel guitar band folks have been hearing about, The Allman Brothers Band. While their vocal channels Bobby Blue Bland, it also channels the spirit of Elvis. Hart and Kreutzmann really stretch things out with the drumming around the mid-point. They manage a fun audience rave up with the number. 

    Side four closes it up by toning it down, their spiritual cover of “Death Don’t Have No Mercy” settles into a slow blues, the number also allows “Pigpen” McKernan to showcase his excellent blues organ work, Phil stretches out the bounds over the bass can do in a blues setting. Like all good blues, the number builds with intensity. Weir’s vocal is quite good throughout. The album takes it’s psychedelic turn with the barrage noises on “Feedback”, this is about as free form as you could expect, with the guitars playing a mournful violin role at moments with the volume swells, but it is all just merely interesting. The brief vocal hymn. “And We Bid You Goodnight” brings it back to some grounding. 

    This all makes for an interesting, if slightly uneven, experience as a album, but then again the journey seems far more interesting than the destination, thus making this an colorful time to be used it you turn it on.