Warren H. is great but come on The Dead?

[leith]

OK I have just about finished reading all the entries in the new Jambands book by Dean Budnick and have come to this conclusion.

THE DEAD CAN DO WHATEVER THE FUCK THEY WANT.

I will support their efforts to keep going post JG no matter how crazy it seems to me @ times. They have influenced so many bands that I now enjoy so much that I feel whatever they want to do is fine w/ me.

They could hang it up (which many have suggested) but they continue to search for that elusive perfect night of music and keep writing new songs(which many do not like). It has been just about 40 years that these guys have been hanging out making music.

 I saw the Grateful Dead hundreds of times, for those that did not my condolences but this is not them. IT IS HOWEVER A TRUE CONTINUATION OF THAT BAND. The Core 4 are all I really care to see on stage anyway. I have seen the solo bands and the feeble attempts(the ones sans either Phil or Bill) in TOO, but this is the band I have wanted since Jerry died. Just get a competent guitarist that would not sully the memory of JG that\'s all I have ever wanted(that and Vince baby on keys but Bobby just will not forgive him. It really sux). I finally got that in Jimmy and it seemed things were back on track(in my mind) now another shake-up but as I have now stated I\'M  COOL W/ IT.
Except for Mickey\'s rapping that is just downright AWFUL!!!!

[Marcial]

The Dead should hang it up.  Every show I have seen post JG has absolutely sucked WHEN compared to the real thing.  As much as I used to love the Grateful Dead, since Jerry\'s death I have realized that I was really a Jerry fan all along, not a GD fan.  It really hurts my ears to hear all of their songs butchered when thay are played with out him.  If you never saw GD, perhaps the Dead is better than nothing, but to many of us who used to see GD shows, the current incarnation sounds like a cheap, second rate, highschool, cover band.  After the last Phil & Friends show I saw, I vowed to never waste my money again.  Just my opinion.

[Marcial]

What do you mean that Bob will not forgive Vince?  Was there a fight or something?  Fill me in...

[leith]

It goes back to when Vince fell apart after JG\'s death. If you remember after JG died Bob invited Vince to join Ratdog. All was glorious for awhile.
What happened is basically one night Bob found Vince on the tour bus just WRECKED( on what is debateable). Bob got pissed @ Vince and fired him on the spot. Kicked him off the bus and that is that. Vince says things are better between them now but do not look for Vince to play w/ TD as he really was JG\'s choice for the Hot Seat.

Oh and Marcial I am sorry you never appreciated the BEST DAMN RYTHYM SECTION IN ALL OF ROCK AND ROLL and one of the most unique rythym guitar players ever.

Samson & Delilah
Lost Sailor> St. of Circumstance
I need a Miracle
Playin\' in the Band
Sugar Magnolia
Estimated Prophet
Hell in A Bucket
Just a few GD songs that are HUGE. Loved JG but the Dead has always been a communal effort by all in the Band.

The edit is for WAH

[freddiewaht]

i love the dead,the grateful dead,the jgb,phil and friends,ratdog,shakedown,dark star orchestra,jazz is dead.......its all good music to me.phil cant sing but who cares.at least they didnt just quit after jerry died.

[origen]

I still think the lack of a singer who sounds like Jerry is the real problem - Kimock is a good guitarist, Herring is good, and so is Warren (but Derek Trucks would be better).  The best choice might actually be Steve Sweeny from ekoostik hookah - they did a sick China Rider with Bob Weir sitting in at one of the hookahvilles a few years ago.  There are plenty of guitarists who can fill the void - if the rest of the band would allow them to really go off instead of always reigning them in.  But it seems like The Dead never even attempted to find someone to replace Jerry\'s vocal part.  Having Mickey rap his part is like replacing Jerry\'s guitar with a shoebox with rubber band stretched across it.  I\'ll still go see them, but I wish they would get one more singer.

[Marcial]

Originally posted by leith
Oh and Marcial I am sorry you never appreciated the BEST DAMN RYTHYM SECTION IN ALL OF ROCK AND ROLL and one of the most unique rythym guitar players ever.

The best rythym section in all of rock & roll?  You MUST be talking about Dave Schools, Todd Nance, & Sunny Ortiz!  They redefine the term rythym section!

[leith]

They are a close close second IMO. I realize this is a moot point w/ you. I just wanted to make the point that JG may have been a LARGE part of the GD but there were 4 other guys on that journey w/ him and a 5th(keyboardist) along for the ride.
So what ever those 4 want to do now is all icing though @ times it\'s spoiled frosting. Some things never change.

[freddiewaht]

oh yea i forgot to mention..the best rythm section is a tossup between marc quiniones,butch trucks and jaimoe,or adrian the animal tramantano...

[leith]

Freddie you get your chance this Summer to pit ABB vs The Dead.
As for Adrian, I do not count robots so I excluded him and his prototype Fishman.

[leith]

OK I have gotten first hand reports from the Warfield show and have listened to it at least 3 times and the consensus is..........
Warren w/ The Dead is a SUCCESS!!! So far.
Hearing Terrapin w/o Phil croaking lead was wonderful. Built to Last, Just a Little Lite, STELLA BLUE and a few other songs benefitted from having Warren there. Jams not so lost, more cohesive, after a couple shows this band is gonna ROCK!!!!!
Can not wait for Red Rocks TD/ABB CO-BILL tenetively scheduled for end of June.

[freddiewaht]

leith,i gotta agree with ya buddie,although i hate to do it...

[leith]

Had to happen sometime but that\'s OK Freddie I\'ll buy u a guinness in Colo. this summer anyway.

[oldnewbie]

those of you who know me,know how i feel about the dead....hiring warren is all about the money..their not selling tix like before....touring w/the allmans just helps make that work....wait till we see the ticket prices...letting rob go was just plain crazy....like a breath of fresh air he brought songs back to life in plq that i thought were gone...they let him go so phil can sing?....so bob can say someone in his band got in...also i\'m sick of paying big money for their practice sessions...but this will sell tickets......jerry wouldn\'t stand for this...unless he just got a knew stash

[leith]

Letting Rob go makes perfect sense when you look @ what the line-up is now. Rob has no problem w/ being out of the Dead. He has accepted that he was a cog in a larger wheel and so should everyone else.( Read the interview w/ him @ Philzone.com) Rob never was a major vocal factor anyway and that was crazy, but there was a reason for this too( see above interview ). Anyone who thinks this is about the $$$ seems to just want to live in the past and this is a good excuse for them too. Fine let them. This band will never be as huge as it once was and they know it thus Ratdog and other side projects get alot of attention instead of The Dead being the major priority.  I will go see this Band as it rocks. I know what I like and having heard this band I like it. Warren provides the rudder this ship needs. Jimmy does not have the ability to lead a band as well as Warren and this is very very evident in the Warfield show. As far as Jerry not standing for this of course he wouldn\'t he\'s DEAD so let\'s move on as the Band has and just revel in his memory.