We have to start by talking about the Grateful Dead first, even though this article is about the 90's.
The Grateful Dead, as anyone in America or Europe knows, were the psychedelic granddaddies from the original Haight Ashbury. Faithfully followed from city to city by thousands of Deadheads, who contributed $500 million to Dead coffers over the years.
Depending on whom you asked, their shows were communal experiences between band and audience in which the group's semi-freeform playing would reach transcendant heights; their music was a living, evolving entity, energy waves even, lifting the listener to the outer fringes of space, and gently bringing them back to the earthy soil once again.
Or, their shows were out of tune and sloppy, their music lumpen and dull, their singing weak, their rhythm section limp.
Based on the evidence, the truth was somewhere in between. At their peak, from the late 60's through early 70's, they really were pretty great. As a live act, their peak extended well into the early 80's, until about the time Garcia started having serious health (and drug) issues. After that, it wasn't even a night-by-night question of off or on; the Grateful Dead became a band of great moments, like the second verse of Stella Blue on 11/23 or the transition from The Other One into Space, 6/14. I loved them myself, but after Garcia's coma in '86, the band seldom held it together for a whole set, let alone a show. And sadly, they just sounded worse every year. But they had their moments.
But it didn't matter to the Deadheads, faithful through three generations, oldtimers and young timers side by side at shows, although in the very last days, the oldtimers started disappearing. As the band deteriorated, they set higher and higher attendance revenue records; the Grateful Dead made more tour money than any other band in the 1990's, and they folded before the decade was half over.
Perhaps a reason for the box office records, one not everyone might care to admit, was really the parking lot scene at the shows. If you were going to find LSD or 'shrooms, or something else, the parking lot was the place to go; a lot of the dealers skipped the shows themselves. But many were there for the music, even then; to rekindle that spark once more, however cold it was becoming. Until, in the end, it was extinguished.
Article comments
1 - Jaime Rodrigues
Jerry Garcia fell into a diabietic coma in late 1986, not 1989. The reason I'm correcting you is that the Grateful Dead played some of their best shows ever between '87 and '91. And one other thing, if you're going to blog on jamband tunes you should really reconsider including the likes of Hootie and the Blowfish. No offense to Hootie, but there songs are hardly what I would call vehicles for exploration. Jambands don't do it much for me, although I do think that in most cases their musicianship places them in a category of elite entertainers. The Grateful Dead was not a Jam band, they were an incredible rock and roll band, just as rock and roll as the beatles and the stones. The difference was their ability to tap into everything that is pure and good in the consciousness of America. Jerry had his finger on the pulse of some of the loneliest and richest American experiences. They married Bill Monroe with Ornette Coleman and made Grateful Dead music...There's the rub.
2 - uao
Thanks for the correction; that was a typo.
I simply put randomplay on, that's how Hootie got in there. SInce they did share bills with these bands at some venues, they're part of the scene, even if they didn't stretch out like the others.
3 - Brian
*For one thing, I often thought the Dead's very best albums were better than their shows.
um...uh....hmmm....what?
Tough to take you seriously after you write that, not that I took it seriously before you wrote that.
And Glide is not the Phish song to put on this list.
4 - uao
Thanks for the thoughts Brian.
I'll take Live/Dead or Europe '72 (or Workingman's Dead or American Beauty) over a lot of the band's lousier shows (even fans have to admit Dead shows, especially later ones, weren't always so great)
As for Glide (and Hootie) you have to read the title of the piece--
It's a random playlist, randomly generated.
No need to take me seriously, though. It isn't a serious topic.
5 - Daniel Pearson
As someone who was able to see the Grateful Dead dozens of times before Jerry died. and later Phish close to 50 times, I appreciate what you are trying to get at in this post. However, there are many points you bring up here that are inaccurate. For instance, the Jamband scene is not rooted in blues and folk music. In fact, other than making the tie back to the Dead, many of the bands have roots in several musical genres.
Additionally, when Jerry died Deadheads did not jump onto another band and start touring with them. In fact, most Phishheads were there before Jerry died, since Phish formed in 1983. Also, the music the Dead produced was at its peak from 1987-1990. 1989 in particular was a great year for the band, but it wasn't unitl after Brent Mydland died that the Dead began losing steam.
The Dead's studio albums are really not that good, with a couple of excetions - -American Beauty, Workingman's Dead, Mars Hotel. So my question here is, Have you ever seen the Grateful Dead perform?
And finally, some of the bands you have listed are definitely NOT Jambands -- Dave Matthews, The Samples, Hootie and the Blowfish. To tell you the truth I have no idea how Hootie was included here.
6 - uao
Sure I saw the Dead; my first show was in '82, which was pretty good. Again, in '90, just before Mydland died (not a good one). Third and last was in '92 (I liked it 'cause I like them, but man I don't think Garcia was in tune all night). Seen 'em on video plenty of times (not the same, I know) Proud owner of a lot of Dick's Picks.
Yes Phish, and almost all the bands mentioned above were active and had fans before the Dead ended.
I don't know what you could call Dave Matthews other than a jam band; I've heard them go on for 15 minutes on a tune that should be 4; that's a jam. They've shared bills with almost everyone on the list.
As for Hootie, like I mentioned, they shared bills with these guys at times; in a sense, that makes them part of the "scene". I would've left them off, except I was sticking with the 'random' gimmick. Yes, they are more of a bar band or a 'roots rock' band.
All I'm really doing here is taking a look at a lot of the bands that were part of the 'scene' either as major players (like Phish) or on the outskirts (Samples).
As for arguing the relative merits of Dead albums vs. live shows, nobody's gonna reach consensus there. The Dead was a special band; we all know that. People have different relationships with it, based on different ages or experiences. I'm not keen on most of what they did in the 90's, others are. We'll never resolve that one.
I'll concede your point on 'blues and folk'; I wrote this hastily, and I wouldn't have said it if I had thought things though a little more. The Dead came from blues and folk (and other things) though. Most of the jam bands leaned more towards jazz than blues, although a band like Black Crowes owes a smidgeon of debt to blues.
Oh well; not one of my best posts. Meant no harm ;-)
I do appreciate the feedback, pro or con, though. I learn useful stuff from it, even if it completely disagrees with the post. So I do appreciate the time it took to type it, and what you're saying.
7 - nags
MICHAEL (MIKEY) HOUSER
8 - greg
i can appreciate the fact that you used random play, next time have someone who is into the scene narrow down the music selection, just a suggestion
hootie & the blowfish, not a jamband
Dave matthews band, not a jamband
just because a band can play one song for 10 min, doesnt qualify them as a jam band
because u can jam, doesnt make u a jam band, U2 can jam out a song, u may be beat up for calling them a jamband to a dead/phish head
this is an arguable point, i believe for a band to be a jamband they must have songs that have changes; example McBain by moe. several distinct changes that allow for musical exploration. the key is musical exploration, not replaying over and over the same segment with lased soloing over itself.
9 - moegreene
well, without being insulting, there are too many holes in your experiment. i don't mean to deride you, but this is like Kurt Loder's best of the jambands. the whole thing about the grateful dead was, they never could bring the magic of the live show and carry it on to studio?
, which is what it is all about. if you did see the grateful dead back then, and you are of the opinion that their studio albums are superior to their live show, well, there's something hapnin here , and you don't know what it is, Mr. Jones?
and , if you are going to do a "random" pick of jambands, do so.
but, my friend, this looks like my mom picked these. you're getting picked on for hootie and the blowfish, what do you expect? ask people who are into the genre of music you wish to gather info on, and then do this.
I like what you were trying to accomplish, but your random picks do more injustice than a service. like I said, my mother could randomly pick better selections and examples of the "genre". and she is the furthest person and the least knowledgable on the subject, you know?
i do not mean to bring any negativity to you personally, but it needs to go back to the drawing board , and put your shoulder into it next time.
10 - Jack Straw
Besides the previous points made about which bands you are considering jam bands - I'd also point out that the scene was dying way before the death of Garcia.
When I first attended a show in '85 things were very different from when I attended my last show in 1993 - two years before Garcia bite it. I can't imagine what it's like for someone who went to the early 70's shows.
I slowly watched the scene get out of hand with the Touch hit in 1987, then recede to a wonderful period prior to Brent's death then to transform again in the early 1990's which was enough for me.
Dead shows started to resemble any common rock concert littered with trash, drunken frat boys, and rip off artists. People at the shows didn't even have an interest in the music, the only cared about buying whatever drugs they could and the tie-dye in the parking lot to prove they went.
Early there was an overwhelming sense of family and safety at shows, then I started to actually fear what would happen at shows (especially in Metro areas).
I think Garcia felt this had got too big and uncontrollable - they went from their apex in '77 of having an arena full of people toast New Year's with champagne to people rioting and breaking stuff to get into their shows.
Off on a rant but the scene was way over prior to Garcia's death. If you don't think so - listen to some Vince Welnick songs from the Grateful Dead's last tour.
Also, the best Phish shows I ever saw were way before Garcia died. I personally thinkt hey were on a decline whent he whole thing exploded for them after Garcia's death.
Hootie and the BlowFish????? I would have loved to see Garcia dressed up in that cowboy outfit singing to a Burger King commercial!
My .02 cents!
11 - Spread Head
yeah, maybe you just got Mikey confused with JB...but it's Mikey Houser. Don't make that mistake infront of a fan.