Today’s intended blog was completely derailed by the news of John Lennon’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame being desecrated by someone who inscribed the words to ‘Deal.’ They wrote “it cost a lot 2 win and even more 2 lose. U and me got to spend sum time,” along with a bunch of …
Not to distract from the continuous release of the portions of the part of the book I wanted to have published with Rhino records (which I’ve discovered makes no sense when put out in sections), but I can’t help but to appreciate the heaviness of what happened in September of 1978. Really. First of all, …
The second track, a Skjellyfetty arrangement of Jesse “The Lone Cat” Fuller’s “Beat It on Down the Line,” is an example of the Dead’s interest in a continuum of music and its roots, and their arrangement continues the adventurous spirit, born perhaps of the struggle with the mundane and the desire to find happiness. Escapism, …
The opening track on the 1967 album is the album’s sole original tune, credited to McGallahan Skjellyfetty, which was the pseudonym used for group arrangements or group compositions on the album. This song was written in response to the label’s criticism that the album lacked a potential hit, and so it was written and recorded …
The Grateful Dead’s debut album marks the emergence of a musical and cultural phenomenon, of which this recording is merely a small lens into what would become the greater whole. The eponymous record Grateful Dead is certainly somewhat reflective of their sound at the time, but as with most of their studio work, it is …
The following series is a book called Listening For The Secret, and it will be featured here in installments. The equipment is brought in and assembled amidst what is no doubt lively discussion, as roadies, audio technicians and band members attempt to meet some form of accord. The scents linger from musicians who have been …
I follow this guy’s blog called Thoughts On The Dead, because he seems to be stuck in his Nana’s basement with a computer and no ambition just like me, and of course he writes about my favorite subject. The other day he looked through his web log to see what his visitors were searching for …
Last year I put up a video of me playing ‘So Many Roads,’ the Hunter/Garcia song that came along in one of their last creative spurts before Jerry Garcia died. The folks over at Dead.net are doing the thing again this year, so I had to put up another tune. I chose ‘Ship of Fools’ …