Newsgroups: rec.music.gdead
Subject: Re: Analyze the Music
From: jlovkay@eagle.wesleyan.edu
Date: 12 Aug 92 13:12:18 EDT
Organization: Wesleyan University

In article <1992Aug11.184508.12350@uvaarpa.Virginia.EDU>, S0SKAG01@ulkyvm.louisville.edu writes:
> 
> 
> Count me in as someone interested in hearing folks analyse the music -
> from any (academic/nonacademic) perspective. Trying to put an
> emotional/aesthetic experience into words isn't easy, but it's worth
> doing since words are the currency in this discourse.
> 

What I want to know is ....

You know that one moment during Shakedown Street, where the whole crowd goes
'whooo' in unison ? How do they do that ? I can't remember if I did it myself
the first time I heard the tune, but now, without thinking about it concously,
I can feel the energy in me building and swirling, and there's this one part of
the tune that seems to open me up (using my oral orifice :) and all that energy
escapes in a big 'whoooo' !

From just a listener's perspective (as opposed to a musician's), it seems to 
me that one of the things that makes The Dead's music what it is has to be the
fact that Phil plays lead so often. Does having two drummers allow him to do so
rather than the more traditional bass interplay with percussion to establish
rhythm ?

And another thing, does anyone else believe in magic while listening to
Terrapin Station ?

Someone else posted that the lyrics were secondary to the instrumental portions
of the songs. I'm not so sure. The lyrics I have generally found to be just
what I needed ! I can't focus so well as to hear every word, nor do I try, but
the lyrics seem to create incredible imagery. 'Come hear Uncle John's Band',
who cares who's uncle John is, or what kind of music they play, the way its
sung has this beckoning quality to it, a 'join me' feeling, that seems to come
from one who knows, one who wants me to enjoy something they have found, etc..

As for the ballad, blues, rock 'n roll, jazz, etc styles of music that The Dead 
seem to make their own, I think that they must enjoy all of these forms,
recognize that they can speak to a far greater audience by playing all of
them, and understand that Grateful Dead Music can take on _any_ form (even
MOTOWN !!!) and still be Grateful Dead Music.

I think a note must be added here concerning professionalism. These guys are
perfectionists, look at the St Stephen from 10/11/83, or the first Dear Mr
Fantasy, or even the recent Baba O Riley -> Tommorow Never Knows. Part of what
makes The Dead what they are is that when they perform for us they are prepared
to do it right ! I can't believe for a minute that these (and all of the many
many other tunes to have come out since Phil brought Box Of Rain back) were not
rehearsed to a point where The Dead said to themselves, THIS IS GREAT !  

I remember filling out Rebecca Adams' survey, and question 1 (rightly so !) is
'What do you like about the Dead's music ?'..... WOW, the answer to that 
question alone could fill a blue book ! Rebecca, if you're still out here, any
way you could post (anonymously ?) some of the more thought out responses ? 

I have a pin that says 'I Need The Grateful Dead Every Day'. I think thats
true. I don't know why.

Jim

Newsgroups: rec.music.gdead