Postcards of the Hanging - Grateful Dead Perform the Songs of Bob Dylan
There are infinite ways to slice-and-dice the Grateful Dead's concert archive--and we'll surely see them all--but an all-Dylandisc is one of the most logical, as Dylan tunes infused Dead setlists for many years. Clearly, Dylan's reliance on blues and folk forms and his exploratory lyrics translated well into the Dead's musical language; in short, Dylan songs are jam-ready. Most of the selections here come from the late 1980s (with Brent Mydland on keyboard) and were played by the band enough times that the compilers had plenty of excellent performances to choose from. Of particular note, however, is a 1973 version of "It Takes a Lot to Laugh," featuring Dickey Betts and Butch Trucks of theAllman Brothers, and a 1987 studio rehearsal of "Man of Peace" with Dylan himself sitting in (the rehearsals were way better than their subsequent shows together--see 1987's disappointingDylan and the Deadfor proof). Though Bob Weir handles lead vocals on most of the tunes, Jerry Garcia was the one who really was able to inhabit these songs and convey their deeper, subtle emotions, even when just his guitar was doing the talking. Not coincidentally, the most stirring cuts--"She Belongs to Me," "It Takes a Lot to Laugh," "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue"--feature Garcia's passionate lead vocals. Overall,Postcardsdocuments a fruitful partnership between two rock icons, a partnership that was often much better off when the songwriter wasn't actually around to join in.--Marc Greilsamer