Billy K. Smacks Down Furthur

Upstate NY’s Press-Republican newspaper ran a feature about Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann’s 7 Walkers project today and what’s most interesting in the article is Billy’s take on Furthur – a band featuring two of his GD band mates, Bob Weir and Phil Lesh. Here’s what he said…

“I haven’t really got much interest in them. They sound just like the other bands out there doing it. What do you call those bands that copy other bands—” Kreutzmann said. “Anyways, I don’t feel they’re doing anything really new with their music.

“We play Grateful Dead tunes in 7 Walkers but with our own take on everything. We don’t play them slow, we play it loud and up tempo. The saddest thing is that they (Furthur) hired a guitar player that’s not Warren Haynes. It’s too bad. They should have hired a great solo guitar player.” [Press-Republican]

Both the Furthur camp and the Rhythm Devil camp have shied away from talking smack about each other’s bands, but clearly Kreutzmann has taken a detour from the high road. Former Dark Star Orchestra and current Furthur guitarist John Kadlecik took the brunt of Billy’s criticism and you can sense the animosity in each of the drummer’s words.

We’re now over a year into Furthur’s run and there’s all sorts of rumors floating around that a number of 2011 dates will be announced soon. Do you agree with Kreutzmann’s assessment of Furthur’s music? Do you think there’s any chance the surviving members of the Dead will put the animosity behind them anytime soon? Leave a comment below and let us know.

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30 Responses

  1. Aw Billy. Why’d you have to go and say that? It’s funny how mainstream media folk always tend to think of members of the Grateful Dead as being sweet, kind hearted folk. Which really isn’t the truth. They back bite, side swipe and downright put down each other all the time. I’m just surprised that he put down Kadlecik and not Lesh or Weir.

  2. Honestly, I could care less if all the remaining members come back together and play. I’ve heard what they’ve produced, and honestly, meh. I’ve seen Furthur and saw the Rhythm Devils on their last tour, and liked the variations. No need to cram the core 4 down our throats. To each their own.

  3. I saw 100+ GD shows and I’ve seen all the post-dead groups. Furthur kills it. Way better than the bands that featured all the surviving members. Kadlecik is an amazing player. Though I love warren Haynes, I much prefer john in this context. While I agree that there is something to be said for taking the music in new directions, I also think that there is place for the surviving members to play more faithful renditions of their music. There is a place for both, and I think a lot this comes from the fact that Furthur is playing places like MSG and Kreutzmann’s band can’t even sell out bars. Show some class Billy. Do your thing and let them do theirs.

  4. Classic

    Nice to see a scene elder point out the painfuly obvious (rolling out a career imitator to play the masters tunes is in bad taste).

  5. Personally, I think Furthur rocked it when I saw them back in February. I thought it was a great outlet for the GD music. And I really liked John’s playing.

  6. This isn’t the first time Billy’s taken swipes at Weir or Lesh in the press. He was pretty snarky about Furthur in a surprise and spontaneous interview at (I think) GOTV awhile back. He’s entitled to his opinion, certainly, but Furthur has absolutely smoked all three times I’ve seen them thus far. I haven’t heard 7 Walkers yet, but if it’s even remotely close the BK3 ballpark I’m into it. George Porter Jr on bass? Not a detriment.

    I respectfully disagree on the Warren thing, too: his playing in Mule, the Allmans and the Q is both consistent and transcendant. But he was the wrong guy for The Dead. JK deserves the shot he’s been granted, and to these ears sounds like he’s stretching beyond his JG clone role from DSO.

  7. I very much enjoy JK’s playing with Furthur, much moreso that when I saw Warren Haynes with Phil & Friends. I like Warren just fine but he doesn’t always blend well and frankly I see him often enough at other shows and fests during the year. Furthur has put me in a great groove at every show I’ve seen so far – thank you Phil and crew for continuing to bring us the wonderful music we’ve loved for so long! To me, it seems that Billy’s coming off as being a little bitter here for some reason, unfortunately. Don’t worry Billy, I also enjoy seeing 7 Walkers play! 🙂

  8. is it safe to say that the Warren comment was more about “original lead guitarist” vs. “imitator” than anything else?

  9. THANK YOU!! I am glad someone finally said it. I have seen furthur and it was good but it is definitely a tribute band.

    Billy is one of the remaining four that tends to do new and exciting thing without trying to relive the past. He is the MAN!!

  10. Ok, a couple things. First, 7 Walkers is really cool. I’m glad the Rhythm Devils is happening too. That said, Furthur is better off without them frankly. Russo is absolutely killing. At times at the Garden I thought I was watching Keith Moon for god’s sake. He’s pushing the old guys, and is a huge asset. Lastly, to say that Furthur is doing anything new with the songs is total horsesh*t. If Billy ( or any of the naysayers here) had actually attended one of their better nights and said that I’d be surprised. Compared to the last “Dead” tour, Futhur is, at there best, far better, far more in the moment, and is easily as good as any working jam band on the planet, period.

  11. Its a cover band. Best one there is, no doubt, but a cover band. I do think they are taking some of the songs in new directions, but that’s the exception – not the rule. Too often that means a RatDog direction. Jeff adds a lot, and Russo rocks – but Russo’s style is a departure in and of itself from what most ears are used to hearing – and when the fills you hear are different than the ones you expect – people think they’re wrong – its just innovation.

    Overall – I applaud Billy for speaking his mind. I think that what most of us can’t appreciate is that this isn’t some sort of shot, this is what he’d say to Phil and Bob in the room – the band was notoriously RUTHLESS to each other – in kinda a locker room sorta way. I don’t think that any of them felt like they needed filters with each other – everyone on the outside thinks its shocking – but Phil has never been one to sugar coat his opinions either – so its all good.

  12. Thanks HowieisRight and thanks to Billy for stating the obvious. This band is nothing more than a cover band and probably the best GD cover band going. Heck, 2 original members! Can’t beat that. Well on some nights Bobby actually shows up and gives a performance worth our hard earned $. Too bad about the other nights I guess. I wish I could just kind of show up for work some times.

    Let it go boys.. Stop trying to be what never will be again. Let’s write some new music, play something different than what we’ve been hearing for a lifetime now. Yeah and that includes the stuff GD stopped playing and P&F have ben playing for years.

  13. @lazydayspoiler I will agree with your “In Years” part, but that is too be expected. Had a feeling you were going to say “ever” and I might have choked…

    Not a big fan of Furthur, think the remaining Dead members are all more innovative and interesting when they are on their own in individual bands.

    I would be more interested in seeing 7 Walker, especially with George Porter Jr on Bass then Furthur these days.

  14. Wow! The Prress Republican is my home town paper this is too funny to read these comments. This is why I like Phish they may fight but they keep it in the locker room so to say and out of the press. I love Bill and Russo and Phil and Bobby and Jk and everyone. Further is what it is and Billy def mixes it up. I wish they just would not fight in the press it is childish. But from the sounds of everything Ive read and heard ALL the core 4 are hard to deal with. I love all of them im 31 and thank god my generation had Phish, Moe WSP etc bc I’m too young to be a true dead head bc I never got to see em live. I love them though. They are just old and cranky. Only if Jerry and Brent were still with us!

  15. Furthur is just another way for the two existing members to cash in on past FAME. The music isn’t breaking down any musical doors that is for sure. I personally agree with what was said and would rather see Kreutzman and Papa Mali together then Furthur.

    I would feel extremely embarrassed if I based my career on only playing songs that were 30 years old.

  16. My my oh my, my dears. What a bunch of crybaby antics & wailing & gnashing of teeth! I guess the ass-ertion that one gets bitter when ones bands barely fills bars & the other brothers band fills an arena rings true. And why pray tell is that? Because obviously more folks want to hear a rendition closer to the source. It will never be that, cannot be that, but what do these cretins care? It sounds good. People like to feel sentimental about their music. The devils or walkers, etc., do not do that. It is fun stuff, but only somewhat amusing at best. Besides, who wants to hear some varied bastardized version of the music? Its just plain goofy. Good for a look see & thats all. Furthur is getting bigger & going further at the present time. It is just plain dumb that Billy & Mickey do not play with Furthur. At least a few gigs… As for the ‘Phish is better’ poster before me, I can tell u that Mr. TrAy AnASSmustachio is not worthy to polish Mr. Garcia’s shoes alive or dead. Also, the song ‘Divided Sky’ debuted: 1987-08-09. That one is 24 years old. Maybe they should take that one & others out of the line-up soon? Furthur also has new songs by the way. But that is neither here nor there. The proposal is idiotic in & of itself. Perhaps all those playing operatic & classical music should stop performing out of embarrassment because the music is well over 30 years old? There is magic in some of those ancient songs. The good ones leave plenty of room to improvise & a chance to create something new. Thats why they stick around so long. There is also no substitute for greatness. When u got it flaunt it baby, flaunt it! Now I really must (((yawn))) get some sleep my dears…

  17. I think that this article is b.s.. I really do not see Billy making statements like that. If you read any other interviews in which he talks about Furthur, he has nothing bad to say. I think he’s above that crap. If it is true, however, it would certainly be sad, and just false. Furthur is certainly reinventing the old material and even debuting new songs. I dig it all, and I think Billy does too.

  18. Billy’s right!!!! They play songs to darn slow, Bobby has taken treble off his sound to make it easier, Phil doesn’t do bombers anymore, Phil and Bobby can’t sing Jerry’s songs and John doodles like Jerry but can’t keep the speed of Jerry especially on the country tunes. Of course, I thought they were awesome in Eugene, but when it comes to leads the melody is missing, that Jerry could keep in his solos and then they come back to vocals which is fine unless Bobby or Phil is trying to do a Jerry tune. For example, Black Peter, Bobby misses the whole idea of the song.

  19. As a long time deadhead, taper, and archive-listener I personally think that Furthur sounds better than the dead did in the Jerry heroin years. John K might not have as much depth, but at least the sound guys arent turning his guitar down. Come on, billy, come drum with the boys.

    And it is unarguable that Furthur, even at their worst, are far better than WSP or Phish.

    Love the originals. Mountain Song Rocks!

  20. I should also mention that in the full interview (originally by stateofmindmusic.com) Bill imediately comes back saying he still supports Bob & Phil, and also says that it would be wrong to say that they aren’t doing their own thing. Bill isnt as anti-furthur as this bs snippet would have you think.

    Screw these article writers that try to stir shit up.

  21. There is room enough for all of the bands mentioned above in the comments. No need for the trash talk, Billy, you come off sounding like a jerk.

    Personally, I find the Furthur shows over the past year or so to be relevant and very fun. All bands have strengths and weaknesses including the Grateful Dead (not the most agile band even at their peak. Why? Trying to get both drummers and the rest of the band to hit a tight change at the same time was like trying to parallel park an oil tanker). I’ll continue to see Furthur.

    To borrow a quote I read from a fan, “Mickey and Billy sounded like three shoes in a clothes dryer” and if you listen with critical ears that is a pretty fair assessment. It’s like they aren’t even listening to each other…

    PS: Joe Russo is a killer! Stellar job doing the work of two drummers. He shines in other genres too.

  22. The GD were more or a orchestra turning out finely crafted antiques then then a rock band.Do you call first and second chair violinist in the philharmonic imitators when they play a timeless piece or classical music?

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