Stormy Mondays: Bob On Bob – Weir Does Dylan
We’re going to finish up a summer of Grateful Dead music here at Stormy Mondays with a selection of Bob Dylan covers performed by Bob Weir. While much of Garcia’s solo Dylan tunes were great, his GD performances were often lacking in any real emotion, especially in the ’90s, but Bobby has always done a great job inhabiting the songs in all his contexts, and giving expressive readings of the material. He’s long been one of foremost interpreters of Dylan’s songbook—as long as he can remember the words! The two paired up for a show last night in Hershey and sadly there was no collaboration.
This mix draws largely on early 2000’s Ratdog, such as the opening Playing in the Band (a real hot version too) > She Belongs to Me, which joined the repertoire in the late ’90s. From the GD era, there’s a show opening CC Rider > Train to Cry. Garcia sings the Dylan tune, but I always liked the pairing. Then there’s an excellent version of Desolation Row, with a little reggae breakdown in the middle, and finally Silvio, the rare Dylan tune that Dylan didn’t write. Instead, Robert Hunter was asked to pen the song for 1988’s Down in the Groove, and it was picked up by Ratdog in 2005. Also, since this largely a Ratdog mix, it’s worth noting that there’s a lot of great playing by Kenny Brooks included here too. As always, enjoy!
All due respect, Dan, but I must take exception to the following:
“While much of Garcia’s solo Dylan tunes were great, his GD performances were often lacking in any real emotion.”
First, let me just say for the record that I absolutely agree with you on Weir’s extraordinary ability to interpret Dylan and appreciate this post! But don’t be hatin’ on The Fat Man, yo!! Garcia killed it virtually every time on Knockin, Baby Blue, and Mighty Quinn, plus he lapped up Visions of Johanna and She Belongs To Me. Certainly, the last few years of his life compromised his ability to render many a tune regardless of whether it was Dylan or his own, but up until 90 (and perhaps 91/92), my $.02 is that he eloquently delivered those Dylan songs with trademark sincerity and fragility (or gusto in the case of Quinn). Just sayin’ :)
Quick non-GD plug for Ol’ Jer’s fine rendition of Going, Going, Gone on Pure Jerry 4 release. Yowza.
Thx for the tunes.
Fair enough. There certainly are great GD version of Dylan tunes with Jerry at the helm, but they are more excepions than the rule as the years go on, and that’s true for all his work post fall 90 (the Train to Cry here is 91). Visions is killer, but there are only three peformances (I prefer the Philly bust out), and She Belongs to Me was only played in 85 when the Dylan material was fresh. (Along those lines I ran a great 84 Baby Blue to start off the summer of Dead.) I went to most of my 35 shows in the 90′s, and it was a mass exodus at the first notes of a Knockin’ or Baby Blue.
There are many more Quinns to be had for sure.
But when you hear the energy in something like the Garcia/Kahn Masterpiece from the Ritz in 86, or even a 93 Tangled Up in Blue, there’s just no comparison. That stuff just sparkled in the solo context for whatever reason.
I think the crowd’s exodus at an encore is a fair barometer of quality, more one of boredom/repetition. The late 80s were plagued by an insane number of Black Muddy River encores, most exquisitely delivered. None the less, people split at the first note to beat the crowds out of the lot after having already caught it three shows earlier, etc. or just not being jazzed about it. I can say the same for US Blues. Ditto for Day Job. Let’s not even discuss One More Sat. Night! That said, I think when Jerry was in decline it was particularly painful to hear him stumble through a ballad (in contrast to an upbeat song where at least the forgotten lyrics were covered/saved by swift tempo).
Net net, I think JGB was more reliable than the GD in the last couple of years…fewer shows, mostly on Warfield home court or at least limited to Cali (except late fall tours in 91/93, less overall strain.
Back to Dylan, though — the thing that irks me most these days is why Weir can’t even get close to delivering a decent Memphis Blues. Forget hitting the late 80s watermark much less knocking down all the verses. How about just some storytelling and spunk? He can still deliver a fine Masterpiece, but he’s still stuck inside of Memphis anytime he gets near it!
Err – meant to say:
I think the crowd’s exodus at an encore is NOT a fair barometer of quality…