Grateful Dead

Great posts - cheers. Bob Weir seemed much more varied, with more unusual qualities, than most who are described as rhythm guitarists. Certainly within rock music. I tend to think of rhythm guitar as being primarily percussive. Like the styles perfected by Bo Diddley and Keith Richards. In blues, R.L. Burnside. I once read the word "colourist" to describe Bob's style, and that seemed spot on.

The best - and the most unique; not only rhythm but counterpoint to Jerry; indeed, as Ralph Gleason pointe out way back in Rolling Stone, the band played like an old NOP Jazz band - the rhythm section all did their own thing, but stayed perfectly in beat, and this allowed and enabled the supreme improvisation the band came up with.

The Dead. And the rest...

Well, this aged (74) English Deadhead - nigh on 60 years riding shotgun with the boys; first heard them late '66 on the late great English DJ's Pirate Radio programme, "The Perfumed Garden".

Had heard of them. Had heard Surrealistic Pillow. Hooked immediately, and bought the first album (mono) the day it was released, March 17 1967. Then everything since.

Of course saw them when they were over, bar 1970, when my first year Oxford exams were to take place the next day. Fail and out. Discretion won, when I realised that turning up the exams having been up for hours and coming down....

So had to wait for '72. When they conveniently came in my Finals term. Got a 3.3, the lowest pass. Hmmm.

Post Jerry, I got to see Phil & Friends at the Warfield (w Jorma who I had not seen since 1970; indeed my first live exposure from wild music form CA was seeing The Doors and The Airplane at an all-nighter at the Roundhouse in North London. 2 sets each. Both bands thunderous...

usual web prefix dot slash slash 50.roundhouse.org.uk slash content-items slash pictures-doors-roundhouse-7-september-1968

Booby and Ratdog came over in 2002. For various reasons, I could not see them - but next year caught them at five of the six venues they played. Got to meet and chat with Bobby a couple of times, as the band made themselves very available - indeed, at the last show in Manchester (tiny venue, stage a foot high right by the dance floor, well within spitting range 🤣) we threw a party for the band before thr gig (Bobby skipped it but everyone else was there).

Having got as high as a kite for the gig, I mentioned to Bobby how nice it was to dance the "Cosmic Snake" again, which produced a belly laugh. Also met him backstage at one Beacon show in 2007, as by then I had become mates with Mark K so he fixed that up.

My impression of Bobby the human being? A sweet, gentle man, on a mission to spread good music vibes as far and as wide as possible.

As he did. As he will always do. Ad the band will always do. Like Back, like Mozart and co.. The Dead will never die.

Oh what a privilege to share the same time space continuum with the band. And all the Deadheads.

We will survive...

Saw you and the band at the Gorge (both shows) on the final Dead & Co. tour in 2023. It was magical! So happy to have had the opportunity to sing and dance to the music with you and everyone there.

Much love to you that will not fade away, ever.

Deadhead from Australia 🦘🌏🦘🌏 here !!!
Been following the Dead ever since forever. Bob, Jerry and the boys were the in thing in the 60s and 70s.
So sad to hear the news of Bob's passing.....:(:(....ty Bob for all the good vibes down the line.

I was a Deadhead in the late 1960s through the 1970s, traveling all over the US to see them play, dance in the audience and just enjoy the music and life. I finally got to meet Bob many years later, and it was probably one of the best experiences of my life. He was kind, funny and generous even though I was acting like a silly kid meeting a super hero. Thanks for all the memories and great music.

And night one encore, Jeff Tweedy paused to describe Wilco's shared stage time with Bob. He described how Bobby was the such an inspiration, and a kind collaborative musician. "Someone to aspire to." Then Jeff dedicated the Beatles tune "Tomorrow Never Knows" to Bobby (as they backed Bobby on that one, along with Dark Star and many more). Wilco's brilliant guitarist Nels Cline, soared during this psychedelic aural treasure (Nels had joined with Phil and Friends on numerous occasions esp. back east).

Bobby's (and the Dead's) reach is profound in the music community.

"A man travels the world over in search of what he needs, and returns home to find it." -George Moore

I usually never put a musician at the top of the list in their class…BUT….Bobby was the best rhythm guitarist ever! The master of the C chord. It’s so amazing to watch his hands up close. Thank you Bob for the other one.
Man is not dead till he is forgotten……Stanley Mouse
Cheers !

Thank you x1000000000

Just rewatched the celebration of Bob's life. His spirit was very much there from the Gyuto Monks chant, the tributes from friends, family and bandmates, the Ripple tribute and the hawks flying overhead.

The part that really got me emotional was Mickey getting the crowd to clap and sing "Not Fade Away". Some of the most memorable pist show moments was the crowd bringing the NFA clap and chant out of the venue into the parking lots leading to the pist show celebrations. Man, I'm going to miss that.... ;(