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PROG ROCK, PSYCH, AVANT GARDE...
And Others Genres Thereabouts
Exceptional CD Remasters
And Others Genres Thereabouts
Exceptional CD Remasters
Covering 1967 to 1977 - It Also Focuses On
Fusion Rock, Acid Folk, Art Rock and Underground
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"...Dark Star..."
Hidden flavours in a
forgotten broth...
Even back in 1988 when I
first started collecting CDs proper - I always loved Rhino reissues. They were
just that bit above everyone else in terms of giving punters what they wanted –
packaging, extras and fab sound (usually care of Dan Hersch and Bill Inglot).
It helped of course that Rhino had the massive and ludicrously rich WEA
catalogue at their fingertips - something they laid into on all genre fronts -
especially Soul and Jazz. I've got almost 40 of the 60 three-inch CD singles
they issued in 1988 and 1989 called "Lil' Bit Of Gold" – stunning
four-track mini-hits sets in cute picture card sleeves and gold-coloured CD
singles (remember those long blister packs they came in, pretty but wasteful -
but man did they sound good).
So it's hardly surprising to
find that once again come the Dead's 1969 fourth outing and their first
official live release (an area everyone agrees they excel in) - Rhino have
taken that now forgotten stew of a double-album and pumped it up with a remix
and a remaster, even tagging on two cleverly chosen 'hidden tracks' in the
close out of this RhinOphonic sounding reissue. And it's another winner. Here
are the hairy men and their dark stars...
UK released 10 March 2003 -
"Live/Dead" by THE GRATEFUL DEAD on Warner Strategic Marketing/Rhino
8122-74395-2 (Barcode 081227439521) offers the 1969 US 2LP set Remixed and
Remastered onto 1 HDCD (High Density Compatible Digital) in a Card Digipak with
Two Hidden Bonus Tracks. It plays out as follows (79:30 minutes):
1. Dark Star (23:19 minutes)
[Side 1]
2. Saint Stephen (6:32
minutes) [Side 2]
3. The Eleven (9:19 minutes)
4. Turn On Your Love Light
(15:05 minutes) [Side 3]
5. Death Don't Have No Mercy
(10:28 minutes) [Side 4]
6. Feedback (7:49 minutes)
7. And We Bid You Goodnight
(0:37 minutes)
Tracks 1 to 7 are their
fourth album "Live/Dead" - US released 10 November 1969 as a 2LP set
on Warner Brothers 2WS-1830 and February 1970 in the UK as a 2LP set on Warner
Brothers WS 1830 (UK issues were pressed with Record featuring Sides 1 and Side
4, whilst Record 2 featured Sides 2 and 3).
NOTE:
Like the original vinyl
double, this CD reissue lists Track 7 in the booklet as having a playing time
of 37 seconds, but you quickly realise that it runs to a combined three track
playing time of 3:13 minutes. This is because there are two hidden tracks - 8
is "Dark Star (Studio version)" at 2:45 minutes and 9 is a
"Radio Advertisement" for the album at 1:01 minutes.
The gatefold card digipak
allows the attached 15-page booklet to reproduce the gatefold artwork (outside
and in) of the original American double-album on Warner Brothers - while the
new LENNY KAYE liner notes waxes lyrical about the material's sources and the
scene around their shows ("Aoxomoxoa" for "Saint Stephen"
and "The Eleven" from "Anthem Of The Sun" while the cover
of Bobby 'Blue' Bland's incendiary R&B screamer "Turn On Your Love
Light" allowed to band to jump off into improv - stints into even
Bluegrass amidst the trippy Rock).
Long-time associate and
Audio Engineer for Rhino and WEA's Rock Catalogue JOE GASTWIRT did the Remaster
and Remix at OceanView Digital in 2001 and 'bully beef' comes to mind (he has
handled Zeppelin, Stephen Stills, Yes and more). This thing Rocks and Rolls
bringing alive that instrument interplay their live shows were famous for. To
the tunes...
Recorded 27 February 1969 at
The Fillmore West in San Francisco - Side 1 is dominated by the huge "Dark
Star" - a beast that slides in all casual like at first. Bass and Guitar
play off each other before the vocals take over - before they just trip off on random
guitar notes punctured by keyboard fills. Side 2's "St. Stephen" was
new - wherever he goes, the people all complain - a Rock-funky set of duet
vocals. The improv guitars continue apace with "The Eleven" - a
meandering piece that will have you seeing hippies shaking their heads in a
concert crowd - stoned and digging the freeform groove.
"Turn On Your Love
Light" gets the crowd hollering - its sexy R&B lyrics fun and sassy -
the percussion doing battle with the vocals (come on baby please) - fifteen
minutes of white boys enjoying their inner funky selves. The suitably doomy
Gary Davis cover "Death Don't Have No Mercy" gives the Dead a decent
shot at the Blues - their slow, deliberately funeral-paced rendition feeling
like Janis Joplin (somehow) getting in deep.
As "And We Bid You Goodnight" fades out, we get that Hidden
Bonus Track following - the studio version of "Dark Star" - so trippy
and cool.
For absolute sure, there are
those that will take one listen to this set of live improvs from 1969 and say
no thanks - and I can understand that. But longstanding fans will know no shame
and 'hurry hurry' (as the radio advert asks) to this superb-sounding HDCD
reissue and shed a wee hippy tear...
