Music
Musical Interlude: Alasdair Roberts & the Grateful Dead
There are very few things in music right now that excite me more than the words “new Alasdair Roberts record.” I became something of a Roberts evangelist last year when his album Spoils came out, and since then I’ve been availing myself of his back catalog, which includes several wonderful albums of traditional ballads and songs. His new record, Too Long in This Condition, is another collection of traditionals, and it is a delight. Sonically, it feels closer in spirit to Spoils–which was a (relatively) boisterous album of Roberts originals–than to his earlier traditionals records, in particular The Crook of My Arm, which remains (by a small margin) my favorite thing Roberts has put out to date. But there’s plenty to love about Too Long in This Condition. Highlights include marvelous takes on “The Two Sisters”, “Barbara Allen” and “The Daemon Lover”, the ecstatic jaw-harp-featuring “Kilmahog Saturday Afternoon,” and “The Golden Vanity,” this last being the record’s standout track. Also look out for “Little Sir Hugh,” which as near as I can tell is a song about Jewish blood libel–and I don’t mean “about” in the sense of “discussing” or “critiquing,” but rather in the sense of “features a Jew luring a child into her house and then murdering him for his precious blood.” Ahh, history!
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jG3gMSXUwjI&
As I’m sure you’re all aware, July 9, 2010 marks the 15th anniversary of the last Grateful Dead show, at Soldier Field in Chicago. This year is also the 40th anniversary of one of the band’s great studio records, 1970’s Workingman’s Dead. Road Trips series (Vol. 3, No. 3) is 3 discs covering the Filmore East in New York City on 5/15/70, and it features some great rarities like “Cold Jordan” and “Silver Threads and Golden Needles,” as well as several very fine “St. Stephen”s (two of which go into “Not Fade Away”) and the bluesiest “Deep Elem Blues” I’ve ever heard them do. Definitely my favorite thing I’ve bought from GDP since Jerry Garcia + John Kahn live at the Marin Veterans Auditorium (2/28/86), and speaking more generally, I think that the focus of 5/15/70 bodes very well for future releases- the increased space given to the band’s acoustic repertoire and the unearthing of uber-rare songs that have been seldom (or never!) put out on official releases before, are both very exciting developments. I hope to have the chance to buy a lot more releases like this one.
Tags: Alasdair Roberts, Grateful Dead, Too long in this condition
Justin– this is a pseudo-serious, non-snark based question (I only ask it because for many years I too waded in these murky bootlegged waters): when you listen to live GD, do you find yourself singing loudly to cover up the dissonance in their (almost always) hideously off-pitch vocals, or do you find the flaws to be so upfront and lacking in self-consciousness that they (in themselves) are as rewarding as the face-melting guitar solos? Or is (as I decided) your love based on something para-musical (notions of community, etc, etc)?
The middle one, mostly, though I also sing along pretty loud. I love the rough-hewn stuff from the early 70s- some of my favorite moments are when one of them (usually Bobby) forges which verse of the song they’re in coming out of a chorus. But honestly, above and beyond all else, I love Garcia’s voice. I’d probably listen to that guy read out of a phonebook.
Justin, have you ever heard The Pizza Tapes?
Yessir! I believe they just released some new redux version of it, but that I have not heard.
Where do you stand on Grayfolded?
Justin– this is a pseudo-serious, non-snark based question (I only ask it because for many years I too waded in these murky bootlegged waters): when you listen to live GD, do you find yourself singing loudly to cover up the dissonance in their (almost always) hideously off-pitch vocals, or do you find the flaws to be so upfront and lacking in self-consciousness that they (in themselves) are as rewarding as the face-melting guitar solos? Or is (as I decided) your love based on something para-musical (notions of community, etc, etc)?
Off to one side.
The middle one, mostly, though I also sing along pretty loud. I love the rough-hewn stuff from the early 70s- some of my favorite moments are when one of them (usually Bobby) forges which verse of the song they’re in coming out of a chorus. But honestly, above and beyond all else, I love Garcia’s voice. I’d probably listen to that guy read out of a phonebook.
Probably for the best. The tape is full of razor cuts and is held together with tape.
Tape of the scotch variety, i mean. In the second case.
Spoils is ridiculously amazing. Just discovered it a few months back. Glad to hear his new one is worthwhile. I was initially a little disappointed that there were no originals on there.
Justin, have you ever heard The Pizza Tapes?
Yessir! I believe they just released some new redux version of it, but that I have not heard.
Where do you stand on Grayfolded?
Off to one side.
Probably for the best. The tape is full of razor cuts and is held together with tape.
Tape of the scotch variety, i mean. In the second case.
Spoils is ridiculously amazing. Just discovered it a few months back. Glad to hear his new one is worthwhile. I was initially a little disappointed that there were no originals on there.
Nah, don’t be disappointed. There’s really no one better to do traditionals than him. But yeah, SPOILS is beyond beyond. Funny, I’m noticing my review it from last year seems to have disappeared from the internet- I should re-post it here. Also worth checking out is the Amalgamated Sons of Rest EP- it’s Roberts, Will Oldham, and Jason Molina. I wish they’d done more with the arrangement than they did, but it’s still well worth hearing and having.
Nah, don’t be disappointed. There’s really no one better to do traditionals than him. But yeah, SPOILS is beyond beyond. Funny, I’m noticing my review it from last year seems to have disappeared from the internet- I should re-post it here. Also worth checking out is the Amalgamated Sons of Rest EP- it’s Roberts, Will Oldham, and Jason Molina. I wish they’d done more with the arrangement than they did, but it’s still well worth hearing and having.
[…] The Grateful Dead — Road Trips Vol. 3 No. 3 (May 1970) — I wrote about my love for this most recent GD Productions release here last month. […]