Jerry Garcia - Don't Let Go
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Free Music Notes for Don't Let Go
Free Music Review: Love Will Make You Do It
Hit: 4 Stars
The song "That's What Love Will Make You Do" is worth the cost of the album.Free Music Review: Long, lazy tunes
Hit: 3 Stars
This is a live recording of the Jerry Garcia Band from 1976. The band includes Keith and Donna Godchaux. The tracks are between 7 and 16 minutes long and each CD is over 70 minutes. The sound quality is OK but not great. There is a buzz on some songs. The editing is poor. They left in long gaps between the songs with audience background noise or the band muttering in the background. The style of music is a lot different than the Grateful Dead, or other Jerry Garcis Band albums. The music is more blues oriented. The sound is more sparse. The songs have a lazy feel to them. This would be the type of concert where you would sit back and listen as opposed to dancing in the aisles.
Garcia's guitar playing is much different than what he does with the Dead. It is amazing that you can listen to hours of Garcia play with the Dead, and then listen to this and hear something refreshingly different. On this album, he plays slower and more deliberate blues style instead of his normal space/pschodelic style.
Keith Godchaux has some very nice piano interludes. There are also a few good interplays between Godchaux and Garcia.
A lot of people have complained about the singing of Donna Godchaux. I have never had any problems with her, but I must admit, I did turn down the sound during her vocals in the middle of Strange Man.
But the problem isn't with Donna Godchaux. The problem is with the whole band. This concert was early in the life of the group. The group did not have much time to get used to the material or get comfortable with one another. The band members are always tripping over each other. The whole concert is very sloppy. The problem just gets highlighted in the vocals. Some songs like Knocking on Heaven's Door or After Midnight are especially bad. The last song, Mighty High, was recorded 3 months later. You can hear a huge difference in the tightness of the band.
As with most of his music, almost every song is redeemed by a great guitar solo. Using a CD burner, you could pull out about 45 minutes of some very different and innovative guitar work, and a few nice piano solos to go with it.
This is a long, lazy CD. It is still very nice in spite of it's flaws. I would prefer to hear Garcia at his worst (and this isn't his worst) than most other groups. It makes great background music.
Free Music Review: It was like a horrible car accident...
Hit: 3 Stars
you just had to stare. Only in this case, you just had to listen. I am of course, referring to the voice of Donna Godchaux. I thought the first disc of this set was JGB at their best...every song a gem, the standouts for me being "That's What Love Will Make You Do" and "Sitting in Limbo". Garcia's playing and soft, happy voice was just the icing on the cake. Also, not being a fan of Donna Jean, I was quite pleased that her voice was kept at a minimum. Then I made the mistake of putting in the second disc of the set. There were two things running through my head as I listened 1. What was Jerry thinking?! and 2. Why haven't I turned this off yet?! It seems as though Donna actually had the microphone _down her throat_ throughout the entire second set. As someone who buys every Garcia-related realease, I have to say that if i knew before I bought the cd what I know now, I probably still would have bought it, but it will go to the bottom of the stack and will only be taken out when a houseguest overstays their welcome. have a grate day:o)Free Music Review: Dick must have picked this one...
Hit: 3 Stars
Something tells me that Dick(of Dicks Picks fame) had something to do with this set. Dick sometimes told heads that a show was of great importance and then some of us soon found out that we had been had(the DP from 9-16-90 being a prime example). While I am excited that releases are starting to emerge from the JGB vaults, this is kind of a snoozer. Not that real slow JGB shows were bad, just this one doesn't cover any imaginative ground while limping along. Besides the usual complaint that either Donna is singing or that a cat got stuck in the PA system, Keith sounds as if he's about to catch some z's on the keyboard. Even 'Mission in the Rain' lacks the heart it usually had. Hopefully some releases will follow that give us a good cross-section of the JGB lineups over the years. As if you couldn't tell by now, I am a big fan of the later 70's and 80's when the gospel/soul aspect was added through wonderful back-up singers and fat B-3 sounds that complimented Garcia's playing so well.
Free Music Review: Don't think "ripping."
Hit: 3 Stars
If you are considering this purchase, think "Reflections." Don't think of tapes and disks featuring Melvin, Merl, or Legion of Mary. Don't EVEN think of that insane "After Midnight" on your Union, NJ tape. Jerry's solos have that sweet slowness to them...precise and rolling. Jerry's singing is soft and sweet, but Donna is conspicuous throughout. Kahn is simply awesome. I bought it because I like "Reflections," but apparently I need that sweaty, heavy-metal Jerry from live CD's. No blistering crescendos on "Don't Let Go"!
Outside of the "Knockin'" and the "Sitting In Limbo", I'm not finding many treats on these disks. I'm afraid this CD will find it's way to the mere curiosity section of my cherished JGB material.