Big Bren said:
Entirely OT, but could you explain the provenance of your avatar please Foghat? My 76 VW Camper was plastered with stickers bearing exactly that image when it was imported from California; I know it's connected to the Grateful Dead, but they're not a band I know much about.
With pleasure, old horse!
My favourite subject......the most enthralling band I've encountered in years of musical exploration, namely the wonderful purveyors of improvised psychedelic jazzy space-funk ambient-jam bluesgrass grooverock that were the Grateful Dead.
Most people think they must be thrash rock with a name like that, when in fact nothing could be further than the truth (although the virtuoso Jerry Garcia would shred when he had the inclination). The 'Steal Your Face' logo was devised by an associate of the band, who saw a logo and thought it would look good if it was altered to look like a skull with a lightning bolt through it, and would serve as a good symbol of the American band if it was red, white and blue. It's also known as a 'stealie' - the full phrase came from the track 'He's Gone', and was then used as the title for a 1974 live album which was put together as a 'commercial' not-very-representative-of-the-live-Dead-vibe release and somewhat lacking in the stunning groove that many of their concerts exhibited.
If you're into such music, countless concerts are available from their 30-year career, but for beginners, I'd recommend getting 'Europe 72', 'Live Dead', 'The Grateful Dead Movie' or any Dick's Picks concert from 1973 to 1983 (especially DPs 1, 3, 6, 10, 18, 25, 33).
The Dead are an acquired taste.....it'll take time, and you'll only ever 'get' what is really going on if you listen to it, fairly loud, without ANY distraction. It does of course work on the superficial level too, but only a lucky few get beyond that!
)
