Being a big Dead guy, I was skeptical of the John Mayer experiment. That all changed after watching this…to be honest, I’ve had it on repeat all week. It’s well known that John Mayer is one of the best guitarist of our time. Dude can shred. Enjoy:
This is a long set, but it’s 100% worth it. Hit play and sit back. I’d love to hear what you think…leave a comment.
1st Set:
Truckin’
Smokestack Lightning
Bertha 15:55
Playin’ in the Band 26:03
Bird Song
Tennessee Jed
Shakedown Street
Passenger
Bird Song reprise
Casey Jones
2nd Set: 1:28:50
Help on the Way
Slipknot!
Scarlet Begonias 1:40:09
Fire on the Mountain
Terrapin Station: Lady with a Fan
Terrapin Station: Terrapin Station
Drums
Space
The Other One
Wharf Rat
Franklin’s Tower
Encore:
Touch of Grey
Go see Dead & Co. live…even better.
I’ve seen them twice now and they really do bring the feeling. Purists talk about his vocals being a distraction, but Mayer’s licks are right on time. I’ve been to 34 shows from 1987 – 1991 and with the exception of last summer’s “core four” shows, D&C is the last chance you’ll get to recapture that live experience.
Screw the purists. His guitar playing is on par with Jerry’s-no question. He’s done his homework and is playing “In the Style of Jerry” and adds his own sense of taste to certain things. He certainly adds a consistency along with Oteil that could be lacking from time to time later in the Dead’s run due to health/drug issues. The playing is strong and Bobby Weir seems to feed off Mayer’s enthusiasm and Bobby’s own playing sounds so much better than it did five/ten years ago playing with those other guys. Jerry’s advantage was that he did it first and had eclectic taste (his dad was a bandleader) and he was able to create the Grateful Dead sound. There’s something about Mayer’s playing though that is accessible, more so than say- Jimmy Herrin, who is mind blowingly awesome- and fits this music so much better than I ever thought it could. So- I like it.
I was certainly skeptical of Meyer, but after listening I’ll readily admit he is the right man for the job. The vocals are a bit distracting, but his licks feel right. I think because he is playing largely Jerry’s licks we find it familiar. Jimmy does not play Mikey’s licks and certainly doesn’t have his tone. So although Jimmy is incredibly accomplished, it’s hard for older guys to fully embrace current WSP. The live shows are great, but I don’t listen to post-Mikey shows when the original is readily available.
I respected the Dead but was never a huge fan. My musical taste was shaped at the intersection of my father’s rock & roll from the 60s/70s and my love of 90s/00s jam bands. Included in my musical love was early John Mayer. I have listened to this album a half dozen times. John has made me a Dead fan. I can’t wait to see them live.