Save Your Face

This mix presents a version of 10 of the 11 Bob Dylan songs the Grateful Dead played in 1994. The performances and soundboard mixes are excellent, with scant imperfections of any sort – except for the sloppy vocals on “Rainy Day Women,” featuring Dylan himself.

All performances are unreleased, and selections are based on a review of all the circulating 1994 soundboard recordings, as of May 2020.

Most of these songs entered the repertoire through the band’s collaboration with Bob Dylan in late 1980s. By 1994, the band’s lighter touch, more acoustic sound, and preference for detail over density gave the Dead a greater ability to interpret Dylan’s songs and give them each a distinctive musical plot.

Additionally, I have included an unreleased performance of “Visions of Johanna,” which the band revived in 1995 and played six times - three of those performances officially released (2/21, 3/18, and 7/8). My favorite of the remaining three, the second performance, only circulates as an audience recording, but in a great way. Seemed like the correct way to break the 1994 rule and bookend this mix.

75-minute mp3 mix zipped up here

• Maggie’s Farm (7/19/94 - Noblesville, IN)
• When I Paint My Masterpiece (6/25/94 - Las Vegas, NV)
• It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue (10/13/94 - NYC)
• Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues (10/15/94 - NYC)
• The Mighty Quinn (10/5/94 - Philadelphia, PA)
• Queen Jane Approximately (3/27/94 - Uniondale, NY)
• All Along the Watchtower (9/27/94 - Boston, MA)
• Desolation Row (7/2/94 - Mountainview, CA)
• Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (6/19/94 - Eugene, OR)
• Rainy Day Women #12 and 35 (w/Dylan, 10/17/94 - NYC)
• Visions of Johanna (2/24/95 aud - Oakland, CA)

Eight of these songs previously appeared on Save Your Face’s chronological survey of 1994 soundboards. The missing song is "Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again." The band played it once that year, and it was good, but not outstanding. You can play it on Relisten here. 

It may be time for a reencounter with “Hair” (the musical) – as a document of 1968-1970 rock, as a legit/ersatz entry into the cultural stream, and apart from it being a stage musical. “Ain’t got no” is a timely rallying cry. The songs are good.

This mix curates performances from four of the era’s released productions and tries to assemble them into an interesting 2020 alt-music album:

• Off-Broadway 1967
• Broadway 1968
• London 1968
• London 1970

The show’s music was composed by Galt MacDermot and the lyrics by Gerome Ragni and James Rado. The show’s various arrangers and performers slanted the songs in a lot of different ways.

That created a great opportunity to curate a version that sounds less like a musical and more like a 1969 radio station playing an hour of solid, contemporary pop, rock, soul, Brill Building tunes, etc.  

68-minute mp3 mix zipped up here, as follows:

Caveats:

I’m neither a “Hair” nor musical theatre expert. I inherited “Hair” in multiple production and language recordings from my dad, who died in 2010, after DJ’ing a syndicated NPR musical theatre show for 20+ years. That same dad provided two vinyl LPs of “Hair” productions to me before I was 12 years old, so I’ve got a biased relationship to these songs. 

I have four non-English productions of the show from my dad. Another mix will happen. if you have high-quality, non-English production audio files, please contact me. 

This mix curates tracks from the jazz remix craze of the early 2000s. I was really into it, because I love jazz, and the electronica I sought out at the time already leaned in a jazzy direction – with interesting syncopations, slinky undertows, slower tempos, and minimal clatter. 

The two hours compiled here are tracks that are still in my regular rotation 15 years later. I have compiled one hour each of vocals and instrumentals from seven of the era’s remix albums. I endeavored to make the metadata as complete and systematic as possible (see below). Title tags conclude with shorthand for the source release (e.g., Verve, Savoy). 

121-minute mix zipped up here

The vocal disc: Ten songs come from “Verve Remixed, Volumes 1-3” (3-releases, various producers), and three come from “Ladies of Jazz Remixed,” remixed by James Hardway.

The instrumental disc: By far the most consistent of the instrumental jazz remix albums is “Re-Bop: The Savoy Remixes,” produced by Joshua Sherman and Stu Fine. Nine of the tracks in this mix come from that album. “Bird Up! The Charlie Parker Remix Project,” produced by Matthew Backer, provides four of the others. The additional track comes from “Impulsive!” There are vocals on some of these tracks, but no sung songs.

Here’s a 52-minute slice of 1981 “Scarlet > Fire,” comprising three unreleased performances. The mighty 3/10/81 MSG version is presented in full. Two more are presented as instrumental edits. Segues weave it all into a non-stop experience that goes like this:

Scarlet Begonias > Fire on the Mountain > Scarlet Jam > Fire Jam > Scarlet Jam > Fire Jam.

Which is to say three transitions!

I was turned on to these performances by a crowd-sourcing tweet I sent out, because I was on a S>F binge and wanted to check out some unknown (to me) versions from years I don’t know very well. Thanks to all who participated. If people enjoy this, I’ll look into samplers from more years (when I can handle listening to more of these songs again). 

52-minute mp3 mix zipped up here

• Scarlet Begonias > Fire on the Mountain (3/10/81 - MSG)
• Scarlet Jam > Fire on the Mountain (instr. edit) (5/15/81 - Rutgers)
• Scarlet Jam > Fire on the Mountain (instr. edit) (9/12/81 - Greek)

This mix is a continuous, instrumental edit of the jams from all seven May 1977 performances of “Dancin’ in the Streets.”

Every time the band finishes the synchronized riff section of one jam, they slide right into the beginning of another night’s jam. All dancing, no singing.

The segues are seamless, but I’ve presented the mix as seven tracks, so you can compare the performances. Aside from the first track, which includes the opening of the song, each version starts at the same moment. The final version fades out. All performances have been officially released, except for 5/1 and 5/4.

67-minute mp3 mix zipped up here

• Dancin’ Intro & Jam > (5/8/77)
• Dancin’ Jam > (5/19/77)
• Dancin’ Jam > (5/15/77)
• Dancin’ Jam > (5/12/77)
• Dancin’ Jam > (5/22/77)
• Dancin’ Jam > (5/1/77)
• Dancin’ Jam (5/4/77)

This mix is a companion to this May ’77 “Fire on the Mountain” jams collection.  

This collection provides instrumental edits of every Grateful Dead performance of “Fire on the Mountain” in May 1977. It was still a new song, played only six times prior to these versions.

As an improvisational vehicle, the song had three parts, all with variable lengths and approaches:

• The introduction, up to the first verse
• The middle jam, between the two verses
• The rousing final jam, which led to the “Scarlet Begonias” bookend close

In addition to eliminating the verses and choruses, I’ve also removed the return to the baseline groove that occurred between the middle jam and the second verse, so those solo-driven parts flow together without a slow-down. 

Otherwise, it’s all the music - each performance as a pure jam that reveals the essential differences among them. They range from seven to twelve minutes each. All have been officially released except 5/4/77.

72-minute mp3 mix zipped up here

• Fire Jam (5/4/77)
• Fire Jam (5/5/77)
• Fire Jam (5/8/77)
• Fire Jam (5/11/77)
• Fire Jam (5/13/77)
• Fire Jam (5/17/77)
• Fire Jam (5/21/77)
• Fire Jam (5/25/77)

You'll find a mix of May '77's "Dancin' in the Streets" jams here. 

Just 20 concerts from the end of their career, the Grateful Dead turned in a fantastic performance, featuring a setlist full of 1970s jam numbers, sung and played with enthusiasm. Garcia is lit, throughout, playing enthusiastically and thoughftully, all the time, and taking advantage of his voice being in great shape. The “Fire on the Mountain” is particularly great on all fronts, including Garcia's vocal enthusiasms. Definitely a version to bookmark.

With the exception of “Eternity > Don’t Ease,” which closed the first set, the tracks on this mix are in the order played. “Help on the Way” opened the show. If you enjoy these highlights, you should check out the whole show. It’s more consistent than plenty of shows from plenty of other years – all the more surprising at such a late date.

Many thanks to Andrew Rooney @ramblinroon for turning me on to this show.

90-minute mp3 mix zipped up here

Disc One (48 minutes):

• Help on the Way > Slipknot! >
• Franklin’s Tower
• Scarlet Begonias >
• Fire on the Mountain

Disc Two (40 minutes):

• Playin’ in the Band >
• Uncle John’s Band
• Improvisation 1
• Improvisation 2
• Improvisation 3
• Eternity Jam >
• Don’t Ease Me In

Cover art: Jack Kirby & Mike Royer

This edit superimposes two Grateful Dead-related studio experiments, so they are playing simultaneously. Robert Hunter and John Barlow on vocals. Not for the faint-hearted. Posted by request. 

1m20s mp3 here

“Shit Happens” - John Barlow vocal (1988):

It doesn't matter, doesn't matter, it's all right

Universe still works tonight

Shit happens, shit happens, it's OK

What comes to pass will pass away

Whatever hits the fan might splatter

It's all right 'cause it doesn't matter

Doesn't matter, doesn't matter

It's all right, it doesn't matter

“The Barbed Wire Whipping Party” - Robert Hunter vocal (1969):

The barbed wire whipping party in the razor blade forest

Sweet live meat, my fangs could unravel you

Back, hand, whip, lash, [eskers], sangfroid, leather picnic

Duty, cold blood, barbed wire, naked on the table, laughing

Feet stained wine and eyes smoking

No is permitted

There's more freedom than you could choke down in ten thousand years

The other day I went to Mars and talked to God

And he told me to tell you to hang tight and don't worry

The solution to everything is death

Cover art by Raymond Pettibon

Possibly the best way to enjoy the compositions that Brent Mydland wrote and sang for The Grateful Dead is all by themselves. Pretend the band joined a solo artist to provide backing for a mid-80s album of his songs. An extended, soulful ride on an emotional rollercoaster. 

I didn’t struggle too hard picking versions, since there are lots of good ones for most songs. Some are released. 

68-minute mp3 mix zipped up here

• Just a Little Light (3/26/90)
• Far from Me (7/12/89)
• Easy to Love You (3/22/90)
• Never Trust a Woman (10/16/89)
• Tons of Steel (4/8/85)
• Revolutionary Hamstrung Blues (3/27/86)
• Don’t Need Love (11/5/85)
• Gentlemen, Start Your Engines (7/31/88)
• Maybe You Know (4/20/83)
• Blow Away (3/26/90)
• We Can Run (9/29/89)
• I Will Take You Home (6/88)

I think this includes every song Mydland wrote or co-wrote - and sang.

Caveat: "Far from Me" and "Easy to Love You" somehow got switched in the running order. The emotional energy works much better Easy > Far. I recommend you swap 'em.

This edit merges the first composition on Brian Eno’s “Music for Airports” with coded shortwave radio broadcasts from the 20th Century. It’s an ambient vocal track that speaks in tongues. Zero, zero, zero, echo, victor, sierra, eight, four, six, yankee, hotel, foxtrot...

The method was mostly an oblique strategy, followed by some editorial tweaks. The two sources automatically created a collective drama that I didn’t mess with very much. The edit preserves the stereo separation of Eno’s album, with the mono shortwave broadcasts layered in.

Stream:

Download:

16-minute, 320kbps mp3 track here