Grateful Dead 1977: The Rise of Terrapin Nation by Howard Weiner

Author:Howard Weiner
Language: eng
Format: mobi, azw
Publisher: Pencil Hill Publishing
Published: 2015-07-27T22:00:00+00:00

TEN

THE ALMIGHTY ‘77 HAMMER

Masterpiece Theatre for virgin ears…The art of salvaging a shaky show…Sweet twangs of technical difficulty in the Winterland…Off to lands where only the jazz legends roam…6-9-77 and the bulldozer effect…

After their historic rampage through the month of May, the Grateful Dead returned to California to rest their weary bones for a week, and then they continued their torrid ways with a four-show run that began in the L.A. Forum, home to Kareem Abdul Jabbar and the Lakers. The concert took place on June 4, 1977, the ninth anniversary of a day that will live in infamy—the day Bobby Kennedy was assassinated moments after delivering his victory speech for the California Democratic Primary. Nonetheless, the band was happy to be back on Pacific time as they romped through “Promised Land,” riding the consistently gritty chopping of Keith’s piano. “Tennessee Jed,” “Peggy-O,” “Jack Straw,” and “Candyman” led an interesting set of characters in a well-played twelve-song set. It’s all good, but the most compelling part of the opening frame comes during “The Music Never Stopped.” When it sounds as if the jam’s reaching a premature climax, Garcia fights off the path of least resistance and finds an open door to extend the solo, giving us another ‘77 “Music” to savor.

The early highlight of the 6-4-77 second set is a spirited transition during the first West Coast Estimated Prophet > Eyes of the World. The first solo’s a scorcher, but the remainder of “Eyes” is lazy and not up to par. “Good Lovin’” struts out of drums and a satisfying serving of “Terrapin Station” follows. The almighty surprise of this show is the appearance of “Franklin’s Tower” in the middle of a “Playin’ in the Band” loop. Give the Dead an A for effort and a D for execution. The botched transition is the antithesis of ‘77 professionalism. It sounds like they tried to enter “Franklin’s” with the song’s trademark ending signature, but there is no magic, and the ensuing “Franklin’s” lacks pop. In heroic Dead fashion, the set is saved by a hairy space that slithers into “China Doll.” A super-funky jam connects “China Doll” with “Not Fade Away.” It’s a fast break jam that might fly right by “Not Fade Away” and jump into an old-time Pig Pen favorite, “Caution.” Everyone in the band is improvising outside the comfort zone of any previous version as they pump the tempo double time. Let’s give them an A+ for effort and B+ for execution. This experiment runs its course and whittles its way back into a smashing “Playin’ in the Band” reprise. It’s all in another day’s work for the Grateful Dead.

Six nights after the release of The Grateful Dead movie, the band returned to the scene of the footage, the Winterland Ballroom. The first set of 6-7-77 is a perky presentation, although it’s only eight songs in length (no, I don’t count the “Funiculi Funicula” tuning as a song). The set was plagued by technical difficulties, but that kind of thing never derailed a ‘77 show before.

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