CD of the Week March 4-March 10, 2001
Jerry Garcia
Reflections
Grateful Dead Records
In late 1974 the Grateful Dead took an extended hiatus from touring that lasted until the summer of 1976, but the band members were far from dormant. The Dead as a band recorded their jazzy masterpiece, Blues for Allah during this time. Another great album recorded during the same period was Jerry Garcia�s solo album, Reflections.
It is billed as a solo album, but in reality 4 of the 8 tracks are straight up Grateful Dead tunes. The entire band appears and they are songs that were already in the Dead�s live rotation by the time they recorded them. The other 4 songs are performed by an extended version of the then current Jerry Garcia Band. John Kahn who played with Garcia in almost every side project he ever did is on bass. Elvis Presley band member Ron Tutt is on the drums. The great Nicky Hopkins who was an unofficial member of the Rolling Stones is on keyboards and finally, on piano, is session all star, Larry Knetchel.
The albums starts of with a rousing version of "Might As Well". This song was written after the Dead�s chaotic cross-Canadian train tour with The Band, Janis Joplin and others. It is basically a feel good rocker that was never really a vehicle for any jamming.
Next up is "Mission in the Rain" which is one of the lost Garcia/Hunter masterpieces. It is somewhat in the vein of "Wharf Rat". The "mission" in the title refers to the area of San Francisco and you could interpret the lyrics to be about a down and out person who just may bear a resemblance to Hunter or Garcia or both. The Dead only played this tune a handful of times in 1976 before dropping it from their repertoire which is too bad, but the Jerry Garcia Band continued to perform it up until Garcia�s death in 1995.
A studio version of "They Love Each Other" comes next. This is always a nice song to hear and this is a strong version, but I prefer the fast version that the Dead played live in 1973.
Allen Tousaint�s "I�ll Take a Melody " is the next track and it is performed by the expanded Garcia Band. Even though this song was not written by Garcia it sounds like it could have been. The narrative is very similar to something Hunter and Garcia might have come up with themselves.
A fine rendition of the Robert Hunter classic, "It Must Have Been the Roses" is particularly notable because in this studio version, the Dead manage to get all the words right.
"Tore Up Over You" is a straight-ahead rocker written by Hank Ballard. Another example of how well versed in the full breadth of American Music Garcia was.
A Reggae version of Catfish John is next. This was a song that Garcia used to do in his bluegrass side project, Old and in the Way. This version features funky synthesizer by John Kahn and great back up vocals by Donna Jean Godchaux and Bob Weir.
The final tune is another sort of unknown Garcia/Hunter ballad called "Comes a Time". It is performed here by the Dead and is giving a really sweet rendition. The Dead performed this one sporadically throughout the years, but it never really got the recognition it deserved. It belongs up there with classic Dead ballads like "Stella Blue" and "Wharf Rat".
Overall, this is a really good studio effort. Garcia wasn�t always able to capture his strengths in the studio setting, but this album does so pretty well. In fact this album is probably Garcia�s finest solo studio record and it makes a nice companion piece to Blues for Allah.
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