Customer Reviews

After Midnight: Kean College 2/28/80 (Dig)

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Simply one of the finest releases to come out of the Garcia archives since his passing. Let's face it Jerry was a brilliant, fluid, mesmerizing guitarist on his good nights, and on the nights where he wasn't his best he could be down right awful. Fortunately for us this was one of those brilliant nights, from the opening chords of Sugaree to an incredible Eleanor Rigby and back thru Tore Up Over You to the closing Midnight Moonlight, Jerry and the tight 4 piece band pulled out all the stops in a show that must have gone well into the morning hours judging by the starting time of 10:30 for opening act Rachel Sweet, probably the reason for the title, "After Midnight"!! As longtime lyricist Robert Hunter alludes to in the liner notes (he is also featured on 2 cuts) this is a pared down Jerry Garcia Band, with Jerry, Ozzie Ahlers on keys, John Kahn providing the bass, and Johnny De Foncesca on drums, allowing an incredible tightness and a very solid sound to this 1980 concert. The sound quality is tremendous, and as Hunter further notes, Jerry even remembered all the words, no small task some nights for Captain Trips! I have all the Jerry Garcia Band commercial live releases and this one is the clear winner (so far), not to say the others aren't good, but this one absolutely smokes, no nonsense, no frills, just Jerry and band playing well into the night, where everything just clicked, and you can hear the crowd enjoying every note, glad to be part of one incredibly magical musical evening! The Jerry Garcia Band goes to college, and comes out with an A+! Get this one, you won't be sorry.

Garcia gave to the Dead, and the band's members gave back so much to him in their choice of material, delivery and a style of jamming that has rarely been equaled. Thank God they put up with him.

This album is SO good, in its dynamic range, in its choice of material, in the performances and Garcia's state-of-mind -- and in the extraordinary value you get for such a beautiful package, it is quite frankly, better than half the Dick's Picks releases I own and as good as the Dead's best live recorded performances.

In general, Jerry's band had less status than the Dead, but musically they could equal their musical ancestors. I recognize this may really anger some listeners, but all I can say is-- just listen and then: you tell me.

Garcia was a strange man. He had so many failings, but musically was so imaginative and generous. He knew how to make people happy, and in this release that's exactly what he and his gifted engineers achieve.

One of the best vintage rock releases of 2004 -- bar none.

Rhino is also getting better, not merey recycling old releases but generating impressive material that has never been presented before.

You'll love it.

This is definitely the best Garcia Band release yet. Jerry in top form, playing long groovy jams on some of the rarer JGB tunes. The After Midnight->Eleanor Rigby instrumental->After Midnight is excellent, but there are some even finer gems on this release. This album has a lot of swing to it. Its hard to describe a lead guitar player as a master of swing, but thats what we have here. Groove and swing and a kind of music that is totally undescribable. Great stuff. Also, there is something fun about the keyboard player from these early 80's shows. He plays this ultraweird keyboard tone that adds a new dimension to these songs. Erik at notesfromtheroad.com

Given the reputation of Garcia, it's surprising that there are not all that many live Jerry Garcia Band releases.Sslowly but surely more JGB concerts are finally being released. JGB has always played second fiddle to the Dead, and that's regrettable as JGB should be seen as complimentary to the Dead, not in competition.

"After Midnight - Keane College 2/28/80" (16 tracks; 3 CDs; 165 min.) features a short-lived 4 person line-up of JGB. Besides Jerry, there is also John Kahn on bass, Ozzie Ahlers on keyboards, and John de Foncenza on drums. The band is super-tight throught the evening, starting with "Sugaree" (one of only 2 Garcia/Hunter songs in the set). There are 2 great Dulan covers, including a delightful "Knocking on Heaven's Door". The set also includes a guest appearance from Robert Hunter on vocals, doing his own "Tiger Rose" and "Promontory Rider". The cover of Allen Toussaint's "I'll Take a Melody" also works very nicely. But the brightest star on this set is the 25 min. medley of "After Midnight>Eleanor Rigby>After Midnight (Reprise)", with everone in the band getting an opportunity to stretch out, although the best of course comes from Garcia's solos.

Somewhat awkwardly, the first set of the evening goes about 85 min, and thus does not fit on a single CD, reason this release ended up as a 3CD release. The liner notes from Robert Hunter are a nice addition and the overall packaging is top notch, courtesy of the wonderful folks at Rhino, reliable as usual. In short, "After Midnight" is a great addition to the Jerry Garcia Band catalogue.

Yahoo! After 30-odd Dick's Picks and Vault releases we finally get some Jerry. And it's a doozy. Easily the best live Jerry since 1991's Jerry Garcia Band Live. The recording quality is more than acceptable (remember this was 1980, but all the analog hiss and noise has been digitally removed to great effect) and the performance is energetic and fluid. It's great to hear Jerry singing and playing with so much strength, emotion and clarity. There are lots of long, extended jams (the After Midnight-Eleanor Rigby-After Midnight thing alone is worth the price of admission) as well as more compact tunes.

John Kahn is his usual stolid self and does a couple of solos including his usual on Simple Twist of Fate. The rest of the band, drummer Johnny de Francesaca and keyboardist Ozzie Ahlers are capable sidemen (although the weird insectoid tonal effect that Ahlers uses for lead on a couple of tunes bugs me), albeit not the usual suspects of earlier and later years.

The song selection is great, there is over 2 and a half hours of music, and I defy anyone who likes the music of Garcia to listen to this and not break out in a huge grin. Jerry is great on this gig. I hope they release more like this. Lots more.

I concur with the other glowing reviews...This performance simply captures Jerry at his very best. Certainly the finest release of JGB material in some time, this is right up there with the '91 double album (which also captures Jerry in great form). While How Sweet It Is (released in '97) and Don't Let Go also captured different variations of the Jerry band sounding pretty good, the release of Shining Star was quite a disappointment. This album picks up where the others left off, with a stellar, heartfelt performance.

The first CD features a great Sugaree, but things really start cooking on Catfish John. Not having been an especially huge fan of this particular song, I really am blown away by the emotion that Jerry conveys through his singing and playing. Clearly, Jerry loves to play the JGB material, and his vocals are much stronger on this track (and others) than on most Dead shows I've heard from this era. Ozzie Ahlers, the (previously unknown to me) keyboardist, brings a unique and innovative funky sound to his playing. He supplements Jerry with some killer soloing on Catfish John and other tracks (including When I Paint My Masterpiece, available on the bonus 4th CD).

CD 2 begins with a decent How Sweet It Is, then things really heat up. After Midnight->Eleanor Rigby->After Midnight simply is awesome! Jerry is on fire through the whole thing, and this track alone is worth the price of the CD set.

The highlight of CD 3 is a very good Mission in the Rain, and the material with Robert Hunter is enjoyable, if you're a fan of Bob's songwriting (which, presumably, you are). I also received the aforementioned bonus 4th CD, which features some great material, including a decent Dear Prudence and very good When I Paint My Masterpiece (not sure how to go about receiving the 4th CD, I received it as a gift). It's a treat to hear Jerry sing Masterpiece, having been brought up on the more familiar (but inferior) Weir-sung version. Jerry's singing on this and other tracks reaffirms that he is a great interpreter of Dylan's wonderful material.

In sum, I highly recommend this release, and am looking forward to adding more treasures from the Garcia vault to my collection, such as the Pure Jerry release (acoustic and electric, from the Lunt-Fontanne), and the upcoming three CD Keystone show with Merle Saunders.

I've spent years (wait...make that decades...time flies when you're having fun) building up a more than respectable collection of Grateful Dead recordings, but my collection of Jerry's solo material is pretty thin, so I went on an online quest to find out which of his recordings have gotten the most accolades. "After Midnight...", along with a couple of others, rose to the top pretty quickly.

After having given this show a couple of good listens from start to finish, I agree, as many have said, it represents Jerry at his peak performance in every way. His and his band's playing is fluid and intense at the same time. As Jerry's longtime songwriting partner Robert Hunter says in the liner notes of the CD, early 1980 represents a period of extraordinary lucidity on Jerry's part. He does some hair raising meandering leads while simultaneously, and incredibly, is able to coax backup guitar parts from his guitar. The show has a laid back, jazzy and relaxed feel about it, and the sound quality is fantastic.

Those of us who like to attend concerts with more frequency than most people, do so in order to try and capture those fleeting moments of transcendence between performer and listener that we're occasionally fortunate enough to experience every now and then at a live show.

Any live band or musician, The Dead included, at their best, succeed in producing many such moments, but when they don't, the next best thing to experiencing those magical moments that literally defy time and space, is to simply get lost in a song at the same time the musician or band is getting lost in the song. There are many examples of that on "After midnight...".

This is definitely a must have for any Deadhead, and a great starting point for those who want get into Jerry's solo work. The only reason I give it four, instead of five stars is that there are a few duds in this show, but overall, very very good.

Best Tracks:
Disc one: Sugaree -- puts you in an ecstatic trance. Catfish John -- Fantastic.
Disc two: After Midnight/Eleanor Rigby/After Midnight -- arguably
the best extended guitar solo of all time...for many years a
sought-after bootleg, now presented in crystal clarity.
Disc three: Mission In The Rain -- classic Jerry ballad, sweet and
plaintive with gorgeous guitar.

All other tracks are good, but the above tracks are the ones I program.

While this certainly doesn't come close to touching the Dead's best stuff, it is pretty impressive. Jerry Garcia further proves himself worthy of a spot in the top five American guitarists. Just listen to his solo on the After Midnight reprise. It'll knock you against the wall, something Garcia isn't known for. I mean he really rocks on that track. His backing band are no slouches either. In fact, they deserve more than to be called his backing band. The rhythm section of John kahn and Johnny de Francesaca is perfect for Jerry's smooth and sometimes uncharacteristic riffs. Also, Ozzie Ahlers is an innovative keyboardist to say the least. His solos with the buzzy special effect are great. Needless to say, this lineup had amazing chemistry.

The set list for this is pretty good, although I would have liked a couple more Dead tracks. The JGB develope an endless groove filled with some good originals, a couple Dead songs, and a lot of covers, the best of which probably being Jimmy Cliff's "The Harder They Come" or the medley of J.J. Cale's "After Midnight" and the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby." Or maybe it is the emotional reading of Dylan's "Simple Twist of Fate." There are just so many great covers. Dead lyricist Robert Hunter comes in for two tracks on the third disc, "Tiger Rose" and "Promontory Rider." The latter is one of my favorite songs in the set, it's a catchy number. You'll find yourself singing that where ever you go. My other favorite is "That's What Love Will Make You Do." The blues standard recieves a groovy ten minute workout with Ahlers and Kahn really shining.

Overall, this set is great for any fans of the Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia, or just good music. And to the Jerry Garcia skeptics (I used to be one) listen to his solo on the After Midnight reprise, it will change your views. Buy this album, or have someone burn it for you, or steal it. Just get it.

Crystal clear sonics. Garcia at the top of his game. This is the greatest stuff to come out of the Garcia/Dead archives since 'Ladies and Gentlemen...'. If you're a Garcia enthusiast, this is a no-brainer.