Customer Reviews

Thunder & Lightnin

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

 

 

For inveterate DeadHeads like myself--first saw the Grateful Dead in Cleveland in 1973 on the "Wake of the Flood" tour, and my life changed irrevocably--I was always cynical about tribute bands....until I saw DSO at the Royal Oak Music Theatre in Michigan last December, and now, I'm planning to catch all of their Fox Theatre concerts in Boulder at the end of March when they visit my adopted state of Colorado. This CD is quite good, not as good as their concerts (sound familiar?), but one learns that Lisa Mackey's perfect pitch "Donna wail" on "Playin' in the Band" is just fine; I always though Donna being offkey was part of the energy, but it need not be that way. The musicianship is extraordinary--wah-wah work on "Estimated Prophet" is clean and lyrical. Even reviewing all the Dick's Picks available now, we always must allow for the significant imprecisions that the fellas made in voice and instrument; no such allowances are necessary for these seven virtuoso musicians. Call it blasphemy if you wish, but the version of "St. Stephen" is extraordinary (just too brief at only 7:33), and go to the DSO website to hear stunning versions of "Jack Straw" and "Morning Dew." Get up and dance!

Dark Star Orchestra charges out of the gate with a very enjoyable tribute to the Grateful Dead. Is this DSO's first CD? I think so. The live show was recorded by Betty Cantor-Jackson on July 12, 2002 at the Oregon Country Faire in Veneta, Oregon. The set list goes like this:
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Estimated Prophet> 13:19
Terrapin Station> 13:51
Meltdown (Jam)> 6:23
Saint Stephen> 7:33
Throwing Stones> 10:38
Not Fade Away> 2:06
Jam> 5:27
Playin In The Band 2:42
(Reprise)
The Music never Stopped 7:55
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If you've seen the Dark Star Orchestra, you know they have the utmost love and respect for the music of the Grateful Dead, and perform it with enthusiasm that often exceeds... well, you know. I don't want to get into comparisons between DSO and the Grateful Dead, but why listen to this band at all unless they're BETTER than the Grateful Dead? The fact is that in some ways they are better.
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The most obvious improvement is in the vocals. All these guys (and gal) are great singers and not only do they make their voices sound just like their counterparts in the Grateful Dead, but they also sing with greater range and power. And as musicians, the fact that they are really good and often sound indistinguishable from the Grateful Dead makes the whole DSO phenomenon irresistable for me.
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Then there's the issue of energy. How often we've moaned about Grateful Dead performances that lack energy as our heros sounded tired, lethargic and uninvolved. Not a problem here... for one thing, these musicians are young and play with the energy of youth. In addition, you can tell they're having great fun and in my mind's eye I can hear them saying sincerely, "It's an honor to play this music."
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So, what about the songs performed that night at Veneta? Here's an excerpt from the liner notes:
"The band came on shortly after dark, ready for almost anything except what actually occurred. Although the set began under clear skies, by the time the encore arrived, a thunderstorm had rolled in. Then, as the band hit the "Cool breeze came on Tuesday," line of The Music Never Stopped, the temperature dropped, the wind began to gather its strength and even the lightning seemed synched up with the band. As they launched into the jam, the skies opened up and it began pouring rain for the first time in weeks. The refreshing shower continued through the encore, but as the crowd headed home the skies parted once again and the stars showed them the way."
I don't want to describe every song, but I love them all and I imagine you will too. Actually, the performance is flawless, except for a minor problem during "Throwing Stones." The tempo is on the slow side, with Rob Eaton's vocals sounding slurred and somewhat drunken. He makes up for it though when he gets to the line, "We are on our own," which he belts out over and over at the top of his lungs. Very moving...
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The CD sound quality is good, if not quite up to par with the amazing extension and clarity of their DVD and the CD entitled, "The 1000'th Show," both of which are available on the band's website. Get 'em all while you can because "The Music Never Stopped."

I heard this bad on AcidPlanet's website and immediately liked them. But his cd is very disappointing. The sound quality is horrible and their voices sound as if this is not one of their best performances, I would hope. I have not been able to see them perform live yet but after hearing this I'm not sure if I will. I would not recommend this cd to anyone. But I'm giving it two stars instead of one because this music is better than a lot of others out there.