Customer Reviews

Weir Here: The Best Of Bob Weir

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

 

 

... I don't feel like this collection has enough Bob Weir! Oh sure, every song on here is great and Bob sings all of them. That's not in doubt. It just seems like the label defeats its own purpose of trying to spotlight Bob Weir the individual by putting on too many Grateful Dead performances, which dominate disc two of this collection. Weir's lived in Jerry Garcia's large shadow his entire adult life, and in some ways he still is with Weir Here.

By my count, Weir's released seven albums on his own outside of the GD. His excellent solo debut, Ace (which was really a GD album with all Weir songs), is well represented on Weir Here. So well represented that buying Ace is almost redundant now. That leaves six more albums, most of which are underserved and two of which -- the outstanding Weir & Wasserman Live and the less than stellar Where the Beat Meets the Street -- are completely ignored. Admittedly, there's not much to recommend from "Beat," but that's the beauty of compilations. Find one or two gems from what's otherwise a dud and rescue them from obscurity. Maybe that album is best left forgotten, but it doesn't explain the exclusion of either the Weir/Wasserman album, or the fine songs "Heaven Help the Fool," "Bombs Away," "Festival," and "Josephine," all of which have become Weir standards. "Book of Rules" is another really cool song that probably deserved consideration.

Then there's Weir's most recent effort (with current band Ratdog), the triumphant Evening Moods. It might be Bobby's best non-GD release, and it's also the best Dead or Dead-related studio album in ages. Why only two Evening Moods songs on Weir Here? You don't want to kill sales of that recent album, but at the very least "Bury Me Standing" and either "Odessa" or "Corrina" should've made the cut. I suppose you can't have a Best of Bob by not including songs like "Truckin'," "Sugar Mag," "Throwing Stones," etc. Still, why give us a bunch of live GD performances, several of which were the very same versions previously released on live GD albums? This might've been a great opportunity to add live Ratdog, Kingfish or Bobby & The Midnites instead!

The best reason to get Weir Here is that there are a handful of sweet rarities included. "Easy Answers" from Rob Wasserman's Trios album (which also has Neil Young on guitar) is on here, but "Eternity" (featuring Weir, Wasserman and the late Willie Dixon)sadly is not. You also get a song from a children's album ("Wabash Cannonball") and a blistering cover of Dylan's "Masters of War," which Ratdog quickly recorded out of anger over the misguided invasion of Iraq. It's all great, but again there's stuff missing. Studio recordings of "Fever," "Take Me to the River," and "Knocking on Heaven's Door" (all cover songs that have become Weir concert favorites) are out there and in need of reissue. How about "She Said," an original song that Ratdog's been playing for years but didn't include on Evening Moods?

Still, this is a great collection of songs. I'm only knocking it down to four stars because of the omissions I would've preferred to see included, and because I don't feel like all those Dead songs flow terribly well in the way they're presented here, with earlier and later recordings mixed together. Since many of them are previously released, you can get 'em elsewhere. Weir Here does, however, mark the first official release of "Man Smart, Woman Smarter". I guess that's a plus. I read an interview where Bobby said there will be a Weir Here Vol. II. That's great, but wouldn't it have made more sense to make Vol. I a more complete collection of Weir outside of the GD? I think so. If you're a Weir newbie, however, this isn't such a bad place to start. Bob Weir is a seriously underrated composer and guitarist, and this honor is long overdue.

This is Bobby's carefully selected sampler of his life in music, including both solo and Dead material. The results shed some much-deserved light on the hard-to-categorize yet important artist. Bob has a way with chord changes and a lyrical presence that are all his own.

First, the rarities. You likely don't have this side-band version of Lazy Lightning > Supplication. You should, because it's interesting and well-recorded. Easy to Slip, Wrong Way Feelin' and Shades of Grey are songs heard by very few people, i.e., those who bought Bobby's solo albums. I Want To (Fly Away) deserves special mention: it is a GREAT track with many twists and turns (too hard for the GD to play).

Easy Answers, from Rob Wasserman's "Trios" album, is very strange. Neil Young assists on vocals and guitar; what a pairing! The track is a demanding piece of art that sounds unfinished, until you realize it's supposed to be that way - a mid-90s phase Bobby (and Neil) went through of distortion and jagged edges.

Wabash Cannonball is another highlight.

The live disc 2 is mainly Dead tracks, about half unreleased. The sound quality is A+, as most songs are mixed from 24-track masters. The Throwing Stones is A+. Still, I would have preferred some archival Weir & Wasserman tracks here. Disc 2 is a cop-out with respect to the concept of this collection, which was to highlight Bob's work without particular allegiance to the Dead.

The final song is "Masters of War" with Ratdog. AMAZING track. Bob sells this song 1000%. They should have filled Disc 2 with such revelations, as they no doubt exist in the vaults.

Bob's legacy as an artist is still up in the air. He has modestly gone through life as a GD member and little-appreciated cheesy songwriter on the side. This collection makes a worthwhile yet incomplete effort to establish Bob's artistic independence as the important avant-garde musician and songwriter that he has been for 30+ years.

If you like The Grateful Dead then Weir Here: The Best of Bob Weir is a must to anybody's collection. Bobby was always in a way under appreciated among Deadheads. For me, I love Bob Weir and think that this new double CD is fantastic. I really enjoyed listening to the studio versions of Cassidy, Feel Like A Stranger, and Playin' In The Band. In addition, the previously un-released recordings of live music personally selected by Bob Weir are great. Their is an excellent version of my favorite Weir song "Estimated Prophet", plus a beautiful Jack Straw and the great New Minglewood Blues. Bottom line is that this CD is a must for any Deadhead out there. I encourage all of you out there to buy this CD and listen to Bob Weir & Ratdog, Bobby's group. They are a great band and put on a killer show.

First of all, I'm a big fan of Bob Weir's playing ability. His rhythym style is well thought out & executed - not conventional at all and very refreshing - in a live setting, he is simply outstanding and my favorite 2nd-string guitarist ever.
I'm giving this album 3 stars because of the lack of thought by whoever picked the tracks assembled on this compilation - I hope it wasn't Bob.
Yes I would've liked to see Greatest Story Ever Told on here but this isn't my main gripe. At least we get Lazy Lightnin'/Supplication.
The major annoyance for me is that the 2nd disc is full of Grateful Dead live performances which are available on other Grateful Dead live cds. Those performances are fine but I would've thought that the live material assembled on the 2nd disc should've come from Bob Weir's live performances outside Grateful Dead. This release is baffling for this reason.
I made the mistake of purchasing this without looking into what was included in this set - it doesn't do the great man any justice as to the great material he actually has. I can only recommend this (disc 1) for anyone who wants a small taste of his output. Hopefully the powers that be release another compilation that makes sense.

Yes, I have been a Dead Head for over 30 years. So if you are not, maybe this won't be worth reading. Between the times I saw the Grateful Dead, and the times I saw Bobby and the Midnights and Ratdog, it is safe to say that Bob Weir is the one musician I have seen in concert more than anyone else. Of course I have so many albums, cassettes, CD's, bootlegs, etc. to listen to. So why purchase this double album on CD? Well, why not? I can't afford to go out and purchase all of these songs on their respective CD's.

The first CD really has a nice collection of Bobby's album tracks. I especially appreciated "Looks like Rain" and "Lazy Lightnin'." It would be good to supplement this collection with the most excellent Ratdog CD "Evening Moods." Or of course Bobby's masterpiece "Ace."

The second CD has a good collection of live material. It would certainly be easy to say that this or that should have been done differently in this collection. However, it is well worth purchasing for any Bob Weir fan. I'm looking forward to another collection in the future. Hopefully one with "Samson and Delilah" and "I Need a Miracle."

This is one heck of an album but theres one problem the first five songs ["Cassidy", 'Mexicali Blues", "Looks Like Rain", "Playin in the Band", and One More Saturday Night]from "ACE" all have The Grateful Dead as the back up musicians. Its a VERY BEST OF BOB WEIR not THE GRATEFUL DEAD.The next two songs [ "Lazy Lightnin" and "Supplication"] come from Bobby's second album "KINGFISH". in my opinion they should have put "Big Iron" [also from "KINGFISH"] on too. The next song [Feel like a Stranger] comes from the Grateful Dead album "GO to HEAVEN" Easy to Slip,Wrong way Feelin,and Shade of Gray all come fom Bobs third album HEAVEN HELP THE FOOL. From BOBBY AND THE MIDNITES comes "I Want to Fly Away". Also in my opinion they should have put "Book of Rules" aswell. Between BOBBY AND THE MIDNITES and TRIOS came WHERE THE BEAT MEETS THE STREET also by BOBBY AND THE MIDNITES but it was totaly overlooked. "Easy Answers" comes from Rob Wassermans album TRIOS [Neil Young palys guitar on this song also.] "Two Djinn" and "Ashes and Glass" both come from EVENING MOODS by RATDOG. Finally [on the first side that is] comes "Wabash Cannonball" from a Childrens album entitled, Dan Zanes and Friends,House Party. Disk one would have to be my favorite disk because most of it is from Bobbys solo career. Disk two, which is dominated by the GRATEFUL DEAD, starts with "Truckin" from LADIES AND GRNTLEMEN...THE GRATEFUL DEAD. The second through fifth songs ["Estimated Prophet", "Hell in a Bucket", "Me and Bobby McGee", "New Minglewood Blues", and "Men Smart Woman Smarter"] are all previousley unrelesed versions. Note: This is Man Smart, Woman Smarters offical realese. "Jack Straw" comes from STEPPIN OUT WIYH THE GRATEFUL DEAD. "Sugar Magnolia" comes LADIES AND GENTLEMEN also. "Throwing Stones" comes from VIEW FROM THE VAULT FOUR. "The Music Never Stopped" from FALLOUT FROM THE PHIL ZONE. And finaly "Masters of War",is a previously unrelesed song from a RATDOG rehersal. I hope this helped in your chosing of this album. Support BOB WEIR.

Heaven Help The Fool is my personal favorite Bobby solo album (you can't really count Ace). It's so self-referentially 70s poseur, but so musically wonderful in Weir's idiosyncratic way, that it's a classic. Except for Wrong Way Feelin--while the words are hilarious, it's easily the most awkward and lamest tune on the album. Which makes the absence of Heaven Help the Fool and Bombs Away, that much more painful and inexplicable. I mean, I'm sure Weir finds it a little embarrassing, perhaps to self-analytical, but, hell, if he can be play the role of the "Estimated Prophet," then why can't he be the Fool?

This generously apportioned double-CD set features Bob Weir's work both within the Grateful Dead and apart, the first disc comprising studio recordings while the second disc is live. Bob Weir was a founder member of the Dead as a co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist, having been in previous incarnations of the band dating back to Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions in early 1964. His earliest solo composition for the Dead is Born Cross-Eyed, though this is not represented on this set. The autobiographical Dead anthem Truckin', however, for which he co-wrote the music, opens the second disc in a rousing 1971 Grateful Dead live version; along with Sugar Magnolia the earliest recordings on the set.

CD1 is a trawl through Bob Weir's side projects: a couple by Kingfish and RatDog, one by Bobby and The Midnites, a few from solo albums and collaborations with Dan Zanes, Rob Wasserman and Neil Young and the like. There is one less than classic track from a Grateful Dead album, Feel Like A Stranger from 1980's Go to Heaven, but the lion's share of the disc comes from the excellent album Ace, which opens CD1. In fact, apart from the first three tracks, all of Ace is included. This is both a good and bad thing as Ace has dated far better than some of the late seventies/eighties recordings, and songs like Cassidy and Looks Like Rain are magnificent. Although conceived as a solo project for some new Bob Weir/John Barlow songs, it is to all intents and purposes a hidden Grateful Dead album as the entire band turned out to play on it. It is a bad thing only in that whereas the other tracks might serve as samplers for the albums from which they come, so much of Ace is represented that few will go on to actually acquire the full thing.

If bought as a substitute for Ace, which awaits re-release, the second disc is ample compensation for those missing tracks. Apart from one rehearsal run-through of Masters Of War played by RatDog, everything is from the vast archive of live Grateful Dead concerts recorded between 1971 and 1990, some of it made available on retrospective live albums released between 1997 and 2003, which only avid collectors will have, but over half an hour of it previously unreleased. All of it has been chosen to effectively illustrate the roles Bob Weir played within the band. The new stuff includes a memorable eleven minute version of Estimated Prophet, a 1989 return to the New Minglewood Blues and a vintage interpretation of Me And Bobby McGee. Probably the greatest live band in the world, a 1989 performance of Man Smart, Woman Smarter sits quite organically beside Jack Straw from 1972.

The strong feeling that arises from playing this representative 2CD set is that the Dead were a collective, and that sometimes the light should be all shining on Bob Weir.

Great, great collection. Too bad that Bobby isn't appreciated more. But this is certainly a good start. Missing alot of what Shaun says above. Need a little Odessa or Salt Lake City... Like I said, many missing songs. But, still a great, great collection.

This compilation is real good stuff. I didn't own any of Bob's solo albums, although I want to buy "Ace" Now. It's a real good overview and the live Dead stuff on the second disc is a great contrast to Disc 1's more abbreviated songs. The song selection is great, although I would like to see "Brown Eyed Women" and "The Other One" on here. Besides that, though it's great.