Bob Weir's Weather Report Suite Demo

[jkendrick]

I always point to Mississippi Half Step to show what Bobby is about. His parts often aren't necessary but what he adds is great. In a band with a bass player like Phil (what's the old joke? Phil Lesh is playing? Cool, who's playing bass?), a keyboard player, two guitars, and two drummers, it's hard to find space to add meaningful parts without completely mucking it up. There's some recording of Half Step from Englishtown '77 (not sure if it's the Dick's Picck) that you can put the balance to one side and clearly hear what Bobby is doing. It's fantastic.

 

[hank57]

Do you think this is what he had put together before getting help on lyrics? He really had so much put together at this point.

Sharing is caring! Thanks

 

[robinson slick]

nice, thanks.

 

[55hz]

This is pretty much the finished product. I heard all of Jerry's parts in my head...and then Billy...and then Phil..

 

[Lost_Cause]

Wake of the Flood is killer. It is crazy how he nailed the melody without any lyrics. That is a skilled lyricist to make that work. This is fun. My brother would love this.

 

[Murray Rothbard]

luv bobby's style

I wish he'd shave though

Agree.

Disagree.

That's a purely sexy beard.

 

[Murray Rothbard]

Damn major props to Bob never knew he could play like that...
I was not into the dead UNTIL I heard Jazz is Dead with Jimmy Herring and I love this song also..
this is great stuff thanks for posting....
I need to revisit the Jazz is dead today ..

Jazz is Dead is great. I love how they take the Jazz influences already present, and accentuate them, rather than scrapping everything. Bob drew heavily on McCoy Tyner, so I'm sure he contributed a good deal of the Jazz.

 

[Murray Rothbard]

I always point to Mississippi Half Step to show what Bobby is about. His parts often aren't necessary but what he adds is great. In a band with a bass player like Phil (what's the old joke? Phil Lesh is playing? Cool, who's playing bass?), a keyboard player, two guitars, and two drummers, it's hard to find space to add meaningful parts without completely mucking it up. There's some recording of Half Step from Englishtown '77 (not sure if it's the Dick's Picck) that you can put the balance to one side and clearly hear what Bobby is doing. It's fantastic.

Bob is the master of finding space, and filling it tastefully. He has a great ear for mixes, and inversions. He pushed Jerry nicely.

I find his role pivotal in making the Dead sound like the Dead, but that's just me.

 

[Murray Rothbard]

Do you think this is what he had put together before getting help on lyrics? He really had so much put together at this point.

Sharing is caring! Thanks

He worked with two lyricists on the project. Barlow and Eric Andersen. I imagine this was Post Barlow, pre Andersen, because Part 2 is done, but Part 1 isn't.

 

[Murray Rothbard]

Here's a fun little nugget.

Listen to The Other One>Me and My Uncle>The Other One. Pay special attention in the transition back to Other One. Prelude tease.

 

[Big L]

Ha hahahahahaha he be chilling..

 

[jalmer]

Awesome.

 

[lhallam]

Bobby pretty much redefined rhythm guitar in a rock band format.

The Dead were lucky to have two interesting songwriters. Donna wrote a pretty cool song as well. Not so thrilled with the stuff the various keyboard players wrote.

 

[leftcoast]

Bobby's songwriting style was a critically necessary counterbalance to Jerry's. Otherwise, things would have not turned out nearly as well.