He's Gone was always a snoozefest for me and just a perfect opportunity to dispense with the by-product of beers consumed at places like Cal Expo, Kaiser, Shoreline. The slower version of TLEO also qualified.
In my thirty+ '85-'95 shows, I rarely ever left a show to hit the bathroom, but if I ever really needed a break, "I Will Take You Home" was an easy answer (pun intended - I actually found that one perversely enjoyable in most instances), as was "We Can Run But We Can't Hide".
Lovely tunes, I supposed, but they just didn't seem to fit in with everything else going on, at least not to me.
And honestly, Bobby-era "Good Lovin'" never really did it for me either. I think I saw only one or two in all my shows, so that was fortunate for me. Pondering Pig's epic versions alongside the post-Shakedown St. versions always made me scratch my head as to why they even bothered.
But all that said, I loved that the Dead challenged us all musically, and had songs that not everyone of us loved every time. I can't BELIEVE how many people don't like Black Peter - that song pulled me in from the first time I heard it, and remains a favorite to this day. It's the perfect song as far as I'm concerned! Find me another song that sort of approximates a blues and then has a gorgeous undefinable bridge like that! Brilliant stuff from the deepest Hunter/Garcia depths! But then I'm sure some people will take issue with my choices, so I guess I get it. The band had a little something for everyone, and that was part of the magic.
Thanks to everybody who went out on the limb and answered this one. Long live the Dead, occasional clunkers and all!
Scott
Scott Judd
Chicago, IL
http://tangleweed.org
http://magnetosphere.com
... always drums. maybe it was just the pounding rhythm that set the system to "go" you know?
worst nightmare was standing in line in the ladies' room upon arrival to the venue, running late after an unusually difficult entry proccess and hearing the first chords to the show's opener ... "Help on the way ..." yeah, help on the way would have been a few more stalls!
It was Dark Star !! I only saw 2 really good Star's in my day one was in Jan 79 right b4 Keith and Donna were kicked out of the band and again in 91 @ MSG right after Brent died!! When i go see Ratdog and they start up Dark star i run out of the room !! It was bad enough for me when Jerry was Playing it!! That and Dear Mr Fantasy/Hey jude kill me!!
Rogue
This is becoming really interesting! I love hearing how we all dealt with necessary breaks, songs we didn't particularly like, not wanting to miss a single thing, never wanting to leave our seats.... I'm personally aghast that anyone would ever leave during a Brent tune, but I'm notoriously freaky that way.
"For me, since I started going to shows only in '93... it would be Easy Answers. I've been to a bunch of shows but unfortunately had to see this one too many times. I would probably have to say the same for Eternity and for Way To Go Home."
Yeah, fustrated the sheit out of me...i got into the band and was listening to so many early (68-71) shows , losing my mind to 11 jams...and every other show i attended i caught a cheezy answers or a way to go vince... shoe fits, samba in the rain...walkin bluz...lots of bathroom breaks before too long...
As much as I loved Brent's B-3 playing, whenever it was one of his songs he sang, that was my cue to head to the head.
"Listenin' for the secret, searchin' for the sound..."
Without a doubt..........even at some of their best shows.........it was time to "go" when Johnny B Goode came on, cause it was truly a letdown.......should have called it Johhny B Bad!
ShakedownStacy
For me it was "Death Don't have No Mercy," something about always gave me the hebbie jebbies. Even on record I just can't stand around & listen to it.
Deadhead since '69
Location
Realizing I am about to commit heresy, upon hearing the first notes of Stella Blue I always took my break. to me, the only good thing about Stella Blue was that it usually meant a Sugar Magnolia would follow. Space a close second.