Microtonal Music

Nobody ever replied to my posts about the eminem tune with
the blatantly-microtonal synth lead at the end (the very
popular one about slim shady), or about the soundtrack to
the movie "A Simple Plan". Has anybody heard these, or
know who's behind them? Pretty big press for microtonality,
I'd say.

Worst intonation ever award goes to The Grateful Dead, for
their 1969 performance at the Fillmore (as heard on Dick's
Picks Vol. 16). Not only is their vocal harmony non-
existent, their instruments are out of tune, and they can't
even carry a vocal melody in places! Maybe this could be
considered charming in a way, but I can hardly stand to
listen to it!

-Carl

Carl,

--- In tuning@y..., carl@l... wrote:
> Nobody ever replied to my posts about the eminem tune with
> the blatantly-microtonal synth lead at the end (the very
> popular one about slim shady)

Wouldn't you say that any microtonal meanderings would be completely
lost in the attention and ruckus over the other 'content' of his
songs?

> or about the soundtrack to
> the movie "A Simple Plan". Has anybody heard these, or
> know who's behind them? Pretty big press for microtonality,
> I'd say.

Maybe big press is debatable, seeing as even the microtonalists
haven't replied back! <g> But, is "Plan" a Cohen brothers film? I
frankly hadn't heard of it or seen it.

> Worst intonation ever award goes to The Grateful Dead, for
> their 1969 performance at the Fillmore (as heard on Dick's
> Picks Vol. 16).

Gosh, Carl, could you pick _older_ news than this??? For those that
might be old enough to remember their live performances, most of the
time they couldn't even get their guitars in tune! (certainly in the
early days). But, so what? Did their awful intonation stop them from
amassing one of the largest fan-bases of any group, any one of whom
would tell you how the Dead "like, completely changed my life,
man..."???

Seriously, at this point the intonation becomes meaningless, because
their essence has clearly affected thousands, maybe millions, of
people in a positive way. Not *me* mind you, but lots of other
people. If there is something more important to do with music, I
don't frankly know what it is.

Cheers,
Jon

Carl!
And all this with nothing but the finest of LSD. No wonder Owsley moved to Australia!

carl@lumma.org wrote:

> Worst intonation ever award goes to The Grateful Dead, for
> their 1969 performance at the Fillmore (as heard on Dick's
> Picks Vol. 16). Not only is their vocal harmony non-
> existent, their instruments are out of tune, and they can't
> even carry a vocal melody in places! Maybe this could be
> considered charming in a way, but I can hardly stand to
> listen to it!

-- Kraig Grady
North American Embassy of Anaphoria island
http://www.anaphoria.com

The Wandering Medicine Show
Wed. 8-9 KXLU 88.9 fm

> And all this with nothing but the finest of LSD. No wonder
> Owsley moved to Australia!

I think they get better as they go. I recently bought 4 of the
Dick's Picks albums, from 69, 73, 77, and 81. I plan to listen
in chronological order.

-Carl

> carl@l... wrote:
>
> > Worst intonation ever award goes to The Grateful Dead, for
> > their 1969 performance at the Fillmore (as heard on Dick's
> > Picks Vol. 16). Not only is their vocal harmony non-
> > existent, their instruments are out of tune, and they can't
> > even carry a vocal melody in places! Maybe this could be
> > considered charming in a way, but I can hardly stand to
> > listen to it!
>
> -- Kraig Grady

>> Nobody ever replied to my posts about the eminem tune with
>> the blatantly-microtonal synth lead at the end (the very
>> popular one about slim shady)
>
>Wouldn't you say that any microtonal meanderings would be
>completely lost in the attention and ruckus over the other
>'content' of his songs?

I don't know anything about the content of his songs, except
that they sound like they were made by a 2-year-old (although
what I could catch of his lyrics in one of his earlier works
(1999) that I heard at a party once were quite clever and
amusing, and surprisingly difficult to follow).

I know that his stuff is produced by Dre, and that it made a
bagillion dollars. And that's it. I've never even heard the
slim shady song -- only the end with the synth lead that Paul
Vandervoort played for me.

> Maybe big press is debatable, seeing as even the microtonalists
> haven't replied back! <g> But, is "Plan" a Cohen brothers film?
> I frankly hadn't heard of it or seen it.

Nope! Coen bros. rock, though! I don't know who made A Simple
Plan, but it wasn't that good. It was a suspense-type jobbie
with Billy Bob Thorton that came out in 1999. The soundtrack
consisted almost entirely of pluckings on a very _micro_tonal
harp.

>Gosh, Carl, could you pick _older_ news than this??? For those
>that might be old enough to remember their live performances,
>most of the time they couldn't even get their guitars in tune!
>(certainly in the early days). But, so what? Did their awful
>intonation stop them from amassing one of the largest fan-bases
>of any group, any one of whom would tell you how the Dead "like,
>completely changed my life, man..."???

Oh, I like the show concept -- great stuff. And the Dead
improved their intonation (and other things about their music)
greatly as they aged, from what I can tell. I seem to remember
hearing stuff at parties from the 80's that was quite killer,
actually. I do find their bluegrass mode pretty cheesy, though.

> Seriously, at this point the intonation becomes meaningless,
> because their essence has clearly affected thousands, maybe
> millions, of people in a positive way. Not *me* mind you, but
> lots of other people. If there is something more important to
> do with music, I don't frankly know what it is.

All true, but I don't see how this makes intonation meaningless.
It's preventing me from enjoying their early stuff, for example.

-Carl

Carl,

--- In tuning@y..., carl@l... wrote:
> I don't know anything about the content of his songs

Well, that is pretty much what has gotten him the press, which we
don't need to rehash here.

> Nope! Coen bros. rock, though!

Yep. They actually applied/paid for use of a section of a Partch
recording once, I believe. Might have been in "The Big Lebowsky"
(sp?) if that was one of theirs? Gad, I know people in the film biz
but I am so *out* of it. Did hear my own marimba playing the other
night on the soundtrack to "Nurse Betty"...

> All true, but I don't see how this makes intonation meaningless.

Oh, heck, bad choice of wording from me. Maybe I should say that in
this context, the intonation becomes such a low priority part of the
delivery vehicle as to become, essentially, meaningless.

> It's preventing me from enjoying their early stuff, for example.

But of course, and I know many people, most all of them musicians,
who know and like much of the music from that era *except* the Dead
for this very intonation reason (well, and others), but this doesn't
explain how SO many people could have had their lives changed by a
band whose intonation prevents YOU from appreciating them (Caps are
only for clarity, not shouting). How would you explain it?

Cheers,
Jon

> Yep. They actually applied/paid for use of a section of a Partch
> recording once, I believe. Might have been in "The Big Lebowsky"
> (sp?) if that was one of theirs? Gad, I know people in the film biz
> but I am so *out* of it. Did hear my own marimba playing the other
> night on the soundtrack to "Nurse Betty"...

Big Lebowski is one of theirs.

> But of course, and I know many people, most all of them musicians,
> who know and like much of the music from that era *except* the Dead
> for this very intonation reason (well, and others), but this
> doesn't explain how SO many people could have had their lives
> changed by a band whose intonation prevents YOU from appreciating
> them (Caps are only for clarity, not shouting). How would you
> explain it?

I think the majority of Dead fans came on later than '69. Also,
intonation is only one factor in music, and music is only one
factor in music (as art, as a cultural phenomenon).

-Carl

C,

> I think the majority of Dead fans came on later than '69.

Could be, they certainly accumulated as time went on.

> Also, intonation is only one factor in music, and music is only
> one factor in music (as art, as a cultural phenomenon).

Couldn't agree more.

J

on 6/17/01 2:23 PM, tuning@yahoogroups.com at tuning@yahoogroups.com wrote:

> From: carl@lumma.org
> Subject: Re: Microtonal Music
>
>>> Nobody ever replied to my posts about the eminem tune with

> I don't know anything about the content of his songs, except
> that they sound like they were made by a 2-year-old

I've never met a 2 year old THAT homophobic!

Seth

--
Seth Austen

http://www.sethausten.com
emails: seth@sethausten.com
klezmusic@earthlink.net

Jon Szanto wrote,

<<I know many people, most all of them musicians, who know and like
much of the music from that era *except* the Dead for this very
intonation reason (well, and others), but this doesn't explain how SO
many people could have had their lives changed by a band whose
intonation prevents YOU from appreciating them (Caps are only for
clarity, not shouting). How would you explain it?>>

I think musicians are pretty high on the reactionary "Rollo" food
chain, at least that's always been my experience.

To my mind George Ives had this all figured out pretty good... anyone
remember his quotes about the stonemason's off-key bellowing at camp
meetings?

"Watch him closely and reverently, look into his face and hear the
music of the ages. Don't pay too much attention to the sounds -- for
if you do, you may miss the music. You won't get a wild, heroic ride
to heaven on pretty little sounds."

And seeing how today's Father's Day, I think it's worth noting that
George's son Charlie went on to take these words to pretty much to
their zenith in his own music.

So, is there a tendency for microtuners to overemphasize one of
music's many moving parts -- the tuning/intonation aspect of music...
do they even tend to be aesthetes?

I'm not going to go any further down that road, but it shouldn't be
too difficult to see where I stand... so I'll just shut up and let
others have their say.

--Dan Stearns

--- In tuning@y..., carl@l... wrote:

> Worst intonation ever award goes to The Grateful Dead...

Do they beat out the Velvet Underground? (But their out-of-tuneness
may well be intentional, given John Cale's involvement with one well-
known microtonalist. Not that they really sound JI either. Someone
should do an indepth analysis of VU intonation...)
kp

Now there's a homophobic band!

kris peck wrote:

> --- In tuning@y..., carl@l... wrote:
>
> > Worst intonation ever award goes to The Grateful Dead...
>
> Do they beat out the Velvet Underground? (But their out-of-tuneness
> may well be intentional, given John Cale's involvement with one well-
> known microtonalist. Not that they really sound JI either. Someone
> should do an indepth analysis of VU intonation...)
> kp

-- Kraig Grady
North American Embassy of Anaphoria island
http://www.anaphoria.com

The Wandering Medicine Show
Wed. 8-9 KXLU 88.9 fm

Seth!
Is he homophobic or is it a comment on homophobia. i sense he laughin at it, not glorifying
it.

Seth Austen wrote:

> I've never met a 2 year old THAT homophobic!

-- Kraig Grady
North American Embassy of Anaphoria island
http://www.anaphoria.com

The Wandering Medicine Show
Wed. 8-9 KXLU 88.9 fm

THe song "Stan " by eminem brought me to tears

carl@lumma.org wrote:

> >> Nobody ever replied to my posts about the eminem tune with
> >> the blatantly-microtonal synth lead at the end (the very
> >> popular one about slim shady)
>
> I don't know anything about the content of his songs, except
> that they sound like they were made by a 2-year-old (although
> what I could catch of his lyrics in one of his earlier works
> (1999) that I heard at a party once were quite clever and
> amusing, and surprisingly difficult to follow).

-- Kraig Grady
North American Embassy of Anaphoria island
http://www.anaphoria.com

The Wandering Medicine Show
Wed. 8-9 KXLU 88.9 fm

> Worst intonation ever award goes to The Grateful Dead...

I suspect intonation is one of the main reasons my piano tuner friend
Gene (who's an admirer of the Grateful Dead) complains loudly when he
hears:

Bananarama
Don & Elizabeth Stewart
Eugene Chadbourne
The Kids of Widney High
Madonna
Marc Almond
Portsmouth Symphonia
The Shaggs
Slayer (guitar solos)
Sun City Girls ("Midnight Cowboys from Ipanema")
Tammy Bakker
Vanity 6

Clark

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: kris peck <kris.peck@telex.com>
> To: <tuning@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Sunday, June 17, 2001 2:30 PM
> Subject: [tuning] Re: Microtonal Music
>
>
> --- In tuning@y..., carl@l... wrote:
>
> > Worst intonation ever award goes to The Grateful Dead...
>
> Do they beat out the Velvet Underground? (But their out-of-tuneness
> may well be intentional, given John Cale's involvement with one well-
> known microtonalist. Not that they really sound JI either. Someone
> should do an indepth analysis of VU intonation...)

Wooo! You said it, Kris!

_Venus In Furs_ (off the famous first album with the Warhol
banana cover) has some truly *horrible* intonation, *especially*
from Cale! And it is brilliant!...

(which means: it sounds awful, but I love it!)

-monz
http://www.monz.org
"All roads lead to n^0"

_________________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Clark <CACCOLA@NET1PLUS.COM>
> To: <tuning@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Sunday, June 17, 2001 12:59 PM
> Subject: Re: [tuning] Microtonal Music
>
>
> I suspect intonation is one of the main reasons my piano tuner friend
> Gene (who's an admirer of the Grateful Dead) complains loudly when he
> hears:
>
> Bananarama
> Don & Elizabeth Stewart
> Eugene Chadbourne
> The Kids of Widney High
> Madonna
> Marc Almond
> Portsmouth Symphonia
> The Shaggs
> Slayer (guitar solos)
> Sun City Girls ("Midnight Cowboys from Ipanema")
> Tammy Bakker
> Vanity 6

Hmmm... really cool microtonal intonation is the main thing
I noticed when hearing the Portsmouth Symphonia and the
Slayer guitar solosb (especially those). Hmmm...

-monz
http://www.monz.org
"All roads lead to n^0"

_________________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com

--- In tuning@y..., Kraig Grady <kraiggrady@a...> wrote:
> THe song "Stan " by eminem brought me to tears

Really? In a good or bad way, did you know?

-Carl

--- In tuning@y..., "kris peck" <kris.peck@t...> wrote:
>> Worst intonation ever award goes to The Grateful Dead...
>
>Do they beat out the Velvet Underground? (But their out-of-
>tuneness may well be intentional, given John Cale's involvement
>with one well-known microtonalist. Not that they really sound
>JI either. Someone should do an indepth analysis of VU
>intonation...)
> kp

Haven't heard much VU, but I've heard some really out-of-tune
punk. Usually, the volumes are so great, and the emphasis of
the music so on loosing control, it doesn't bother me.

-Carl

Greetings,

I don't know if it's appropriate to introduce myself to the group, but
considering that many of you are very active in microtonality etc and have
been on the list for a long time, I expect you all know each other quite
well.

My interest in microtonality is of long standing, though of fitful
implementation. I have performed using different temperaments, investigated
the music/writings of Harry Partch (thanks to my connection with Gunnar
Johansen), studied Arabic music with the late Jafran Jones and listened to
much (though the amount of music is HUGE). Composing music is another thing
and I have long felt constrained by limitations of equipment and technology,
thus I stick with 12TET. My great dream (sadly rendered unlikely by my lack
of carpentry skills) is to build instruments after Harry Partch's designs.
On the other hand I would dearly love to be able to work on the Polytone of
Arthur Fickenscher, but I expect that will never happen.

My primary focus these days is on Baroque through Romantic tuning and
temperament to which I owe a great debt to Owen Jorgensen among others.
Next month, for example, I plan to record on an 1848 Broadwood and am
working at convincing the technician to prepare it in the Young temperament.
A further project involves the Well Tempered Clavier on a variety of
instruments using several different temperaments.

However, I am also very interested in the philosophic/spiritual/historical
issues of tuning and indeed at this moment I am rereading The Myth of
Invariance.

Finally, it seems to me that music education sadly neglects tuning and
tuning theory for reasons obscure to me. I recall with great distaste
having to do ear training/dictation exercises on an out of tune piano played
by a bad pianist/theory teacher. Needless to say I always had a 'bad ear' a
fact I am now quite proud of...In all of the years I studied I do not recall
a single mention in courses of tuning or temperament (except for a piano
technology course where only ET was considered). Sad but true.

I look forward to soaking in the atmosphere of microtonality, though I hope
that some of the letters/rebuttals and outright flames partake a tad more of
the Just...

All best wishes,
Gordon Rumson
Pianist and Composer

Western Culture would be greatly improved if we came to treat human beings
as well as we currently treat our pets. -- Gordon Rumson

Web page: http://www.cadvision.com/Home_Pages/accounts/liszt/rumson.html

Good in that it moved me!

In the sense of the tragedy that falls upon the naive.
a variation of a theme found in the "rite"
naive innocence plundered by a mechanized impersonal brutality
either of man and/or nature
Or the fate of a Frances Farmer
the individual essence is
eternally in one of the four corners
unknowing
perpetually vulnerable

carl@lumma.org wrote:

> Really? In a good or bad way, did you know?

-- Kraig Grady
North American Embassy of Anaphoria island
http://www.anaphoria.com

The Wandering Medicine Show
Wed. 8-9 KXLU 88.9 fm

Gordon,

A warm welcome to a multi-faceted gathering place of microtonality!
Your background and paths are intriguing, as much from where you came
as to where you currently are. I smiled when I saw your mention of
Partch and Johansen.

I became aware of that connection through an article written by Lucie
Marshall, which is reproduced on Corporeal Meadows:

http://www.corporeal.com/gjhp.html

Through the article I came to know Lucie herself, and have visited
with her a couple of times, and once with her guidance went to the
smithy and Johansen home in Gualala. It is fascinating to read and
then visit the place where there were so many interesting times,
people, and occurances.

I think you'll enjoy the mix of people here, and there are many who
will be interested in your current areas of music, and will be
willing to share. There is an unusual current of inspiration in
Partch from a lot of directions (maybe his hundredth birthday, a week
from today?), and you may yet be pulled back into that world as well.

Enough blather from me -- glad to have you, and have fun!

Cheers,
Jon

on 6/18/01 12:25 AM, tuning@yahoogroups.com at tuning@yahoogroups.com wrote:

> Message: 12
> Date: Sun, 17 Jun 2001 15:38:32 -0700
> From: Kraig Grady <kraiggrady@anaphoria.com>
> Subject: Re: Re: Microtonal Music
>
> Seth!
> Is he homophobic or is it a comment on homophobia. i sense he laughin at it,
> not glorifying
> it.

Kraig,

That's a good question, I'll keep it in mind the next time I hear his music
to see if that might be the perspective he's coming from.

Seth

--
Seth Austen

http://www.sethausten.com
emails: seth@sethausten.com
klezmusic@earthlink.net

Jon wrote,

> > But of course, and I know many people, most all of them musicians,
> > who know and like much of the music from that era *except* the
Dead
> > for this very intonation reason (well, and others), but this
> > doesn't explain how SO many people could have had their lives
> > changed by a band whose intonation prevents YOU from appreciating
> > them (Caps are only for clarity, not shouting). How would you
> > explain it?

Jon,

Carl pointed out _one show_ from 1969 that had the "worst intonation
ever". Other shows from the '60s were great -- check out _Live Dead_.
By 1972, their performances were absolutely meticulous -- check out
_Hundred Year Hall_. And throughout the '70s, you hear lots of
intentional microtonality being used in the spacier segments.

Paul,

--- In tuning@y..., "Paul Erlich" <paul@s...> wrote:
> Carl pointed out _one show_ from 1969 that had the "worst
> intonation ever".

Uh, yeah, I got that.

> Other shows from the '60s were great -- check out _Live Dead_.

And others were dreadful, not Dead-ful.

> By 1972, their performances were absolutely meticulous -- check out
> _Hundred Year Hall_. And throughout the '70s, you hear lots of
> intentional microtonality being used in the spacier segments.

Intentional? I-don't-think-so. Of course, you are free to believe
whatever you want, but any band that played so out of tune on a lot
of occasions can't be taken too seriously in the "intentional
microtonality" area, IMNSVHO.

Unlike great bands that have occasional off nights, I believe the
Dead were the opposite. That said, my comment is completely
irrelevant, because they are loved by so many and had such a great
impact on peoples lives; in this, we were fortunate to have them, and
people like me, well, it doesn't matter!

Never did it for me, live or otherwise, though I seem to remember a
couple of good Garcia solos. Now Moby Grape, live in those days,
could wipe the floor with them... (no, we don't need to follow this
thread, and Paul, you weren't even *born* back then, were you? <g>)

Cheers,
Jon

PE,

One more thing:

--- In tuning@y..., "Paul Erlich" <paul@s...> wrote:
> By 1972, their performances were absolutely meticulous -- check out
> _Hundred Year Hall_.

I will check that out; I'm going to be in the Bay area and I'll make
a trip to Amoeba to find a copy...

J

--- In tuning@y..., "Jon Szanto" <JSZANTO@A...> wrote:

> > By 1972, their performances were absolutely meticulous -- check
out
> > _Hundred Year Hall_. And throughout the '70s, you hear lots of
> > intentional microtonality being used in the spacier segments.
>
> Intentional? I-don't-think-so. Of course, you are free to believe
> whatever you want, but any band that played so out of tune on a lot
> of occasions can't be taken too seriously in the "intentional
> microtonality" area, IMNSVHO.

With all due respect, YDKWYTA (You don't know what you're talking
about). Phil Lesh was a serious modern classical musician, influenced
by Stockhausen, etc. before joining the Dead. In '74 and '75 avant-
garde keyboardist Ned Lagin would sit in with them . . . Jerry is one
of the most highly respected improvisers, not only in rock, but in
jazz and bluegrass as well, and you better believe he used
microtonality intentionally . . . Jon, you're making a snap judgment,
as you did with me in the past. True, in the '60s (and sometimes
later) they were often drugged out of their minds and couldn't tune
their instruments. But the early '70s studio albums show a whole
different side to them . . .
>
> Unlike great bands that have occasional off nights, I believe the
> Dead were the opposite.

Probably true . . . I'm lucky enough to be on the other end of a
whole bunch of hindsight and selective presentation . . . and still I
only enjoy a fraction of what I hear by them (I dislike Weir's
rockin' numbers).

Spare us - take this to a Dead list...

David Beardsley

Paul,

--- In tuning@y..., "Paul Erlich" <paul@s...> wrote:
> With all due respect, YDKWYTA (You don't know what you're talking
> about).

Ahhh, well, OK. No way to argue with you on that.

> Jerry

Spoken, reverentially, as only a guitarist can speak it... :)

> is one of the most highly respected improvisers, not only in rock,
> but in jazz and bluegrass as well

Oh, I'm aware of that. When Bruce Hornsby has both Jerry and Pat
Metheny guest on the same project, it has to count for something (not
to mention Bruce touring with the band).

> and you better believe he used microtonality intentionally . . .

Faith-based microtonality, again? <just kidding>

> Jon, you're making a snap judgment, as you did with me in the past.

Nonononono, wait Paul! I heard their first albums when they first
came out! I remember when this stuff was all occuring, and I
eventually just got tired of it! There is nothing snap about having
heard the Dead back then, along with all the other bands from the Bay
area, and the long history of rock-and-roll.

The Dead have been a topic now for *decades*. When I did my biggest
amount of private teaching, I used to hang with a guitarist who was
an absolute passionate devotee of both the Dead and Jerry, and I
listened to countless hours at his house.

That we diverge on this, as people have over the Dead for a loooooong
time, isn't unusual, and it *certainly* is not a snap judgement.

> But the early '70s studio albums show a whole different side to
> them . . .

Hey, I said I'd pick up the album! Give me a break!!

> Probably true . . . I'm lucky enough to be on the other end of a
> whole bunch of hindsight and selective presentation . . . and still
> I only enjoy a fraction of what I hear by them

Well, I sat through a lot of it, and that was *my* perspective.
That's all.

Cheers,
Jon

--- In tuning@y..., "Jon Szanto" <JSZANTO@A...> wrote:

> > But the early '70s studio albums show a whole different side to
> > them . . .
>
> Hey, I said I'd pick up the album! Give me a break!!

(1) Your message saying you'd pick up _Hundred Year Hall_ was posted
_after_ the message you're quoting above.

(2) _Hundred Year Hall_ is a live album. The studio albums I was
referring to are _Workingman's Dead_ and _American Beauty_ -- light,
folksy, vocal-oriented music.

> > Probably true . . . I'm lucky enough to be on the other end of a
> > whole bunch of hindsight and selective presentation . . . and
still
> > I only enjoy a fraction of what I hear by them
>
> Well, I sat through a lot of it, and that was *my* perspective.
> That's all.

Good! So we're pretty much agreed! I have to say, I sat through tons
of Grateful Dead and hated every moment of it for a long time . . .
appreciation came only very recently. But I do feel confident that
there was a good deal of microtonality that was not simply a result
of being out-of-tune . . . that's the part I disagreed with you on.
Anyway, let's call this thread officially over.

--- In tuning@y..., "Paul Erlich" <paul@s...> wrote:

/tuning/topicId_25272.html#25336

The thread came to a Dead End... so to speak, gratefully...

Actually, my last contact with the Dead was at a party where the
organization was very busy selling Jerry Garcia neckties.

A friend of mine wrote "art songs" for voice and piano (can you
believe!) based upon a couple of famous Dead songs. [I *knew* you
were going to ask me for the titles, but my mind is the usual swiss
cheeze]...

It was a *very* upscale and posh event with stockbrokers and lawyers,
attired, of course, in the latest Jerry Garcia best, reminiscing
about the "good ol' days" ... tripping through the years...

And poor old "Groovy Gravy" or whatever his name was... the famous
mascot was a relic from a time gone by. He actually looked more like
a Bowery Bum than anything...

Well, times change...

Anything more, over on "Tuning Gossip"... Dead Letter Division...
(after Bartelby the Scrivner...)

__________ _______ _____
Joseph Pehrson

>(2) _Hundred Year Hall_ is a live album. The studio albums I was
>referring to are _Workingman's Dead_ and _American Beauty_ --
>light, folksy, vocal-oriented music.

Until recently, Workingman's Dead was the only album I had. I'm
not crazy about it, but the intonation is very good.

-Carl