Quote:
Originally Posted by Frownland
I could see you enjoying Terrapin Station maybe, but ja even as a fan of music that is generally aimless and noodly, the Dead are too aimless and noodly.
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I've given TS a number of tries to no avail.
What I love about live Zep vs. what I hate about live Dead can be summed up with Dazed and Confused vs. Dark Star.
During the 73 and 75 tours, Dazed could last anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes. The band definitely added a ****load of improvisational jamming that varied depending of their mood on any given night, but they always had certian triggers to maintain a sense of continuity.
1: Bass intro and wah-wah interludes
2: Main vocal theme
3: Fast instrumental and 'oriental' riffs
4: "San Francisco/Achilles Last Stand" or "Woodstock"
5: Violin bow episode leading up to a full bowed crescendo of the main theme from Gustav Holst's Mars, the Bringer of War.
6: Fast guitar solo and battle with Plant
7: Slower tempo solo and 'funky' moods
8: Violent breaks and call and response interlude
9: Faster solo in crescendos and occasional break-up tempo, some occasions combined with "Walter's Walk" or "St. Tristan's Sword"
10: New arrangement of Mars, the Bringer of War (slow and fast versions) and final frenzy
11: Return to main theme
12: Coda. Final instrumental and vocal battle inside syncopated rhythms, drum-solo and final explosion.
With Dark Star the Dead would start with the basic framework of the song and then just wander aimlessly. Every now and then it worked but mostly it was just a mess because of the lack of a sense of overall structure.
Some people dig that. I don't.