Whether folks like Brent or not I think it’s safe to say he brought a number of great covers to the band. Dear Mr. Fantasy is one of those. Originally a Traffic song the Dead did what they always do, and made it their own.
Actually, I can’t be sure who brought what songs to the table, but Brent’s B3 likely played a roll in what songs got covered, and it works so well with Dear Mr. Fantasy. Similarly, I don’t know for a fact that Brent brought in Hey Pocky Way, or Let The Good Times Roll, but his presence on those songs is unmistakeable. A lot of folks tend to not like Brent’s originals and I find them hit or miss (although I tend to like some of the songs others hate and vice versa), but I think he was an expert interpreter of other people’s work.
The first instrumental break is very big sounding. Jerry takes a nice solo and that ever-present swirl of the B3 is like a favorite old t-shirt. The boys generate some nice peaks and valleys. Jerry doubles the vocals with Brent on the next time through the verse and he sounds a bit rough and they’re out of sync. Bobby comps some neat upper register chords while this is going on, providing a welcome distraction. Jerry then settles into another solo and makes Tiger growl and moan. He’s definitely reaching into his bag of blues licks. Almost abruptly however, the song melts away as they quickly shift gears into I Need A Miracle.
Complete Setlist 7/24/87
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A bit of a struggle aligns the chord changes, then sweetness follows. Brent warms up the Hammond, signaling good things to come. Then he begins singing and pushes the drama up to a level that some may like. The band matches his intensity and maybe that’s just what he needed all along. He leads them over the cliff and Garcia has no choice but to just wail like his life depends on it, which he does in a way that no one else could have done. It is astonishing. Then the two brothers in arms sing the verses in beautiful, raw harmony, declaring their allegiance to a life not “straight” but filled with edgy indulgence and the high rewards of a liberated consciousness. They don’t mention the down-side. The song dies out only to birth “I Need a Miracle”, which is something they both ultimately needed and did not get.
Sorry Lunchbox,
But Brent’s singing and especially on this song is truly one of the worst songs I have ever heard. Brent’s rendition of this song is an insult to Traffic and, in my opinion, just how low the Dead had sunk at this period. I would pop in Culture Club with Boy George before I would play this song. I have the DVD and dive for the remote when this comes on. I know you youngins can see the bright side of Brent, but I can tolerate his additions until he actually sings lead. I thought Joe Walsh was the worst lead singer in the history of rock, but when Brent takes that role I realize there was a lower level than Joe. Brent seemed like a nice guy and if they limited him to the piano and Hammond and some backup singing I could go with the flow, but once he flirted with the midi and sang lead I left the Dead for 20 plus years.
Sorry about the harshness, but despite the fact that Brent might have added some mojo to the band, his added influence did nothing for most who knew a might higher level of music than Brent was ever part of.
Ha! That Culture Club shout out made me laugh.
It never ceases to amaze me the way that some songs evoke such passionate responses. This is one that I wouldn’t expect too much negativity, but it goes to show what happens when you assume. I got a kick out of both responses and the juxtaposition of them as well. No apologies necessary for having an opinion!
Seeing that this song is on Without A Net, and that was one of the live Dead albums I first cut my teeth on I’ve always really enjoyed this one.
Wow, harsh is right, Joe, but I’m with Lunchbox in that I enjoy the passionate and strong opinion even if I disagree.
I do agree that the GD were much, much better from 72-77 than they were in the Brent years but I still enjoy this era. Your comment about us “youngins” is probably spot on. If I were 10 years older I might not tolerate Brent (we’ll never know) but as it stands, I listen to this and it reminds me of those first couple years of going to shows and hearing tapes for the first time; I can’t help but enjoy this.
As for who introduced this song, my memory is a little hazy, and I haven’t listened to much 80s Dead for a long time, but I thought Dear Mr. Fantasy started as a Jerry tune and basically evolved into a Brent tune. That’s how I remember it as far as cassettes go.
Lunch and Mike,
I truly get the fact that your first exposure to a band that excites you, either by a show or a party with some friends etc that grabs you will have a lasting impression. I still have some old records and Cd’s from bands that I thought were awesome live’ but with the recording, maybe not so much.
By the time without net had come out I had listened to a lot of pre Brent Dead and had those styles imprinted in my head. Grabbed without and was shocked what the band had become. Keep in mind, music, from the early 80’s to the 90’s was on a back burner with a couple of kids entering our lives. So popping back in missed the whole elevation of Brent thru time. I just couldn’t warm up to that midi sound and his voice. Kinda feel like someone’s first impression being a lasting positive, this was my first impression of Brent and it is just as lasting on the negative side.