Doin’ That Rag suffered the fate of being an overly complex, “baroque” Dead song. I assume that’s why it was dropped from the repertoire.
It was only played 39 times, all in 1969. I guess it just didn’t have legs to it. The song sounds a bit disjointed to me, but the actual “doin’ that rag” line and melody is one that I’ve always thought was quite good. It’s one that gets stuck in my head easily, which I can’t say for a lot of the other songs from the 66-69 period so the earworm effect of this song is a bit surprising.
One of my high school buddies who was into the Dead pointed out this song to me one day long ago and I think that’s another reason why it stuck with me, even though it’s not a song I often seek out. When I do hear it it reminds me a being in high school. The nostalgia factor is high with this one.
Please indulge one more philosophical digression. I have to agree I am not a “Deadhead”, at least by my own definition. Of course at every show (I attended about 35, beginning in 1979) there were legions of people who had invested ALL of their energies into the band, and I was never close to that. Still, to this day, I find way more enjoyment in the nooks and crannies of Dead songs than those of any other band. At the same time, I listen critically and am turned off by some of the mis-steps. I appreciate those struggles because they are what allow the big payoffs to occur. No pain, no gain. I just can’t see being blindly enthusiastic about every single note they play or sing. I’m positive the band recognized their failings. Why shouldn’t we? The great parts are still the greatest, for reasons we try to put into words.
Well said Steven.
Another Garcia solo vocal, the fourth in a row. Again, the singing is inspired and the band waxes hugely dynamic in their accompaniment. Pigpen (I think) gamely plays along on conga drum, adding a welcome counterpoint. The dynamics, deliberate tempo shifts and dramatic stops are definitely worthy of a big grin. At 4:45, Jerry leads the band through a couple of minutes of two-chord jamming, wrapping up with a sudden, near-perfect a capella harmony chorus that made me laugh out loud with delight the first time I heard it. The first four songs of this release alone are well worth the price of admission.
Great post, Stephen, regarding the “no pain, no gain” sentiment.
If I may, I’d apply that thought process to the idea behind releasing complete shows vs. compilations. To hear something wonderful in it’s full context is what it’s all about as far as I’m concerned. Any band can put out a CD full of great moments. What set the Dead apart was their willingness to take chances, their willingness to fail at times but then achieve something truly special. If someone doesn’t want to hear Me and My Uncle for the umpteenth time, just hit FF.
Mike, on one hand I certainly agree with you viz. complete shows. At the same time I think that compilations have a real place/value as well. A lot of folks complain that there aren’t (m)any mid-eighties releases. It seems that the reason for this is that the tapes are very good for many of these shows. However, it seems a release of representative material from say, 1984 or 1985 should be feasible.
That said, I love RT1.2, as it’s all killer no filler, but at the same time wouldn’t mind having complete shows of all those. Of course, most of the 10/11/77 Norman show is available between that RT and DP30, I think there are 5 songs or so that aren’t released yet, but that includes an Estimated/Eyes, which perhaps helps your argument!
I’m not a full-show completist, but I understand the context argument. Plus, I really want compilations that I make myself, not necessarily those chosen by others, even the pros in charge. Dick picked mostly great stuff, but I didn’t always agree with his choices. The Road Trips series was more hit-or-miss, though there were a few really great ones. Dave has found some off-the-beaten path shows, and I like about a third of them. The problem I have with the full-show mandate is that now there is no context for shows that do not exist in complete form. We won’t get to hear some really fantastic moments if compilations are forever ruled out.
Agreed. Taking a hard line on complete shows is myopic, if you ask me. There should be some wiggle room for compilations, but I suspect those will be few and far between because of all the complaints they generate for the sole reason that they aren’t complete shows.
My ear isn’t as discerning as Steven’s so I enjoy pretty much everything that’s put out. Of course I like some much better than others, but I gather that I haven’t listened as closely to as many shows as a lot of other people. Plus, not having seen the band I tend to gravitate to the best sources available. Hopefully that doesn’t make me seem like an apologist although it just might. C’est la vie.
I am most definitely a “completest” when it comes to full shows vs. compilations but, for the record, I would not have a problem with a compilation from shows that are incomplete in the vault.
As for mid 80s releases, there’s been some mention that the source tapes aren’t worthy of an official release but a compilation might be justified. Now that a matrix recording has been officially released there is no reason, IMHO, not to go with a complete show from early to mid 80s.
I enjoyed the bonus disc from the Thelma release and that is certainly not a complete show. But for me, once Keith joined the band and on to the very end, I have no interest in a “highlights” CD at all (unless, as previously mentioned, there are shows that only exist in incomplete form). I feel strongly about this, but realize that others disagree and that’s fine–and I have no problem with being called “myopic”–I get the point and realize there’s no offense intended. But my opinion is an honest one and from the heart.
If anyone is myopic, it’s not fans like you Mike, it’s poor Dave, who’s trying and failing to be all things to all people. He does succeed in releasing some partial shows on bonus discs. If I were him, I would have two series — Dave’s Picks for complete shows and some other series for scraps that are from incomplete shows in the vault. The problem there is there is always hope the missing reels will be found. But that is so rare it probably doesn’t even rate consideration. Dave gets my vote for finally delving into the matrix world. This opens up so many possibilities and I happen to like the sound compared to a too-dry and unbalanced board tape. I’m not a huge 80s fan, but a few of the best from that era couldn’t hurt.
Mike, I wasn’t necessarily saying YOU were myopic as your’s is a perfectly valid position to hold. I think the decision to bow entirely to that position by decision-makers IS however, myopic. As Steven mentions, and I said something similar in other places, an additional series might be warranted. I would argue that it wouldn’t need to be as regular or consistent in terms of frequency of release as the DaP series, perhaps one or two per year, but it seems like a good strategy for getting some gems out there.
As for matrixing 80s shows, I’m not opposed to that at all, as long as the cuts in the SBD aren’t terrible and the AUD is a complementary piece and not a driving factor. I really liked what they did with DaP 8 in that regard. I don’t listen to a lot of AUDs so I can’t state whether the ones from the mid 80s are generally high enough quality to be used in an official release. If you’ve got some thoughts on that I’d be very interested to hear them though!