Attics Of My Life is a beautiful, serene song that the Dead rarely played. It is dependent on precise vocals to really deliver live and that takes a lot of practice. Since rehearsals weren’t the Dead’s forte as they evolved it’s no wonder that the song wasn’t played frequently.
So imagine how pumped Deadheads were at the Warlocks shows in Hampton, Virginia when the Dead played Attics Of My Life for the first time since 1972. A week later they played the song again, as presented here on the Nightfall of Diamonds release. (The song appeared occasionally in set lists until 1995, but never with any regularity.)
The music for the song is actually pretty basic and there’s not much expectation for jamming here, but the vocals are on point and nicely delivered. I’d love to know what the impetus for bringing this song back was and how much rehearsal went into getting it just exactly perfect. Regardless, it’s a treat to hear.
