I’m sure every Deadhead has wondered what a particular song would sound like if it had been played on a given tour or in a given era. Crazy Fingers is one such song for me. The song worked its way in and out of the touring repertoire over the last two decades of the band’s existence. It was played a total of 144 times, but disappeared for long stretches of time, e.g. September 1976 – July 1982, played only once in 1983, and not touched again until 1985, after which point it appeared slightly more regularly, showing up several times a year.
I can’t help but think what the band would have done with this song’s reggae feel during the Spring 1977 tour though. It seems like the perfect song to interchange with Row Jimmy.
I will admit that any time Crazy Fingers makes it onto an official release I get a little giddy to see how it unfolds. This one is on the longer side of those officially released and it well worth the listen.
The mix here is spot on. Keith is present, and all the guitarists are discernable. Phil rolls along nicely. He doesn’t get very complex or fancy, instead playing a lot of half and whole notes. He really lets the groove breathe here.
Jerry’s solo winds through the chord changes like a Peugot on a rural Irish road.
Bobby adds his voice to Jerry and Donna’s for the final, elongated “try” before another solo section. The pace picks up here a bit. Jerry continues to weave an intricate tapestry and Phil starts to push the dynamics a bit more after a minute or two. Everyone settles into a nice little jam section and it seems as though everyone gets a chance to lead for a measure or two.
The band does a quick crescendo into a quasi-quote of the intro riff before landing softly at the end of the song.
Complete Setlist 6/9/76
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I love bicentennial Dead but have always thought of Crazy Fingers as a late period song. The lyrics to this song really hit me after Jerry died: “Gone are the days we decide where to ride…” and “Love still rings true.”
Keeping with the very mellow mood, this song barely exists at first. I’m in danger of being bored until Donna’s sweet harmonizing arrives on the first chorus. It’s not an easy song to navigate musically, and despite some minor mis-steps, the guys hold it together remarkably well. I suspect they had to rehearse this one a lot. It’s really gorgeous in a lot of ways. The solo is very understated. It’s a good time to focus on what everyone but Jerry is doing. Phil gets MVP for my money here. He always does something only he would think of. His repeating riff just before the return to the chorus is priceless. The rest is very quiet but it gets interesting again after the singing ends. There’s a jam that sprouts from the two-chord ending that evolves into a Latin-themed excursion. You would not want to miss this. Sure, it’s a little one-dimensional, but it is unusual too. Phil makes a rumbly statement after a few minutes and creates a near-ending with the help of the drummers. Some confusion leads to a fun wreck of an ending.