The Stones have been labeled the greatest rock band ever. I don’t know if that was a self-selected title or one bestowed upon them, and while I would never argue against the significance and importance of the Stones, I don’t agree with that particular label. The Dead covered a number of Stones tunes over the years. It’s All Over Now is one (although this was a cover in its own right, written by Bobby Womack), and Satisfaction crept into the setlist once in a while during the later years. I never really liked It’s All Over Now, and Satisfaction is… well… satisfying, generally, but nothing to write home about.
But the band debuted The Last Time in February of 1990, and this performance marks the third time the band ever played the tune. This song grabbed me like the other Stones covers didn’t. I don’t know if it was the shared vocal duties, or the bounce and lilt of the song, but something here just does it for me that the others don’t.
The instrumental section essentially is a few traded licks between Jerry and Brent before working their way back to the verse progression, but not before Brent adds some extra B3 for good measure. The rest of the song is well played with some of Bobby’s typical vocal ad-libs, which were standard for this era. All in all, a fun
Complete Setlist 3/22/90
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Lunchbox,
The label of the Stones best ever was well earned, they had great great songs and a stage act that was second to none. However, with that said they were probably over rated on some fronts and maybe their music doesn’t hold up as well as the dead in some ways, but as far as pure energy concerts they were in a league by themselves. By the time I saw them in 72 or 73 Exile on Main Street was a big part of their show and that album added to an already strong set of show tunes. I had already scene Zepplin, Hendrix, CSNY, the Band, CCR and many many other bands numerous times. Hadn’t scene the dead yet, but walking out the door the night of the Stones show truly had me say to myself that I will never ever see a show of that caliber. And I never did. Jagger was simply in a league of his own and they had this power that simply overwhelmed you. The back up band that night was Stevie Wonder who was awesome, but when the Stones started you were in disbelieve.
Of course the Beatles had the bigger and better song list, but stopped touring which created a gap that the Stones gladly filled. With all that said though, calling them the best needs a finer qualifier than simply being the best, as even if they were the best show on earth, other bands were better in other areas. The dead had a fan base and loyalty along with many other qualities that many of us love and would have a hard time simply rolling over to not put the Dead at the same level. That would be a great discussion, but the Stones fan base was so much larger that the Dead that it would be a hard argument to win. Not saying that number equate greatness, especially with the huge numbers of today’s artists that simple don’t stack up, but it was so different in the 60’s and 70’s as Rock and Roll was king and nothing came close for the young of the world.
Joe – Color me jealous that you had the chance to see so many great bands in their prime. It certainly makes sense that the era in which one saw the Stones matters. I saw them twice in the 90s and by that time they were basically a greatest hits act (not meant as a slight). Mick could still move but from where I was sitting, up in the nosebleeds, the power to captivate didn’t translate. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the concerts, but at that time my obsessive band was Aerosmith and I had seen them multiple times 15th row or closer so to me the boys from Boston were the better live band in that period of my life. Of course, that’s the arena rock type of bands. The first time I remember being blown away by the musicianship happened on my 19th birthday, the first time I saw the Derek Trucks Band live. I was already into the Dead, but nothing like now. The DTB blew my mind and in doing so, I think, made me more receptive and appreciative of a band like the Dead. Thanks for sharing, once again.
Lunchbox,
Agree with Aerosmith as a big show and never saw them later in their career where they came back and gained more popularity than the early years. Not that they weren’t big earlier, but when they came back the whole concert mega show was the perfect setting for their music at the time. Saw them twice, once at Suffolk Downs outdoor horse track concert where Dream On had recently exploded on the radio and was immediately impressed and felt Tyler was very much Jagger like, but didn’t have the same energy level. Saw them again in college with the Toys in the Attic tour. A lot tighter act naturally and a fun Rock and Roll act.
Rock and Roll being the key term as in my mind the Dead were never a Rock and Roll band. Kinda think Rock started as a wide blanket that cover a much wider kinds of music early, but with time and more and more bands joined the ranks with similar styles of music terms like Psychadelic, Prog. Metal etc were adopted. Some of those had rock after them like Prog rock, some others didn’t. And often times the label never fit the band. Probably the worst label ever was Jethro Tull being labeled Heavy Metal and winning the first Metal award ever given on MTV. That award was laughed at, but then again the whole MTV thing has probably been the single worst thing to happen to music on a lot of fronts, the biggest being the act and looks were more important than the music. I also mention Tull as I had the luck to see them numerous times, the first being the Aqualung tour, which was amazing beyond believe. Ian Anderson was pissed that that Album was labeled a concept album and probably was one of the most easily defined concept Albums, but his revolt was the Thick as a Brick, one song, two sided album, which had Anderson saying “now that’s a concept album”.
Was really lucky to be in the right place at the right time to see a lot of great bands. Biggest regrets were not getting to either The Who or Pink Floyd in the early 70’s, not for a lack of trying, just couldn’t pull it off. Luckily saw the J. Geils band often early and in the Stones and Aerosmith style they were a very powerful act with a lead singer that brought a lot to the table.
Someone who sounds like Mickey Hart yells to Weir that he should play “Lazy Lightning” but before he can consider that, Garcia begins this tune instead. That other thing was very unlikely anyway, as it bit the dust six years earlier. The Dead plod through this in their sub-rock style, making it lope instead of gallop. If it were an original song (or not rocked hard by the Rolling Stones already) I could accept it. Here, I am kind of bored by it. The sounds are nice, though. Mydland stays put on the whistle-y organ tones and the drummers politely tap out the groove. Lesh’s bass growls unthreateningly. It does not sound like the last time of any particular thing – the song or a show or a tour. It’s an empty threat. The crowd eats it up, however.
Very interesting stuff, Joe. It must have been great to see Stevie Wonder just as he was approaching his peak.
I’ve always thought the Stones were great song writers and made great records but I’ve always dismissed them as a live act. Everything I’ve heard and all the video I’ve seen suggests that they’re just not very good live. I’ve never seen them, though, so my opinion, admittedly, has relatively limited value, kind of like someone listening to Dead Set and asking, “What’s the big deal?”
I used to mockingly say that Jerry never needed to prance around Giant’s stadium in a Jets uniform, complete with shoulder pads, because the Dead’s live music was enough to captivate a stadium crowd.
But I enjoyed reading an opinion from someone who saw the Stones in the early 70s. Maybe there’s more out there than I realize.
Interesting, also to see the mentions of Aerosmith. They were my favorite band in junior high and high school. Saw them in ’84 and they were just great. Not much of a fan after Draw the Line, though.
Definitely agree with you Mike re: Aerosmith. Their first 4.5 albums are great. Get Your Wings is probably my favorite, but that along with Toys and Rocks is quintessential Aerosmith. Half of Draw The Line was good, but that’s about it, IMO. I didn’t listen to anything BUT Aerosmith from about 5th-8th grade. What changed? A classmate introduced me to Uncle John’s Band and Skeletons in the Closet. The rest is history.
Funny. I was a huge Aerosmith fan from their beginnings until Draw the Line. My first concert was Aerosmith at the Boston Garden in 1977 or so. I still would love to hear some of those early club gigs, if tapes exist. Wolfgang’s Vault has some interesting stuff from early on. Just like y’all, the Dead distracted me from “hard rock” for a good long while. These days I like re-visiting Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin and even Lynyrd Skynyrd from time to time.