This two-CD compilation is the first to specifically focus on
Bob Weir (guitar/vocals), both as a co-founder of
the Grateful Dead and on his own. While Deadheads typically run hot and cold when it comes to
Weir's material, many will inevitably consider
Weir Here: The Best of Bob Weir (2004) as essential, due to the incorporation of half a dozen previously unissued tracks ranging chronologically from "Me & Bobby McGee," circa March of 1972, through the informal rehearsal of
Bob Dylan's "Masters of War" by
RatDog.
Weir's non-
Dead career began while he was still very much a member of the band. The two volumes are respectively categorized as "studio" and "live." The former commences with over half of
Weir's
Ace LP from 1972, which in reality is a
Grateful Dead album highlighting some of
Weir's compositions that had already began surfacing in their repertoire. In particular, the well-jammed reading of "Playing in the Band" spotlights some stellar fretwork from
Jerry Garcia (lead guitar). During the latter half of the 1970s,
Kingfish became
Weir's primary side project. They likewise continued in his absence for several more decades under the direction of
Matthew Kelly (guitar/harmonica/vocals) and
Barry Flast (guitar/keyboards/vocals). From their eponymous LP comes the coupling of "Lazy Lightning" and "Supplication," which
the Dead would also adopt for a while after their touring sabbatical in late 1974 through mid-1976. Other seminal studio tracks include
Weir's reading of the
Lowell George ballad "Easy to Slip" and the lengthy "Two Djinn" from the post-
Dead RatDog platter
Evening Moods (2000). Unlike
Garcia,
Weir did not maintain a steady aggregate while
the Grateful Dead were actively touring. Granted, exceptions exist, just not on the "live" portion of this title. In fact, ten of the 11 concert performances are by
the Dead -- not that a majority of potential listeners will mind, especially (as referenced above) since five of those are available here for the first time. Seasoned enthusiasts and copious media traders will have inevitable favorites in addition to or in place of the offerings featured here. That said, "Estimated Prophet" (March 21, 1990), "Hell in a Bucket" (October 12, 1989), and their groovin' take on the calypso nugget "Man Smart, Woman Smarter" (June 4, 1989) are all exemplary in their depiction of
Weir's ability to maneuver
the Dead into some spirited spaces -- a fact often glossed over by all but the most fervent Deadheads. Incidentally, the sole non-
Dead "Masters of War" hails from an undesignated date. ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide