BSO - A Symphonic Tribute To The Grateful Dead

[garymd]

http://www.bsomusic.org/main.taf?p=5,9,1,1&prid=20080801_1&type=event&season=0708

World Premiere! Might be interesting. Could be horrible. A surprise guest and tribute museum too.

Would anyone here consider going? I'm undecided. Leaning toward saving my money.

[TheEvan]

Let's see, orchestrations of simplistic & uninspired "compositions" and subsequent endless noodling? Nahhh, not unless they include a hit of acid for concertgoers as part of the ticket price...

[oldbuckster]

I bet it's good ................. I have a Jethro Tull done that way, it's good ..........

[garymd]

Nevermind. If I had to explain, you wouldn't understand.

[garymd]

I have that LP also OB. The difference is, Ian Anderson played with the symphony.

[mark1101]

I think this would be a good show. I'd be interested to see what tunes they picked and to what level of improvisation they would go as an orchestra. Also, what instruments they use for solos and such. Sounds interesting to me since of course I love the Dead. I could definitely see a Terrapin in there for sure.

[garymd]

I agree Mark. As many times as you and I have seen Terrapin live, we've never heard anything that comes close to the album version with full symphony.

What many folks don't realize is just how complex some of the Dead's tunes were, particularly some of the early songs like The Eleven, Dark Star, etc. Their "noodling" certainly wasn't for everyone but it will be very interesting to see what the BSO does.

My brother says he's in and if I can talk Mark into a road trip, you never know.[H]

[Mike Lindsey]

Count me in, dude! I'll make sure I'm here that weekend if you are interested.

Mike

[garymd]

Count me in, dude! I'll make sure I'm here that weekend if you are interested.

Mike

Excellent! I'll pick up tickets as soon as I get a head count.

Anyone else interested?

[garymd]

After quite a bit of searching, this is the best I could come up with.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/topic/mmx-0712dead_filljul12,0,2946820.story

Not exactly what I expected but I'm looking forward to the show. I was trying to figure out who the surprise guest would be but I haven't the slightest idea. Phil was a classical musician before he joined the band but I'm not sure we'll be so lucky. Still, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

[Brac]

Why is everything so far from Maine. I would really digg this show. THE GEARS ARE TURNING.
I hope an extra ticket can be found if I can make this work....
We are the REAL "Jerry's Kids"

[garymd]

Why is everything so far from Maine. I would really digg this show. THE GEARS ARE TURNING. I hope an extra ticket can be found if I can make this work.... We are the REAL "Jerry's Kids"

There seem to be plenty of tickets so I'm sure that won't be a problem. I got 4 in a box today and although the boxes are filling up, the orchestra seats are plentiful. Come on down! The more the merrier!! I'm guessing it won't sell out.

[garymd]

Here are the 10 songs that make up the twelve movements of the symphony for those interested:

Listening to Lee Johnson lead the Russian National Orchestra through these tracks is like hearing your favorite tunes again for the first time. (1) "St. Stephen" is strong and sturdy, the strings and woodwinds on (2)"Here Comes Sunshine" are haunting and delicate, and (3)"Mountains of the Moon" is majestic and soaring. There is a feeling of sublime power to (4)"Blues for Allah," and one of absolute lilting joy to (5)"Sugar Magnolia," which dances along like something right out of The Nutcracker. (6)"To Lay Me Down" is stirring is its simplicity, as is (7)"Stella Blue," while the touching, visceral intensity of (8)"If I Had the World to Give" makes it the highlight of Dead Symphony. (9)"Bird Song" glides and soars, and the Russian National Orchestra's full-blown rendition of (10)"China Doll" offers an insight into what Lee Johnson was thinking when he began this unique project.

[TommyK]

Too Cool. Will be there in spirit. Post a bootleg for us.

TommyK

[JBryan]

If the Grateful Dead doesn't grab you, the BSO is also performing a tribute to Led Zeppelin on August 2nd.... "Synonymous with rock, Led Zeppelin fused the genre with personal interpretations of every type of music from blues and folk, to soul and classical. Join the BSO and a full rock band as they combine passion and power to perform Led Zeppelin classics, such as "Whole Lotta' Love," "Kashmir," "Immigrant Song," "Going to California," "Stairway to Heaven" and "Heartbreaker."

A fella named Randy Jackson will be handling Robert Plant's vocals. When the Boston Pops got started, there were folks who warned of such things.

[mark1101]

Gary, That is an interesting mix of songs. Honestly, I wouldn't have guessed it would be those. Nevertheless I still think it will be a very good show.

[LarryC]

Gary, That is an interesting mix of songs. Honestly, I wouldn't have guessed it would be those.

Gary loaned me several GD CDs and it's been interesting. It's a kind of music I have rarely heard and never listened closely to.

As with most pop music, I couldn't possibly identify any of the Symphony's tunes on hearing them, and tuning into the words, or even understanding them, is an out-and-out deficiency in me. Yet, I can immediately identify any Beethoven symphony on hearing nothing more than the first chord. I'll bet most GD fans could immediately start humming the tune and singing the words. I don't know if that takes any more skill than listening closely and catching on to very familiar classical works.

[mark1101]

Over the years I have found that either people love and catch on to the Dead.....or it simply isn't for them. They play loose versions of their songs such that there is no repetition. You can hear the same song 100 times and no two versions are the same. There is no "out of bounds" with the sounds they make with their insturments. They play just about every genre of music and the thing they call "space" is all their own. Either you love it or you change the channel. They were not great vocalists.......I can tell you that.

Being a Dead Head and an audiophile can be somewhat frustrating as well. While they recorded all their shows, the recordings are inconsistent. There are some gems, and their later stuff was recorded decent but some are really bad. For the last few years they have been restoring and releasing the "vault" tapes. These are the best ones......along with past and current Phil Lesh and Friends and Ratdog tour recordings. You can get much pleasure from these.

Also, if you want to learn about the Dead and hear their great variety.....Sirius Channel 32. They have their own satellite radio station and it is excellent.

[garymd]

Speaking of Sirius, over the holiday weekend, they played many of the GD's "outdoor" concerts. The first I heard on Saturday was my first ever Dead show, 1973 at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. I told my parents I was meeting friends at the library to study. That was a LONG day at the library for a 13 year old! I can't remember if I got caught (thank goodness we had no cell phones back then) but when I tell my parents stories about my misspent youth such as that one, they cover their ears and beg me not to tell. Having kids in their 20's myself, I understand exactly where they're coming from.

[colterphoto1]

Gary, That is an interesting mix of songs. Honestly, I wouldn't have guessed it would be those.

Gary loaned me several GD CDs and it's been interesting. It's a kind of music I have rarely heard and never listened closely to.

As with most pop music, I couldn't possibly identify any of the Symphony's tunes on hearing them, and tuning into the words, or even understanding them, is an out-and-out deficiency in me. Yet, I can immediately identify any Beethoven symphony on hearing nothing more than the first chord. I'll bet most GD fans could immediately start humming the tune and singing the words. I don't know if that takes any more skill than listening closely and catching on to very familiar classical works.

How interesting- while Larry was listening to the Grateful Dead this weekend, I was playing a Mozart disk that he'd sent to me. We're certainly cross-educating ourselves- another great benefit of this Forum friendship!