Musings on the Most Ridiculous Band I Can't Stop Listening To

Stand-Up Guy

phil-stand-up-bass

Learn something new every day, Enthusiast, and if you don’t believe me, then let’s go to the videotape:

This is from ’99 at Red Rocks, and that’s Jackie Greene sitting down while he plays, which is not okay. The only guitarists allowed to sit when they play are ancient bluesmen and Jeff Healy. If your foot is broken or something, you may sit; there appears to be no injury to the young man. I don’t accept that playing an acoustic guitar gives you license to recline like some sort of pasha. In fact, acoustic guitars are lighter than electric guitars, so it should be easier to remain upright, and don’t give me any bullshit about how you can’t put a strap on the thing: if Willie Nelson can, then so can you.

But, yeah: Phil on upright. I vaguely recall one of the books (or maybe something on the innertubes: all the Dead stories roll into one) that Phil was thinking about playing an upright for the 1980 acoustic sets, but forgot to buy one or something and ended up standing in the back playing slightly fewer notes than normal on his normal bass.

Phil, and his upright skills, are inaudible in this video. From looks alone–and bear in mind that I am no musician–it maybe kinda sorta looks like he has no idea what he’s doing. Maybe it sounded great! Could’ve! Totally could’ve! But if you’re only using your eyes? Not a clue.

16 Comments

  1. Tor Haxson

    Can Spencer put some knobs and some LED’s on that standup?

    Give it the full Analog Alembic, plus some LED’s to bring it into this century.

  2. Mean, Green, Devil Eating Machine

    Bobby Fripp sits.

    • Somebody Else

      Yes, and rightly so. Fripp can damn well do what ever he wants. Besides, would it really be right, or even safe, for Fripp to possibly risk carrying on like other guitar players?

    • Corry342

      I don’t think Fripp is a Bobby. If Weir and Fripp made a record called “Bobby And Robert,” who do you think would be Bobby?

      “Estimated Prophet”>”In The Court Of The Crimson King” would be good, though.

      • Thoughts On The Dead

        Crimson King>The Eleven>Crimson King. The middle section? Think about it.

      • Thoughts On The Dead

        Dammit, I meant Schizoid Man

        • Corry342

          No I think it goes “The Other One”>”Schizoid Man”>”Other One.”

          I haven’t figured out what to pair with “Me And My Uncle”

          • Robin Russell

            I pair Land of the Navaho with Me and My Uncle. However, Epitaph might do the job.

          • DC Reade

            “Things Have Changed”

  3. Somebody Else

    Are you sure this is from 99? That has all the tell tale signs of phone recording.

  4. Corry342

    Trainspotters recall that Phil played acoustic standup bass on some track on Aoxomoxoa, but even this trainspotter doesn’t recall which one

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