BOB WEIR

“WEIR HERE – The Best of Bob Weir”

Hybrid Recordings

This is a nice little tribute to Bob Weir. Why it’s not a box set is anyone’s guess but it’s still a nice little tribute. I like Bob Weir. In fact, I like him a whole lot. I’ve had over a quarter century relationship with the guy and I’ve seen him on stage and in concert more than any one individual. In my collection I have his solo recordings, his Bobby & The Midnight records, his Kingfish records, his Ratdog records, several hundred Grateful Dead recordings, and now this. As I’ve said before and written in this publication before – he’s my all time favorite musician.

This is a two CD set with disc one being a studio sampling that touches on the different configurations of bands and musicians he’s recorded with, and disc two being various live recordings with the Grateful Dead. In my opinion though, the absolute highlight of the two CD’s is the final track of disc two. It is a version of Bob Dylan’s “Masters of War” that was recorded in studio with Ratdog last year. Is there another Dylan song that is more poignant and relevant today than “Masters of War?” With apologies to Joan Baez, the Byrds, Richie Havens, and even Jerry Garcia, I don’t think there’s ever been anyone who can interpret a Bob Dylan song as well as Bob Weir. I’d rank his take on “Masters of War” right up there with his versions of Queen Jane, Masterpiece, Desolation Row, Mobile, and Watchtower. Just that song alone is worth the $15 dollar price tag for these discs.

There are 16 songs on the first disc and I’d like to touch on just a couple. “Playing In The Band” is the version that first appeared on the “Ace” record. I feel that this particular studio recording fully captures the essence of early Grateful Dead better than anything else that was done in the studio during that era. It remains a recording that has held up so damn well throughout the years. It is and was the ultimate second set staple. Another interesting cut is “Wabash Cannonball” only because it’s the one tune that I didn’t have and never heard before. It’s a traditional song from a record called “House Party” by Dan Zanes and Friends.

There are 9 live tracks on the second disc along with the aforementioned “Masters of War.” Besides the usual stuff that you’d expect to find, I was happy to see “Man Smart, Woman Smarter” included. I remember when the Dead first started playing this song in concert and everyone thinking it was “Iko Iko.” It was a pleasant surprise to see it selected for this project. Oddly enough though, the live tracks are either from 1971 and 1972 or 1989 and 1990 with nothing in between. Go figure.

As the Dead continue to tinker with their personal, I get the impression that ever since Jerry died they’ve never really been firing on all cylinders. Ratdog, on the other hand, is awesome. I’m not alone when I say that I enjoy Bob Weir more with Ratdog these days than with the Dead. It’s more casual, certainly more intimate, and even more fun. Its funny how time moves on isn’t it? Jerry has been gone nearly nine years now and if you ask the average Joe about Garcia and Weir they’ll think you’re talking about prominent members of the PGA Tour. But I’m in it for the long haul with Bob Weir. Twenty five years down and hopefully twenty five more to go on this long strange trip.

- Bill Harriman

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