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Grateful Dead
Truckin' Up to Buffalo
(Rhino - Monterey)
The Music Box's #7 specialty package for 2005
First Appeared in The Music Box, August 2005, Volume 12, #8
Written by John Metzger
Let’s face facts: By 1989, the Grateful Dead’s second, third, and fourth
winds long ago had become distant memories. Nevertheless, the legendary ensemble
possessed more lives than a cat, and against all odds, its latest comeback — the
beginning of which is documented quite beautifully on the companion DVD and CD
packages Truckin’ Up to Buffalo — was merely the most recent of its
countless reincarnations. Clean, sober, armed with new technology, and propelled
by the confidence that only a hit single could bring, the collective began to
assemble what would become its most consistent string of concerts in nearly a
decade. Indeed, although Buffalo’s Rich Stadium was only the second stop of its
summer sojourn, the band proved to a new legion of fans what many old-timers
already knew: There’s nothing like a Grateful Dead concert.
Granted, the unbridled energy of the Grateful Dead’s late-’60s performances
and the adventurous freewheeling jams of the its early-’70s excursions remained
a thing of the past. Yet, instead of transforming itself into an nostalgia act,
the group’s resilience allowed it to mutate into a tight-knit, rock ’n‘ roll
outfit that effortlessly could tap into its history as a means of creating
something magically transcendent for the present. Witness the manner in which
the collective telepathically plunged from the soulful strains of Ship of
Fools into the swirling, psychedelic interlude of Playing in the Band;
the ease with which bass player Phil Lesh, keyboardist Brent Mydland, and
guitarist Jerry Garcia played volleyball with a riff during an inspired reading
of Row Jimmy; the ferocity with which the group powered its way through
Deal and All Along the Watchtower; or the precision of the vocal
interplay among Mydland, Garcia, and Bob Weir that concluded a rousing rendition
of Norman Span’s feminist folk tune Man Smart (Woman Smarter). Elsewhere,
the ensemble conjured nature’s thunderous awe during Looks Like Rain,
breezed through an absolutely joyous Touch of Grey, unleashed a
stunningly overpowering Morning Dew, and passionately delivered its epic
tale Terrapin Station.
Without question, the music performed by the Grateful Dead during this
Independence Day celebration holds up remarkably well on album, but even the
more casual fan will find its incarnation as a DVD to be a worthwhile endeavor.
Much like Downhill from Here, which captured the conclusion of the
Grateful Dead’s escapades in July 1989, Truckin’ Up to Buffalo boasts
unadulterated video footage as well as the crisp clarity of a multi-track
recording. In fact, save for a few kaleidoscopic effects during the Drums
and Space segments, the emphasis of the visuals is entirely upon the
interactions among the musicians. Garcia, in particular, was unusually animated,
and he raised his arm triumphantly as he sang Touch of Grey’s key line
("We will survive!"); danced, however briefly, during Man Smart (Woman
Smarter); made a heartfelt attempt to lift Mydland’s spirits during a
playful Not Fade Away; and flashed an encouraging smile at his
collaborators on more than just a few occasions throughout the film. In other
words, Truckin’ Up to Buffalo not only provides an intimate glimpse at a
group whose popularity suddenly had exploded, but it also serves as a loving
portrait of the latter days of the Grateful Dead and its fallen leader.  ½
Truckin' Up to Buffalo is available on DVD from
Amazon.com. To order, Click Here!
For Canadian orders, please
Click Here!
Truckin' Up to Buffalo is available on CD from
Amazon.com. To order, Click Here!
For Canadian orders, please
Click Here!
For UK orders, please
Click Here!
Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2005
The Music Box
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