Jerry Garcia
All Good Things: Jerry Garcia Studio Sessions

(Rhino)

Part Six: Outtakes, Jams, and Alternates

First Appeared in The Music Box, September 2004, Volume 11, #9

Written by John Metzger

Hearing Jerry Garcia deliver a rendition of Warren Zevon’s Accidentally Like a Martyr is, perhaps, the most tantalizing aspect of the bonus material featured on All Good Things. The concept, however, is better than its execution. Sketchy at best, the track finds Garcia — his voice rough, ragged, and weary — delivering a set of elemental chord sequences via electric piano rather than his customary guitar. Yet, from beneath this tarnished veneer creeps a captivating poignancy that allows the tune to become something more than an abject curiosity. Such is the case with all 12 of the selections featured on Outtakes, Jams, and Alternates, a hodgepodge of leftovers that not only is a scattered and less than revelatory affair, but also is strangely intriguing. All of the songs are flawed, of course, but each finds its own transcendent space. Whether it’s Nicky Hopkins’ deft piano accompaniments on the alternate renditions of Catfish John and I’ll Take a Melody; the earthy, acoustic spin lent to Lonesome Town; the guitar pyrotechnics unleashed on a medley of Hey Bo Diddley and Hide Away; or the playful romps through Iko Iko and Rockin’ Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu, the set offers some insight into Garcia’s penchant for experimentation as a means toward finding perfection while, above all else, highlighting his affinity for playing guitar and singing songs as if nothing else in the world really mattered.

All Good Things: Jerry Garcia Studio Sessions

Part One: Garcia

Part Two: Compliments

Part Three: Reflections

Part Four: Cats under the Stars

Part Five: Run for the Roses

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Ratings

1 Star:   Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!

Copyright © 2004 The Music Box