It’s no surprise that five tunes from Garcia’s self-titled first solo album make the first CD’s cut -- “Garcia” is one of the few non-Dead recordings worth owning. The harmless “Deal” opens the compilation, propped up by the Dead’s secret weapon -- lyricist Robert Hunter, who ingrains the countrified arrangement with literal pearls such as “If I tell you all that went down, it would burn off both your ears.” “Bird Song,” with its ominous chord changes and wobbly solos has the Grateful Dead’s stylistic stamp written all over it, while “Loser” is an aptly named country-western dud that even Willie Nelson would shun. “The Wheel” is a worthy highlight, awash with breezy pedal steel that weaves in and out like a double-wide on a lonesome road.

The rest of disc one is of the “throw it against the wall and see if it sticks” variety, and most of it misses the wall altogether. Chuck Berry’s “Let it Rock” doesn’t; not even Michael Omartian’s plucky piano or the presence of premier percussionist Bobbye Hall can motivate the drowsy arrangement. “Mission in the Rain” is slow, mournful and as pleasant as a toxic fog, while the Mexicali-flavored “Rubin and Cherise“ suffers from ill-timed synthesizer licks, and the unremarkable “Cats Under the Stars” is derailed by one of the all-time inappropriate lyrics: “Time is a stripper, doin’ it just for you.” Yeech. r “Rhapsody in Red,” which owes a great deal to Ian Hunter’s “Once Bitten Twice Shy,” is one of the set’s curious red herrings. Garcia plays a lively, in-your-face style that’s very un-Dead and actually in tune. Another curious choice is Irving Berlin’s “Russian Lullaby,” with its Mardi Gras horns and down-home fiddling which lends the song a nostalgic feel on par with one of Leon Redbone’s lesser efforts. “Without Love,” done in bombastic fashion by Tom Jones and immortalized by Clyde McPhatter, receives the Memphis Horns treatment. It’s a really painful tune to sit through. If Garcia had managed to stay in key – or awake -- it might have worked. “Might as Well” is a good-time toe-tapper that Garcia may have used as a blueprint for “Alabama Getaway.” Featuring the entire version of the Keith and Donna Godchaux era of the band, “Might As Well” benefits from the familiarity of the musicians. Nothing is forced, fatigued or over stated. “I’ll Take the Melody,” spaces out at 9:28 and turns composer Allen Toussaint’s more animated version on its head, but it still processes a sentimental, melancholy feel that successfully surrounds Garcia’s fragile pipes.

Jerry Garcia earned his bones playing live, but was a mercurial performer, inspired one night, hopeless the next. The live disc captures a bit of both starting off magnificently with 1973’s “Catfish John,” featuring master fiddler Vassar Clemens, who’s so fluid he gets two solos. Garcia displays a noteworthy case of happy fingers soloing on banjo and shadowboxes with David Grisman, who fills all empty spots with gleeful picking on mandolin. The folks at the Grand Ole Opry would be very proud of “Catfish John” and 1987’s “Deep Eleem Blues,” which follows. Kenny Kosek is a little more haywire than Vassar Clemens but no less effective, David Nelson shows he’s as talented on guitar as brother Rick, and Garcia, very much as ease, sounds like he’s found the right genre for his talents. On the other hand, “Ripple,” a Dead staple, falters badly. Garcia sounds tired, raspy and very much on automatic pilot. The late Nicky Hopkins steals the show on “Positively 4th Street,” giving a clinic on piano soloing, while bassist John Kahn displays what little life there is in a 12:00 plus, excruciatingly soulless version of Jimmy Cliff’s “The Harder They Come.” With its “Sweet Little 16” beat, “Evangeline,” one of Los Lobos’ more forgettable tunes, moves and bops – Egad, Jerry Garcia rocks! But the surprise performance has to be Garcia’s unreleased version of “Dear Prudence.” Logic says even Garcia shouldn’t mess with such a sacred tune, but the bearded one pulls a trump card – Ed Neumeister on trombone and Ron Stallings on sax swagger with such confidence that Garcia snaps out of his stupor ripping off clean, confident solos. He almost sounds as if he’s having as much fun as he did playing “Catfish John” and “Deep Eleem Blues.”

Deadheads will argue that two of Garcia’s best recordings with David Grisman, mandolin dominated versions of “The Thrill is Gone” and “Shady Grove” are strangely absent, but one thing we all can be sure of is there will be another “Best of” and another and another, and those two tunes will likely be repackaged. The “Best of Jerry Garcia” is somewhat like Captain Trips himself, capable of being exhilarating one moment and downright awful the next, worth listening to but not owning.

Reviewed for Coffeerooms by Mike Jefferson - Talk about it here

Posted October 17, 2006 Permalink