tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195590583641426943.post13138081908382678..comments2024-03-26T23:10:34.814-07:00Comments on Grateful Dead Sources: May 1970: Phil Lesh InterviewLight Into Asheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06943335142002007213noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195590583641426943.post-34396695627432595882013-06-17T13:05:23.895-07:002013-06-17T13:05:23.895-07:00It is rare to see an early interview from Phil, wh...It is rare to see an early interview from Phil, who was never keen on doing them. Melody Maker seems to have caught him by himself, before the rest of the band arrived. <br /><br />Numerous interesting comments... Just like the last English reviewer I posted, this one also finds the Dead's studio albums "lifeless" and says that Live-Dead's Dark Star is the high-point of their work. <br />We get some Lesh insights into how he feels about their albums, particularly Anthem - "I certainly don't like the way it was mixed." (He would remix it for a reissue in 1971.) <br /><br />He is surprisingly positive about Workingman's Dead, with its commercial, pretty songs. Partly it's the practical side of the album - the Dead had finally learned how to record themselves & the production doesn't let down the songs.<br />Then: "I hope it's a success because we want to stop touring. We've been on the road every weekend since October, and we really need a rest." <br />Garcia would say the same thing in 1971 - that the band had been playing too many shows and wanted to relax more, and be able to pick & choose their dates. <br />Sam Cutler goes into detail about this issue in his recent book, particularly about convincing Phil that the band needed to play lots of gigs in order to climb out of debt (see p.226-27). By 1971 they were finally able to cut back on the constant touring.<br /><br />It's funny to see that in 1970 the Dead were already notorious for the amount of stage equipment they carried.<br />Phil sounds very fond of playing outdoors, but mentions that their stage monitors aren't working very well for their acoustic sets. (You can often hear complaints from the band about this during shows.) <br />He also sounds skeptical about Pigpen contributing more organ: "He plays a little organ now and then, but we're trying to discourage him."<br />Nonetheless, Pigpen has an important part onstage: "We've really got a show now – all we need is Pigpen with three black chicks backing him up and we're there!" <br />(Ironically, it would end up being Garcia, not Pigpen, who took that direction...)Light Into Asheshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06943335142002007213noreply@blogger.com