Stormy Mondays | Grateful Dead 1974 Retrospective Part 6

There isn’t much left to cover in this Grateful Dead 1974 retrospective (Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four and Part Five), but we certainly have to touch on the topic of “Seastones,” formerly known as “Phil & Ned.” Phil Lesh and Ned Lagin released an album of weird-out early electronic music by that name in 1974, and the duo often played a mini set of ten to twenty minutes between sets one and two, giving the assembled masses a dose of abrasive strangeness. The Wall of Sound versions that circulate are almost all audience recordings, but in September, the band headed to Europe for a week’s worth of shows, and it’s from the third night of that run that we take this week’s offering. The three nights in London are the focus of Dick’s Picks Volume 7, or September 10th is anyway, with material from the surrounding nights filling of the release. There are any number of great stand alone songs included, especially the 16 minute “NFA,” and some big jams like “Dark Star” > “Morning Dew” and “Truckin’” > “Wharf Rat.”

What’s not included is this full second set suite of “Seastones” > “Eyes” > “Jam” > “Wharf Rat.” By this time the first tune had begun to move away from its original form and started to resemble something closer to “Space,” especially as members of the band sat in with increasing regularity. This version hits hard right away, though, and stays in the odd-zone for a good ten minutes before Garcia and then Billy join. After another ten minutes, the group slips into a lengthy take on “Eyes,” followed by a wonderfully weighty jam that extends out into the night before landing in a walk-away “Wharf Rat.” All sorts of rare and peculiar things happening here, so as always, enjoy!

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Written By: Dan Alford