Bob Weir | Ace (50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) – Reissue Review

When a member of a famous band goes out to record a solo record, he or she usually recruits different musicians. Not Bob Weir. Once spoke about the inclusion of ace, the first solo album by the Grateful Dead rhythm guitarist, released in 1972, all members of the Grateful Dead turned up for the sessions ready for the recording. Some of the songs planned for the album had already been included in the band’s live sets, and others would eventually meet the same fate, so it made all the sense in the world.

There are some additional players ace too, but the tone, mood and performances sum up the Grateful Dead very well. Critic Robert Christgau referred ace as the third in a series that began with the two studio releases of 1970’s Grateful Dead – worker dead and american beauty. Considering 1971 and 1972 didn’t see any studio albums from the band, take a look through acethe setting of Christgau works.

To celebrate 50 years Ace (50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) contains the complete album, newly remastered and sounding as fresh and crisp as one could wish for. A second CD features a live performance by ace in its entirety in running order from Weir and his band Wolf Bros with The Wolfpack and Barry Sless on Pedal Steel, as well as special guests Tyler Childers and Brittney Spencer. The show was taped over two nights in April 2022 at the famed Radio City Music Hall.

The eight songs consisting of ace are probably among Weir’s strongest. The album marks the beginning of his songwriting partnership with lyricist John Perry Barlow, whose words circle “Black-Throated Wind” and “Cassidy” like a kite in the sky on a sunny day, a marriage made in nirvana. For “One More Saturday Night,” a Grateful Dead anthem routinely played at Saturday night shows, Weir kept the songwriting credit all to himself. Robert Hunter, who usually added narration to Jerry Garcia’s songs, helped Weir and drummer Mickey Hart turn “Playing In The Band” into another band anthem.

While the recording of “Playing In The Band” is in progress ace has all the hallmarks of a solid early 70’s Grateful Dead session, seasoned deadheads will surely recognize the reluctance that players put aside for 30+ minute jams. It’s been widely repeated and shared that many of Weir’s songs served as perfect launch pads for improvisation, and “Playing In The Band” is certainly one of them. A 46-minute version on two sides of vinyl prompted the Playing in band, Seattle, Wash. 5/21/74 Record Store Day release in 2018.

As an opener on ace, Greatest Story Ever Told, another Dead concert book, gets things off to a roaring, optimistic start. “Mexicali Blues,” which Weir introduces on CD two as the first song he and Barlow co-wrote, is equally light, with its driving, horn-flavored riff and Keith Godchaux’s rollicking piano work. “Looks Like Rain,” Barlow calls the “love song” anchored on the album, remains one of Weir’s most upbeat, dramatic numbers, with Garcia’s blissful slide guitar practically leading the melody.

In concert 50 years later, ace is a suitable vehicle for another style of music. Bob Weir & Wolf Bros – bassist (and respected producer for bands like the Rolling Stones), Don Was, drummer Jay Lane and keyboardist Jeff Chimenti – could be seen as a smoother counterpart to Dead & Company. This allows Weir, whose vocals have become somewhat tattered after years of use, to sing in a more compatible key and pitch. Still, Weir does get some help from other younger, extremely lively singers.

Tyler Childers nails a raw, emotional lead vocal on “Greatest Story Ever Told.” The Wolfpack, a string and brass quintet featuring Alex Kelly, Brian Switzer, Adam Theis, Mads Tolling and Sheldon Brown, joins horns while Barry Sless masterfully displays his pedal steel skills. “Walk In The Sunshine”, the only song on ace The Dead, never performed live before, is reissued with Weir sharing vocals with Brittney Spencer for a stylish, powerful rendition. Spencer, a Nashville-based country singer, also takes on a few sizzling verses and throws out a wealth of angelic harmonies on “Looks Like Rain,” which develops into a tour de force after an intense 11-minute read-through.

On “Playing In The Band” Weir can be heard fighting his way through the vocals, a little short by Dead standards but spiced with a jazzy instrumental break. Weir tells a story based around “Mexicali Blues” and mentions an upcoming, not-yet-seen memoir. While the performance of the songs fit into the schedule, it doesn’t quite match the double whammy of “One More Saturday Might” (the first night of the two-day Radio City Music Hall booth was actually a Saturday) and “Cassidy.”

Once again, Weir’s vocal limitations are apparent (and likely why Dead & Company are doing farewell shows in 2023), despite being serviceable and swimming through a sea of ​​giant instruments, particularly on “Cassidy,” which closed the first set of each night. The violin solo alone is commendable. In the end, it’s hard not to notice the level of respect and opportunity given to the songs by ace during these shows.

The double disc Ace (50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) includes the accompanying lyrics by Jesse Jarnow, co-host of The Good Ol’ Grateful Deadcast and author of Heads: A Biography of Psychedelic America. A spate of great albums came out in 1972, but alongside the Live Europe ’72The next best thing from dead camp was definitely ace. Not only does it show all the magical inner workings and organic chemistry improvements of the dead in the 70’s; It’s also a preview of things to come from the spirit and partnerships surrounding Bob Weir – still enjoying the ride after all these years.

~ Shawn Perry