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Poster: elbow1126 Date: Nov 21, 2007 9:33am
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Do you think he really meant it? (dead related)

"As for Pigpen, pigpen's not with us tonight on account of he's still home convalescing from multiple and serious illnesses. And we're all looking forward to his being back on the road with us next time we're playing this area."

Bob says this apparently in response to a question from the crowd after the first song from the 11-14-72 concert that light into ashes discusses in his 10/72 thread.

While I have no doubt that Bob was hoping that Pig would recover from his multiple and serious illnesses do you think he (and the rest of the band) really were looking forward to him being back and on the road with the band? They are finishing a fall tour that imo has better shows than the more famous spring tour of that year and about 10 weeks from unleashing Eyes and other WOTF material on the world. Could Pig still fit in at this point? The sound is getting jazzier and more exploratory. It hard for me to imagine trying to squeeze a Schoolgirl, Mr. Charlie or Chinatown Shuffle in to a show like 11/11/73.

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Poster: skuzzlebutt Date: Nov 21, 2007 4:07pm
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Do you think he really meant it? (dead related)

Interesting question. I think the bonds were strong enough, and Pig's early contributions and talent so respected, that what probably existed was a tacit understanding along the lines of "Pig has a job with us as long as he wants one." Still, its hard to imagine Pig being perpetually happy with making 3 or 4 cameos per show in between the band's increasingly extended forays into heavy jam country. My best guess is that he would have left eventually anyway of his own volition in another 2-3 years.

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Poster: Toadsmoker Date: Nov 21, 2007 11:15am
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Do you think he really meant it? (dead related)

A true meaning of the wheel, fur-sure fur-sure. So who started clogging it after Jerry died.

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Poster: light into ashes Date: Nov 21, 2007 7:36pm
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Do you think he really meant it? (dead related)

I also wish Pig could've joined them in '73....there probably would have been new tunes for him like Two Souls.

I actually like the spring '72 shows, as a whole, more than the fall, because of the greater variety and added jamming that Pig's songs brought. Late '72 has a big hole in it where he should've been.

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Poster: elbow1126 Date: Nov 21, 2007 7:41pm
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Do you think he really meant it? (dead related)

i think on a whole the spring shows are more consistently good. In other words it is a great tour on a whole because every show is an on night but there are individual shows from august on that are just better than the shows in the spring.

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Poster: mcgannahan Date: Nov 21, 2007 9:30pm
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Do you think he really meant it? (dead related)

we'll never know, like, gee, what if jerry had quit heroin in 79? would the gigs have been better?

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Poster: johnnyonthespot Date: Nov 21, 2007 1:35pm
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Do you think he really meant it? (dead related)

" It hard for me to imagine trying to squeeze a Schoolgirl, Mr. Charlie or Chinatown Shuffle in to a show like 11/11/73. "

Why not? They played Promised Land, El Paso, Me and My Uncle, Johnny B Goode etc. that same show. Any of those tunes you mentioned are at least as captivating. He would have had a diminished role compared to the band 65-67 but after then his role had already dimished, otherwise they never would have invited TC in either. Who knows though? Maybe they would have parted ways but I doubt it. I wonder more how it might have impacted blues tunes especially the ones Weir played later.

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Poster: elbow1126 Date: Nov 21, 2007 3:45pm
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Do you think he really meant it? (dead related)

i wasn't suggesting the songs were more or less captivating then many of the songs that continued forward, i was just questioning whether the style of song that pig was singing was being left behind. They had dropped H2H and alligator in 71 as well as many non-pig songs that no longer fit where the band was going (VLB in 70 as an example). By not having pig there it may have been easier for them to move forward.

Who knows maybe he would have changed with them? Two Souls was a great late addition for pigpen. Maybe he had others in him as well.

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Poster: johnnyonthespot Date: Nov 21, 2007 3:53pm
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Do you think he really meant it? (dead related)

" Who knows maybe he would have changed with them? Two Souls was a great late addition for pigpen. Maybe he had others in him as well. "

That's kind of what I was trying to say. China Town shuffle and Mr Charlie were later additions and fit with what they were doing circa 71-72.