when it crackled like a thundercloud.
WHY ? you might ask
Why Shakedown Street today ?
Why NOT a Phil Lesh song ?
Why no writing credits afforded ?
well, well, well , you can never tell.......but i will tell. The one, the only, the psychedelically unique Phillip Chapman Lesh has passed away at the ripe old age of 84.....along the way he survived a liver transplant, he beat Cancer and he co-founded one of the most impactful groups of the 20th century......the Grateful Dead have quite possibly touched more human beings than any band before them ....they truly are what this country needs from the sole aspect of being able to cross party lines, skin color, nationality and Religion and be about the music...and only the Music....I have blogged about this before but I will do it again.....I attended shows in many different guises.....a Teen on Acid, a Proud member of Ronald Reagans Navy and a licensed professional of a fortune 500 Brokerage Firm....and i Never Ever for a second felt out of place....the GD had the ability to make social differences reasons to unite....nobody cared who you were or what you did, or what God you worshipped , whether you were higher than a kite or a card carrying member of the Wharf Rats...it was then, now and forever about the Music.....no speeches, no soap box......(Bobby Ace can use a refresher course in Jerry 101)
Steve Parrish told a cool story last night.......He and Jerry were getting high listening to various types of Music and Jerry was analyzing and breaking things down for Steve.....the conversation turned to Bass players and Jerry explained to Steve how all the other top bass players played...what their approach and style was and how it was basically connected.....except Phil.....Jerry told Steve that for better or worse, nobody played or attacked the instrument the way that Phil did...and then Jerry said and that's why he's in the Grateful Dead , followed by his signature maniacal laugh.....
so why this lyric ?
Because whenever i first think of Phil , and the instant i heard that he passed...i was transformed back to a dark arena, alone in my thoughts.......as the music starts to fade and the drums are growin still and for a single second you think the world has stopped spinning, the earth is standing still....and then BOOOOM....that BASS Bomb ........the ones that first frightens and then excites you.......it starts are the base of your spine and rushes to your brain.........and of all the magnificent bombs he dropped....the opening note of Shakedown Street Lives rent free in my soul for eternity...it absolutely crackles like a Thunder Cloud.......Hunter wrote the lyric but Phil owned the sentiment..........too many shows to recount them all......but MSG Sept 92....a rain soaked Thursday outside the Garden drinking beers with Cogs...the Garden had just been renovated and had a new sound system......it was the first night of 4 at the Garden.........they appropriately opened with RAIN by the Beatles ....and as the rest of the band escorted the Beatles tune away , PHIL dropped the Bomb of Bombs (for me) and the sheer glee in the arena confirmed we were going to Shakedown Street......I thank my God for my health, my friends, Family and pets....and i thank him for Coors Light and moments like that......it made all the hardships and struggles to get here worthwhile.
God Bless ya Phil....Thanks for the memories.
I see your silver shining town, but I know I can't go there --
Your streets run deep with poisoned wine, your doorways crawl with fear.
So I think I'll drift for ol' where it's at, where the weed grows green and fine
And wrap myself around a bush of that bright, whoa, on Oaxaca vine.
Yes, it's me, I'm the Pride of Cucamonga, I can see golden forests in the sun.
