Phil is one of the greatest rock bassists ever. I've always considered him to be the Hendrix of rock bassists in the sense that he showed other rock bassists what was possible on the instrument. Plus, his tone is just sublime.
@@jondavid3641 true, but he is a God in the dead community, and I'm pretty sure that is more than enough for him. I love Phil, very intelligent as well as being an amazing musician.
" I got an invitation to join a band " . Man , didn't we all , ( and most grateful ) . I'm 70 and a half now and some of my most enjoyable moments are when I pick a Grateful Dead track on you tube and play along in my own way . Thank you Grateful Dead .
The true genius in this band,it was hard for me to stop listening to him in the shows I attended trying to listen to them as a unit,Phil sounded like that interview, full of creativity and inspiration,and at the same time always in a dialogue with the others, listening carefully to what they were doing and responding brilliantly, thank you Phil for all what you brought.
Turning 80 in a few months. Survived a liver transplant, prostate cancer & bladder cancer. And still looks & acts pretty damn healthy! What a great bass player. I feel fortunate to have seen GD play twice (‘89 & ‘93).
What a guy. He’s one reason I’ve always loved the GD. I admire him and he’s someone I would enjoy talking with. Hardly seems like he’s old but age suits him too.
The things he starts saying around 11:37 are profound. I think anyone who loves the Dead has intuitively picked up on the idea of them tapping into something bigger and channeling it through their instruments.
He was always my favorite in the band (Jerry a close second). Like Phil, a violinist who took up bass to play in rock bands, I found Phil's musical approach and mentality to be the flexible glue that brought the band's sound to life, and kept it fresh as it continued to grow. He's one of the greatest bass guitarists ever. On April 1, 2000 (no fooling), I bumped hard into Phil at a Giants ballgame, as he left the concession stand with two hot dogs (one for him and one for a young man who might have been a grandson). "John Coltrane and Charles Ives" --- yes!
Jerry, Bob, Phil, and Bill really stand out from most other "rock" musicians with how widely read they are and how articulate they are about discussing their music. Very rare, like the Dead's music itself.
Wonderful to hear Phil speaking about the creative process in music composition and about music in general. His early musical training and his knowledge of classical music have given him both range and depth not universally characteristic of popular musicians. There is so much intelligence in that face.
He's a great bass player. When I saw the Dead numerous times I was just so into Jerry I overlooked Phil but now I can appreciate his playing much more. Wonderful
What a grate musician & memory because he met me in 1978 , knew me immediately & took me & my niece into the backstage area on Mother’s Day in 1980 , my dream came true plus he asked me y I didn’t use my name to get in but I told him I wasn’t ready until that time !
Brahms First Symphony. Those who have not heard it, I sort of envy, because you can only hear it the first time once. OK, Brahms and Clara Schumann ... inquiring fans really, really, really would like to know, especially about that sort-of chaperoned visit to Switzerland.
WOW ... this interview opened up a whole new understanding of the grateful dead and their success. The most profound thing I learned and know realize is that they each came from such a totally different background of music. That they all where committed to come together and make it work. This in the end is what made the dead so good. ***Diversity + togetherness = WOW *** ... hhhmm maybe there is a political statement there as well oh hey check this out "Make America Grate Again"
Arbo Gash if you listen to the Good Old Grateful Dead podcast, either the sugar magnolia or candy man one, it breaks the tracks down and explains that the bass was done by running it through 2 channels to make it sound thicker
The Warlocks Phil is speaking of most likely on the 45 was and became ZZ Top who had recorded a single around that time as the Warlocks. I don't think it was the Velvet Underground (Warlocks) whom hadn't recorded yet and wouldn't have had a record on the west coast anyway if they had.
Interesting! It had always puzzled me when I heard stories about them changing their name since the Velvet Underground never put out an album as the Warlocks, as you said
Great interview with hyper articulate Phil. His reference to Ives is spot on amazing. He makes the case for music in all forms about as well as a human can.
Lived in Eugene and the Bay Area. Late 60's. The Dead were always visiting Kesey. When they came to town people would appear from nowhere. Good people. I remember Mr. Lesh well. A straight ahead, no bluff master of the bass. None like him. Great of you to bring back the memories
Phil is the most well spoken member of this band and clearly has enlightened me as to what the Grateful Dead became and shed more light on how a band forms, particularly his band and their music. I would have loved to have had him as a music teacher, but he is above that now (probably always was meant to be a creator, not a teacher, but would've been a great teacher anyway); I always loved hearing phil's bass when I was tripping. Three River's Stadium in Pittsburgh was special for me for some reason, the acoustics and the seating in the third row on the first tier. I could hear the bass rip through me better there then if I was up in front, and I have been as close to as the 11th row at a dead show. Man I am sorry to disappoint Phil by saying these things, but I wasn't always the most obedient listener, but I was never the guys he hated that hung outside looking for a ticket or looking to simply cash in on the name of the band. There is and never will be a jam band like this one in history and i wish Jerry would've showed up ath the hall of fame and I wish other genres of music would've given the Dead more recognition. Just listen to this man speak and you can tell he knows his shit, he knows music. As Anthony Keidis said of Flea at their induction ceremony,'.....is a true rocker.' Phil Lesh was a the real fucking deal. a real rocker. On bass, he was the link between the heart of Jerry's leads and harmony and Bobby and the drums and percussive aspect of the keys rhythms. The link that made our souls shatter and our minds blown.
I read somewhere Phil felt under appreciated for his role in the creative process of the dead- not to anyone who has unclogged ears. Brilliantly inventive player.
I have to admit that I under appreciated Phil. First there was Jerry and then Bob and then Pigpen then Donna. Jk. But really I just think Phil was sidelined by the music press. I feel like bassists often are. Now I see him for what he is. Super cool and every bit his band mates equal.
Phil's the best. I met him at a blood drive in Philly and made him laugh when I asked to see his scar. He said, 'You wanna see my scar?' then stood and lifted up his shirt and said 'Cool, huh?.' I said 'Gnarly' and shook his hand. Friggen love that guy
Creating community...Joseph Campbell, the late mythologist who turned on so many people through his interviews with David Moyers and books, after attending a Grateful Dead concert, said, "This is a wonderful fervent loss of self in the larger self of a homogeneous community. This is what it is all about !" It's just beginning to dawn on the general populace that "our" strength doesn't come from military might or economic superiority. It's our "cohesion" that creates real strength. The Grateful Dead created cohesion among people living or trying out an alternative lifestyle to the morass of greed, fear and ignorance. Thank goodness they knew to record their music. "The first days are the hardest days, don't you worry any more..."
Wow. Yeah. Phil lays it out for us here. Such a genius. He articulates the various eras of the bands progression in such an elegant way. Thanks for sharing.
So happy to hear Phil say at 12:36 what I’ve been saying for many years to the uninitiated...To really get the full experience of a Greatful Dead show.....”You Can’t Be There”!!!.....The Zen guys are always making the same point but about life in general. Thank You Greatful Dead🙏
Talking about music in terms of borrowed ideas that the musician is influenced by is so very honest and unpretentious. If you think about all those musicians out there who really believe that their work is singularly theirs, and get defensive about anyone suggesting otherwise. Not only musicians, many artist and creatives. are guilt of this - maybe most. But not Phil.
This interview only reinforces every reason why Phil is my favorite out of all of them. Great bass, Lesh Phil-ling. Sincerely, an unabashed Phil Head. (And be sure to read his autobiography, Searching For The Sound! It's totally worth it!)
I agree. Reading his autobiography and his descriptions of the Dead's music affirmed and confirmed everything that I had perceived and thought and experienced through their music, going back to when I first heard them play live in 1967 and many other shows and of course on their records. Not surprising of course, but nice to read it in Phil's own words. One of the things that I always like about the Dead was how articulate they are about their music.
Thanks, Grateful Dead. I really needed you guys, and what you were doing. Here it is 2020, and I still do. Sort of like a vitamin, Vitamin Dead, now and then.
I heart the Grateful Dead first time at the German Rockpalast in 1981. It blew me away . There was Elvis ,Beatles and Stones ,but these guys were playing different. Great people the Dead
Haha those bands that play the same set list each night. I saw Page- Plant at the Forum, then again a few days later at Irvine. After the 3rd song, I realized it was the same set list. The two venues were 45 minutes away from each other. As the song tapered off, I desperately tried to remember what song came next. Suddenly it came to me. I stood from the top of the grass section and cupped my hands to yell, "SONG REMAINS THE SAME!!!!!" Jimmy Page heard me all the way from the stage and began playing it, as 400 people in front of me all turned around to see who called the song..............
Yeah but Page never regained his chops after 1974 or so. But in their best days 1968 to 1974 they too played GREAT improvised sets. Like Garcia, heroin and cocaine killed the creativity as opposed to the Acid pot era. I really like Phil, one of my favorite dead dudes. Much more a Phil than a Bobby guy. The Dead never regained the edge lost by Garcia's 1979 collapse! For me my favorite was the Pig Pen era of 1968 to 1972 and then the Jazz rock Blues for Allah era of 1975 to 1979. I love their best stuff not their mediocre material. True for anyone whose music I love as that is true appreciation. Few artists keep it going on a peak forever. The Doors perhaps but they only lasted 5 years. kd Lang and Bowie and Parliament Funkadelic did maintain great creativity for decades as did Cab Calloway but that is very rare. The Dead had 13 years on top of their game. The Beatles 7!
@@bend6973 No I am a Dead lover with a different opinion than you and you are a rude immature jerk who starts out replies to music comments with political level insults rather than an argument. Neither impressed or convinced, sorry but Brent was very mediocre IMHO as was the 80's Dead generally. Since my POV is shared by BIll, Phil and Jerry himself when still alive, ( *'the great shows became fewer and far between'* ; I will happily concur while ignoring your rude behavior. *'Peace and love'* my ass, You younger ones never really got it, did you??
Phil is the best!!! Was lucky enough to run into him before his Halloween show, in Chicago, circa 2006. (When he was touring w/ Phil & Friends & Bob Dylan) It was only a few minutes, but I got to tell him how much his music meant to me, and shake his hand. Being a bass player also, I was bummed out when I realized, none of his bass playing awesomeness transferred to me via osmosis....
Are you sure that wasn't 2004? They did a three night stint at The Riviera in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago around that time, but I don't recall Phil being in Chicago around 2006.
Damn, the Dead was composed of so many articulate, observant, sensitive, and creative people--all wrapped in an anti-establishment cloak. I guess that is why they are still such a cultural force, even in their 70s and 80s in 2021!
When Phil mentioned, in his interview, about Charles Ives, I was curious enough to check out Ives. Also I thought, “oh, Phil just a geek and I probably won’t like what Ives wrote.” But I checked him out anyway. And Phil wasn’t kidding. If you really get into just how weird The Dead can get sometimes, check out this link I’m referencing here. Great interview. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-LEtsFAiPT5w.html
They were all great together & all very smart but Philly did have a head start on any band but that him joining the dead was just bound to happen ! So glad , there will never b anymore Gratefuldead band but I have to give Bobby credit for his new band mates !
david brinkman Met him at Terripan Crossroads a little over a week ago! What a great experience. so nice he took pictures with me and my 2 brothers thanks phil Forever grateful
🌳 I had a dream once with Phil Lesh where he showed me some new futuristic jazz-electronica 🍇 Which definitely increased my respect for him, made me see him in a different light 🌻
Phil, please get Bob and reform Furthur. We won't ask you to tour, but like you've been doing for Shapiro, play a half dozen or so cities. We miss Furthur. Thanks Phil.
Better yet, Iron out the differences between Phil and Bill, and I'll actually consider going to see Dead and Co. Until then, I'll just go see Phil solo, or with The Terrapin Family Band.
Interesting confirmation of Jerry playing on Freeman’s “Do You Wanna Dance ?” - I had read that this was disputed, but it seems like Phil would know. I saw the only Grateful Dead performance of this song, on 12/31/87.
He played at the Oregon County Fair this last July. He had a list of demands before he'd agree to play. One of them was his own personal water flushing toilet LOL I don't blame him.
I heard that eternal music that's constantly playing some where in the cosmos through the Grateful Dead. A very great interview, thanks Phil. I never knew why I liked their music so much, just did, and now I know why because on occasion the Grateful Dead Tapped into that music that reveals the best energy. And then you kind of jones for hearing and feeling it again and again. I never get tired of the listening to The Grateful Dead.
Phil has always spoken fluent eneffable . It was once calculated that the combined musical I Q of the Dead was 397.9 and on a good night even God was scratching his head...who also had his tape machine running. A peak GD show has never been filmed or recorded...magic doesn’t play like that.
Did any of the Dead ever speak directly about the Mahavishnu Orchestra, especially John McClaughlin? Do you John would ever jam with Dead & Company, or any of the members? Really would appreciate your views. Thanks.
When Oteil was with Tedeschi Trucks they jammed with John at the Montreux festival. There's a youtube vid but unfortunately the sound is poor. Oteil has a picture of him and his wife with John on his website.. Billy Cobham was a member of Bobby (Weir) and the Midnites in the early eighties and has been an off and on member of Jazz is Dead, a band who play jazzy covers of dead songs. These are the only connections I know between John McL and the Dead family but there could be others.
@@robertwood4681 Billy Cobham also sat in with Grateful Dead at one of the Radio City Music Hall shows in 1980: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-34HOJB2vpPQ.html
I wonder what question the interviewer initiated this discussion with. Not only is Phil cerebral, "Box of Rain," written for his dying father, tells us his heart and soul are equally strong.
Great interview, thanks for this. Phil, please do more long form interviews, documentaries, etc. Perspective is enhanced when context is given to varied aspects of the experience. Glad we once shook hands at the Tattered Cover bookstore in Denver. ~Peace~
He's talking about audio on the radio from a NY symphony playing Brahms #1 influencing him as a child. Phil's bass, much like JPJ's on the early Zep albums, was a melodic thing that always drew attention away from whatever thoughts were fluttering through my head.
True dead heads spread love and the word of psychedelics and great music. These "dead heads" I see kinda sicken me because all they seem to care about is getting fucked up and making money. Some modern dead heads are just drunks enjoying the freedom. I'm a real dead head for life, much love my brothers and sisters ❤️
I can't and won't comment on who is a "Real" Dead Head, or what makes a "True" Dead Head, since each individual has their own life to live, but I am sadden by those who feel that they have to be trashed all the time, or are there to just make a quick buck with whatever they're selling. (Plus I never really liked the term Dead Head. I always considered myself Gratefully Deadicated) It was always about the music, and how it unites a community of like minded people for the common good. I still like to party, but I definitely support The Warf Rats, or, at least the concept thereof. Nothing wrong with partying down, but there's nothing wrong with living a clean and sober lifestyle either. Whatever is right for the individual shouldn't take away from the enjoyment of the music.
I dont venerate the GD because I didn't grow up with them, but as a musician its impossible to not be influenced by them. Id love to smoke a few joints with him 💕
