View Full Version : Pizza Tapes
glauber
Nov-09-2005, 11:48am
After watching the Grateful Dawg DVD, i picked up this CD. This is great! It's like listening in in their private session, jokes included. It opens up with a "Man of Constant Sorrow" that puts the Soggy Bottom Boys to shame. It includes a version of Amazing Grace that is, for lack of any better word, simply amazing.
What a great loss Jerry's death was.
JEStanek
Nov-09-2005, 11:57am
This was my first Dawg CD. I got it this summer. I love this disc. I espescially like the version of So What. I know it isn't old time but I think that is the best track. If you don't have it, buy it!
Jamie
AlanN
Nov-09-2005, 11:57am
Again, my fave part of that are the flub moments into Long Black Veil. Tony's (ahem) remark is priceless.
i agree with all of your review. the things that irk some when they listen are the things that i like most- the raw sound of it, the miscues, the semi-traditional manner of addressing many traditional tunes. it lets me see what it was like for these guys to just hang and jam some favorites the way i do with many of my friends (obviously with less talent but the same enjoyment). some complain of jerry's voice on the pizza tapes. i personally love it. one of my fav. things about jerry singing was that though he had a voice lacking full body, kinda high pitched, etc... he was an incredible story teller and became the characters in the songs. the emotion he brings actually makes the pushing his voice to the edge,and a little crack here and there just perfect. a superb disc.
glauber
Nov-09-2005, 12:46pm
I love it... the way he searches for the right note for a few seconds, in the start of Amazing Grace before nailing it, is just priceless, or worth the cost of the CD. We have to remember this guy was close to the end of his life. He even mentions in the CD that he's "past his prime" (if i remember right).
Ditto to all the above! I wish more "traditional" members of our genre would listen to Jerry G. - even if they have to hide-in-a-closet/lock themselves in the bathroom.., play some of his stuff(bluegrass/ol' timey-oriented) in the pick-up truck. Yes, I'm gonna' admit it ; I never appreciated him and his abilities/contributions 'till the last few years. Hey, the guy loved Bluegrass - (IMHO)- Hope I don't "alienate" any of my Bluegrass buddies! - Moose. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
luckylarue
Nov-09-2005, 1:21pm
Ditto to the ditto above. I love Grisman's playing w/ Garcia (maybe it's the tunes they do?). I've yet to get "Pizza Tapes" but when I was in college, we had a bootleg tape of the sessions kicking around the house - thanks to Dawg for releasing all the Garcia stuff. If you haven't heard "Been All Around This World", I highly recommend it. Great songs and playing - the way a guitar and mando should sound together. Moose, are you gonna bust out the tie-dye shirts in the closet as well?!?
I really like it too. It reminds me of the feel of my own band practices that we sometimes tape -- though our practices are certainly much more rocky.
Cheers,
Rob
Pizza tapes is probably Tony at his worse. But what the hey.
to each his own tom, though none of the gentlemen playing sound as great as they could in some respects, remember that this was not performed for an audience or for an album. you are probably hearing tony at his most relaxed (induced or not), and having as much fun as a pro can have just sitting around playing fav. tunes. though i've heard all 3 sound better re: technical prowess, clean playing and singing, and power, don't think i've ever heard any of them sound as good re: joy of making music with friends.
just my opinion....
Moose, #are you gonna bust out the tie-dye shirts in the closet as well?!?
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif
GVD
phynie
Nov-14-2005, 7:29pm
The pizza tapes is the reason I play mandolin. I am actually a dead head guitarist convert. The disc has it all (warts included). But I have never heard another jam session that can compare in emotional peaks and valleys. It sounds so authentic. So true. I wish Jerry could have lived for 30 more years so he would really dive into the acoustic guitar as Grisman has on the Mandolin. But it is always cool to hear him out of his element. The way he sings those songs. It sounds like they are about him. Too cool. Grisman just takin the wheel whenever was right and doin the perfect thing for the moment. And Tony Rice, yes a bit subdued, but simply great. I love this disc. I love it very much!
I love the part where Tony is playing some great single note riffs and Garcia tells him "Stop that Stop that" laughing the whole time. Priceless.
glauber
Nov-15-2005, 8:19am
Some of my favourite quotes from the CD:
"There were moments of blinding brilliance!"
"There was some Chinese harmony in there."
"It can be done!"
"WTF was that?"
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
olgraypat
Nov-15-2005, 3:07pm
I just came back yesterday from a trip and took my Pizza tape CD along and also Jerry and Dawg's "Shady Grove" CD. There seems to be some of the same stuff on there, but I agree that the pizza tape Cd is awesome, although I have a hard time buying the story behind it as I heard it. I was thinking as I was driving along, why can Jerry sing that way and it sound so good and I sing in my rough old voice and it sounds so bad?
glauber
Nov-15-2005, 3:42pm
I have a hard time buying the story too. I bet Jerry gave the tape away to somebody.
They may have Bought the Pizza with the Tape.
250sc
Nov-16-2005, 12:51pm
I have to get a copy. I like the idea of being a fly on the wall when people are just playing relaxed and not worring about hitting 'clams'.
There are times when you should try to play your best but there are other times when it's good to just be relaxed and let anything go in a safe environment. That relaxed playing can reveal some happy supprises that just might produce the kernal of something great down the road.
jaco- nice theory. you can just picture them all hanging, pizza comes- anybody have cash??? no? hey dude, how about these tapes!http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif
glauber
Nov-16-2005, 1:18pm
Somehow that sounds entirely plausible! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif
GnomeGrown
Nov-16-2005, 5:30pm
that would be the first story I heard about these tapes leaking out....
not unheard of for this sort of thing to happen.....once in College my roomie tipped our delivery guy with his choice of CDs....
Maybe we should send some pizza over to the Dawg house and tell him we only accept tapes!
glauber
Nov-16-2005, 9:17pm
That wasn't Grisman, it was Garcia who lost the tapes. It must have irritated Dave greatly.
Does anyone know how they were recovered?
luckylarue
Nov-18-2005, 8:55pm
I'm sure they were copies, not the masters that were absconded.