RIP Bob Weir

An underrated musician and songwriter and a delightful weirdo

Bob Weir's organically quirky songwriting is one of the central building blocks of my musical understanding. Here's a solo guitar rendition of my favorite of his tunes.

Here’s my second favorite.

My first introduction to the Dead was the better of their two greatest hits compilations, What A Long Strange Trip It’s Been. That collection includes some very strange deep cuts, including “Born Cross-Eyed”, one of the band’s most adventurous studio recordings.

As a kid, I grew up with a stack of my older stepbrother’s vinyl records, including several Dead classics. I just assumed from the cover art that they were metal until I finally listened to them and discovered that they were sunshine-y jazzy country rock. “The Other One” did sometimes get dark enough to approach the vibe of all the skulls and gothic lettering.

“Sugar Magnolia” is not the main thing I love the Dead for, but if you’re ever in Buena Vista Park in San Francisco on a nice day, you understand immediately where it comes from.

“Jack Straw” is my favorite of the Dead’s cowboy songs.

Like I said up top, “Playing in the Band” is my favorite of Bobby’s tunes. I think the best version is the one from Skull and Roses, but it was also the launchpad for some of the band’s most adventurous collective improvisation. I list some highlights here.

I also really love “Cassidy”, one of the few Dead songs that was better in the 80s than in the 70s. All the synths enhance the mystical vibe.

“The Music Never Stopped” is one of the great Dead singalongs. The studio recording includes one of Jerry’s hottest riffs ever.

“Estimated Prophet” on Terrapin Station is the best song the band recorded in the second half of their career, another of Bobby’s remarkably organic-sounding odd-meter grooves.

Terrapin also includes Bobby’s arrangement of “Samson and Delilah” by the Reverend Gary Davis, one of the Dead’s funkiest recordings.

I like Bobby’s singing the best when he’s the most laid-back, and he always sounded good on Dylan songs.

Here’s a charming duet that Bobby and Jerry did on Letterman in 1982.

Finally, let’s enjoy a bit of Bobby’s dry wit.

RIP Bobby.