Cinema Cycle - Grateful Dead / Dead Ahead

CINEMA CYCLE

(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)

DATE VIEWED: 11/04/2015

TITLE: Grateful Dead / Dead Ahead

FORMAT: LaserDisc

TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 1 hour 55 minutes

DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 25.8 miles

TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 3314.5 miles

SYNOPSIS: A concert film by the Grateful Dead, held in New York on Halloween night in 1980.

CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER:   The end of an era?  Possibly the last period that the band was in full force.  Musical craftsmanship that is seldom seen today.

PROS AND CONS: This is just a good film.  Didn’t know what to expect, but found the overall experience was one of intimacy and musical virtuosity with a very laid-back edge.

I recognized none of the songs, but found all to enjoyable.  I had always heard that Jerry Garcia was a artist on the guitar, and now I know why.  

While I love the film, it also gives a taste of what this experience was really like in real life.  It is sort of like describing the Grand Canyon or the Great Wall of China to someone that has never seen it.  I am sure that to totally understand The Dead, you had to be there.  Watching a video of it is not the same.

Track listing (from Wikipedia)

1. "Uncle John's Band" (Garcia, Hunter)
2. Introduction (Franken & Davis)
3. "Bird Song" (Garcia, Hunter) — acoustic
4. "On The Road Again" (traditional, arranged by Grateful Dead) — acoustic
5. "To Lay Me Down" (Garcia, Hunter) — acoustic
6. "Ripple" (Garcia, Hunter) — acoustic
7. Henry Kissinger Interview (Franken & Davis)
8. "Me and My Uncle" (Phillips)
9. "Mexicali Blues" (Weir, Barlow)
10. "Ramble On Rose" (Garcia, Hunter)
11. "Little Red Rooster" (Dixon)
12. A Visit Backstage (Franken & Davis)
13. "Don't Ease Me In" (traditional, arranged by Grateful Dead)
14. "Lost Sailor" (Weir, Barlow)
15. "Saint of Circumstance" (Weir, Barlow)
16. "Franklin's Tower" (Garcia, Kreutzmann, Hunter)
17. "Drums" (Hart, Kreutzmann)
18. "Space" (Garcia, Weir, Lesh, Mydland)
19. "Fire on the Mountain" (Hart, Hunter)
20. "Not Fade Away" (Hardin, Petty)
21. "Good Lovin'" (Resnick, Clark)

To read an overview of this project, check out this status posting.  

This film is a part of my LaserDisc Collection.

Clicking on the title will take you to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) entry for this film. 

This film was viewed while exercising on my recumbent cycle.  A summary of my time spent working out on my journey through movie-land can be found on Strava.com.