GOOD OL’ GRATEFUL DEADCAST – Ace 50

Episode Date: October 13, 2022
Hosts: Rich Mahan & Jesse Jarnow
Featured Voices: Bob Weir, John Perry Barlow, Donna Jean Godchaux, Don Was

Episode Overview

The episode celebrates the 50th anniversary of Bob Weir’s debut solo album, Ace. While labeled a "solo" venture, the album features backing from nearly the entire Grateful Dead and became a reservoir of songs that would grow into live standards for the band. The hosts dig into the album's creation, Weir's developing role within the Dead, his fruitful new partnership with lyricist John Perry Barlow, and the ongoing transformation of Ace’s material—culminating in the new ACE50 live performances with special guests.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origins of “Ace” and the Cowboy Phase

• Cowboy Persona:
  Weir reflects on the Dead’s “cowboy phase” of the late 60s/early 70s, fueled by a collective rural fantasy among band members:

  “We were sort of listening to country music … I had a ranch out in the Casio and I was raising horses … We’re all raising horses … Billy had a ranch, Mickey had a ranch.”
  (05:37 – Bob Weir)

• Bobby Ace:
  The “Bobby Ace” moniker arose during this period and characterized Weir’s evolving on-stage personality.

2. Bob Weir’s Songwriting Evolution

• Songwriting Partnerships:
  • Weir’s early credits came on “Anthem of the Sun” (1968); his style hit stride on “American Beauty” (1970) with tracks like "Sugar Magnolia."
  • Friction with Robert Hunter led to the end of their collaboration, but pushed Weir toward Barlow as his main lyricist.
• Collaboration with John Perry Barlow:
  Their creative partnership was seeded during a trip to Mexico and solidified during time together at the Bar Cross Ranch in Wyoming.
  "It is not easy trying to write with somebody … it's a lot like being married, actually. Sometimes we just can't stand each other over ... aesthetic differences."
  (24:54 – John Perry Barlow)

3. Song Creation Stories

• “Playing in the Band” & “Greatest Story Ever Told”:
  Unconventionally developed—one driven by a 10/4 rhythm, the other starting with the sound of a water pump at Mickey Hart’s ranch:

  “He recorded a pump and told me to write a song. Well, that pump was in C. Whatever it was doing, it was in C ... I ran the pump tape and just built a sort of core structure around it.”
  (13:46 – Bob Weir)

• Lyric Quirks and Fighter’s Dynamic:
  Robert Hunter didn’t always vibe with Weir’s approach:

  “He wants something different out of a song than I do.” (18:45 – Robert Hunter)
  The infamous lyric switch from “guitar” to “quasar” in “Greatest Story Ever Told” epitomizes their creative push-and-pull.

4. Birth of a New Lyricist: Barlow Steps In

• “Mexicali Blues”:
  • Barlow’s first lyric for Weir, influenced by Mexican radio and country-western tales. Initially, Barlow pictured a brassy polka, while Weir made it a desperado narrative.
  • Modern sensitivities about the song’s imagery are acknowledged, but it remains a Dead mainstay.
• Cassidy, Black-Throated Wind, & Looks Like Rain:
  • Barlow and Weir developed these at the Bar Cross Ranch.
  • “Cassidy” bridged the births and deaths in Barlow’s life, inspired by Weir’s goddaughter and connections to Neal Cassady.

5. Studio Sessions: Wally Heider’s, February 1972

• The “Solo” Album That Wasn’t:
  • Although intended as a solo project, Ace ended up a near-complete Grateful Dead album:

    “Of course, I ended up with the Grateful Dead on the record, which I figured up front.”
    (43:12 – Bob Weir)

• Studio Innovations:
  • Jam expansion on “Playing in the Band,” new arrangements and instrumental textures (e.g., horn section, Jerry Garcia’s pedal steel on “Looks Like Rain”).

6. Song Evolution and Live Performance

• Constant Transformation:
  Dead songs from Ace continued to evolve live—some (like “Playing in the Band”) ballooning into 20+ minute jams.
• “Walk in the Sunshine” – The Odd Song Out:
  Largely ignored by the Dead and disliked by both Barlow and Weir:

  “That’s the worst song we ever wrote.” (65:24 – John Perry Barlow)

7. ACE50: Revisiting and Remixing

• Remixing Ace for 2023:
  Weir and Derek Featherstone updated the mix, modernizing it and adjusting balances for clarity.
• Celebration Shows at Radio City:
  The ACE50 performances showcased the album live, featuring the Wolf Brothers, Wolf Pack (horns & strings), and guests Tyler Childers and Brittany Spencer—reaffirming the album’s lasting influence and adaptability.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the creation process:
  “The songs were written to sort of evolve. That's kind of how we do things or how I learned to do things.”
  (80:16 – Bob Weir)

• On the recording sessions:
  “It went by in a blurry, blinding flash ... We packed them to the point where stuff was just happened blindingly fast.”
  (42:50 – Bob Weir)

• On collaborating with the Dead anyway:
  “It's kind of like the Tom Sawyer routine with the fence ... I ended up with the Grateful Dead on the record, which I figured up front.”
  (43:24 – Bob Weir)

• On the infamous “Walk in the Sunshine”:
  “It was just terrible. It was straight out of a greeting card, a sort of a hip, hip cosmic greeting card ... that's the worst song we ever wrote.”
  (61:58, 65:24 – John Perry Barlow)

• On evolving the old tunes:
  “For every song on the album, one could create a title card to shorthand what it's been up to since 1972.”
  (81:46 – Jesse Jarnow)

• On working with special guests for ACE50:
  “I thought [Tyler Childers] sang the, out of those songs, he sounded great.”
  (84:39 – Don Was)

Timeline of Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|---------| | 00:35 | Intro & episode overview | | 04:28 | The story of Ace, its non-linear creation | | 05:37 | Weir on the “cowboy phase” and Bobby Ace persona | | 09:06 | Weir and Barlow’s Mexico trip | | 13:46 | Origins of “Greatest Story Ever Told” | | 18:45 | Robert Hunter on writing with Weir | | 20:15 | Barlow on starting to write lyrics for Weir | | 24:27 | Barlow & Weir on their working relationship | | 29:28 | Weir & Barlow write songs at Bar Cross Ranch, haunted cabin story | | 37:51 | Barlow requests “Jack Straw” demo | | 40:17 | “Cassidy” – dual birth origin | | 42:50 | Weir recalls fast-paced recording sessions | | 47:33 | "Playing in the Band": 10/4 time and evolution | | 54:11 | Studio version of “Looks Like Rain” with strings and pedal steel | | 59:13 | "Walk in the Sunshine" origin story and Barlow’s father’s death | | 63:03 | The alternate “Dwarf” lyric | | 69:02 | “Cassidy” as album closer and its long journey into Dead sets | | 75:12 | Weir discusses live reinterpretation with expanded ensemble | | 77:02 | “Black Throated Wind” – new lyrics in 1990 didn’t last | | 80:03 | Don Was on prepping for ACE50 shows | | 81:46 | Jesse Jarnow on the legacy and ongoing evolution of Ace’s songs | | 84:07 | Tyler Childers’ guest vocal at ACE50 shows | | 86:01 | Brittany Spencer joins for “Walk in the Sunshine” | | 87:00 | Reflections on Ace as a Dead album that isn’t “by” the Dead |

Episode Takeaways

• Ace stands as a pivotal album in the Grateful Dead story—Weir’s coming-of-age moment as a songwriter, the platform for classic tunes, and a case study in musical collaboration.
• The partnership with John Perry Barlow redefined Weir’s lyricism, injecting a new poetic sensibility into the Dead canon.
• The evolution of the Ace songs continues—new mixes, new live approaches, and a celebration of the ongoing living tradition that is Grateful Dead music.
• Even the oddball tracks have gained new life (and sometimes a little good-natured derision) at half a century’s remove.

Further Listening/Reading

• Archived interviews, liner notes, and essay links are referenced throughout the episode, particularly regarding the songs "Cassidy," "Black Throated Wind," and Barlow's "Cassidy's Tale" essay.
• The ACE50 release features both a remixed studio album and Radio City Music Hall live performances.

For more exclusive stories and details, visit dead.net or check out past Good Ol’ Grateful Deadcast episodes.