Sunday, June 7, 2015

KLEM FM

Bob Weir,  standing top right
Netflix has an apparent exclusive called "The Other One: The Long Strange Trip of Bob Weir"

Weir--in case you didn't know--was the teenaged founding member of what became the Grateful Dead. This is a pretty well-made documentary and tells a complete story of the band's history using interviews and personal photos and film. Even if you’re not a fan of their music, you might appreciate their musicianship a little more.

Highlights: Weir revisits his childhood home in the tony suburb of Atherton CA. He shows us the music shop and the exact spot in Palo Alto where he first met Jerry Garcia. He revisits 710 Ashbury St., the more or less famous house which the Dead all shared (pictured above). The story is mostly told from Weir's Marin Co. house with plenty of rolling fog.

Other Highlights: There is archival footage of the Merry Prankster days—some of which I’d never seen. And I learned more about the effect that the early beats -- especially Neal Cassidy -- had on Weir.

I was less impressed by Weir’s personal quest to find his own birth father. Especially since we learn that Weir was the go-to groupie magnet in the band. It’s just inconceivable that after so many countless couplings there aren’t a lot of little Weirs in the gene pool, potentially perpetuating the "problem." But that all goes unsaid.  We’re supposed to be touched that Weir found his real dad in the end after losing Jerry. I was reminded somewhat of Lemmy and his own father problem which I mentioned here.  Always daddy issues driving things, aren't there?

I could say more but it’d be a spoiler.

6 comments:

chickelit said...

Oh and I scored one of these at the liquor store. Haven't tried it yet. I'm too busy admiring the label.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Won't cover with syrup. The only thing that interests me about the Grateful Dead is Cherry Garcia ice cream, and I'm luke-warm on ice cream.

mmmm doesn't that sound good? A Cherry Garcia malt-milk-shake with whipped cream.

Let us know your opinion on the beer.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Ace of Spades made me look up an old video of Ace of Spades on an episode of The Young Ones. Silly British comedy I used to love. Then I found out Rik Mayall died... a year ago! heavens I had no idea.

chickelit said...

AA, I don't know if you followed my link to Lemmy but here it is again: link. I really did enjoy that biopic; why else would I write about it? :)

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Good stuff, Hitchhike. (Hitchhike is your auto-correct) I recall watching that video from that same link some time ago.

chickelit said...

Hitchhike--I like that!