raymond brettman

About me:

From the last Dead show, my 90 th, the last time they rang that bell of countless thousands, everytime I watch this I start to cry, these guys meant so much to me, and always will. Love you always Senor Garcia.

The finest in mid summer hippie ritual and celebration. If you ever read the lyrics to China Cat I would have to posit that it reads quite like a psychedelic prayer. Hunter has been heard to say that the lyric came to him from a cat that sat next to him on a bench in Golden Gate Park in 67, yes he was tripping.

While I tend to prefer the wide open improvisational aspects of the Dead more than just about anything, if I were to pick my favorite Dead song, ok I know it was originally Jer's, this would make the very short list. Doesn't get alot more "Dead" than this. "Small wheel turn by the firing rod, Big Wheel turned by the grace of God! Love.

Aye, Lassie

So many profoundly good videos of Jimi but left to pick one that most shows his, dare I say, Godhead, this would be the one. I truly do hope we meet in the next world my sorely missed brother. Hope you won't mind that I had a picture taken of myself lying atop your final resting place on earth. Love you more than words can tell.

There are so many great anti war songs but this is likely my favorite. Plus it got Woodstock off to a pretty good start donchaknow

Whle I may be well short of the biggest Genesis fan, this is one of my favorite songs from the seventies.

Fotheringay was a very short lived band, as a result very little in the way of videos. Featuring the incomporable late Sandy Denny.

Although not a video including this because its such a milestone for me, as this is what was playing on my box when I received the call from my sister that my Mother had left this world. Will never ever be easy to write that.

Who ever added the bucolic imagery inherent in the song has done a really good job. One of the great love songs of which there are literally thousands.

Fab, gear and forever. And not the least bit grotty.

Including this and Pisces Fish off George's last statement, knowing he had less than a year to live. Down on my knees looking for my life. Indeed. Loved you all those years ago, now, and always George.

The incredible versatility that has always been the case with Ian Anderson and his band of 41 years, Jethro Tull. Lucia Micarelli was one of three lovely, highly talented violinists Tull have had the pleasure of hosting as guest artists in recent years.

Dead to the core

I recall how jaw dropping this was at Ravinia Park near Chicago sometime in the early 80's aided and abetted by a headful of fungus

This used to be the only video I had on my myspace before I realized that you could put more than one up. My favorite Tull video, live or studio, though at least 30 would be in the running. That repartee between Blackpool natives Ian A and John Evan is priceless and memorable to old Tull fans. And Martin in monocle, Ian's idea no doubt.

Likely the album version is the best "rap" I have yet heard, came out in 81, near the beginning of rap and hip hop, which, of course, Gil had been doing a version of for many years, as people had done before them. Get well Gil, you will always be needed.

Being 52, I did not catch much of Mickey's ascending star, but until you reach, possibly, Michael Jordan, there has never been an American ballplayer with the magnetism of number 7, my and millions of other boomers, all time favorite ball player. In a sense, the last of Yankee royalty, 3, 4, 5 and 7 hold a special place in that mythology.

Bjork, while I may not be her biggest fan, is the one mainstream performer in the past 35 years that to my eyes and ears had at least a shred of the talent and imagination that so many of her forbears had in that brief flash from mid sixties to the early seventies when art and pop culture were well introduced.

Just love this old song, no other reason

FABtastic. My 9th birthday party, 1965 my Father gave me and about 8 friends a choice of the new Beatles movie or an Illini football game. 7 votes for Illini, one dissenting vote for Beatles, I won. My favorite part is when John says, careful Paulie, she'll deceive you with her filthy eastern way(remember to insert John accent)

Beatles forever, nice Beatle jig George

Safe to say at this point the Beatles had moved beyond rum and cokes and the occasional benny.

In a nightmare never forgotten that line about you and I have memories longer than the road that stretches out ahead came to be true with John's murder in my country 11 years later.

"Drink in your summer, gather your corn." Ain't it the truth, time shows no mercy.

LIVE - The Stones at the Olympia Theater in France. These clips out weigh most because they were played in a smaller more intimate venue. When asked Kieth said the band was a club band in the beginning so the concert will be almost like any other as apposed to large stadiums. Excellent.

File this Stones riff under B for big nasty. You were warned about letting your daughters get near Rolling Stones. It might be safe now. But I doubt it.

I consider 4 seconds of this to be, if not the greatest moment in rock and roll history, certainly in with a chance. Those seconds are at the 2.35 thru 2.39 mark. Anyone who knows me knows the regards I hold Ian Anderson of Tull in but as a stage performer I believe Townsend to be his closest competitor,Moon not far behind.

Lets see, a woman of the land who also kicks the clown, I'm in, can I have one? No, huh. Anyway have had the pleasure of Shawn's company on one occasion now long ago, they do not come more self effacing, sweet, genuine and loaded with great stories than Shawn.

Pretty sure nobody interprets Dylan better than the Dead, including Dylan himself. Plus several of the lines in this tune, almost always used as a show closer, seem to speak to the experience of following the Dead around the USA, taking over stretches of the nations highways with delicious gentle craziness.

Litte gem of a cover of the Dylan diamond from Phil, Bob a Jerry. A rare and always welcome cover from the Dead at shows, if I remember right and I am sure I do Jerry did all the singing at shows.

The Green Bay Packers, who own the place deepest in my sports heart, 12 time NFL champions from a town of 100000, most of those years it was more like 55000. An American miracle that a team from a town this size has more championships than any other, be they New York, Los Angeles or Chicago. And owned by the fans, literally. Miracle.

I LOVE THE PACKERS! Love em or hate em there is nothing in sports anywhere in the world remotely like them. As has been said of the Grateful Dead, "They are not the best at what they do, they are the only ones that do what they do." If they are ever sold the money goes to the local American Legion Post! PACKER SUNDAY IN GREEN BAY!

Yah hey, dem der Packers eh? You Betcha. The Pack Will Be Back!

A couple videos from Tull in Istabul in 91 from what I have read in those rare references to Tull in mainstream rock press in the past 35 yrs as the "yesterday's news, past their sell by date, or just plain washed up Jethro Tull ". Wash summa dis. Tull 41 yrs on in 09, still kicking...hard

Some dodgy yet priceless pirate film of Tull in their 75 us tour, which I saw both nights in Chicago, the second from third row center, felt certain I was witnessing the greatest live performing band in the world, dripping with character and precision.

Out of all the remarkable musical performances I have ever witnessed, there is none that I regret missing so much as this one. If u can watch this without getting choked up u are made of sterner stuff than me, or just not a Fairport Convention lover.