Joel Selvin's 'Fare Thee Well'

At the Barlow memorial a few weeks back I was talking with someone I used to work for when Selvin came by. He is friends with the person I was speaking with so I got to be a fly on the wall while Selvin talked about the book.

He was quite proud of how he thought it turned out and he made it sound like the tone would definitely not be all pixie dust and fairy wings. He also said that he had NO TROUBLE getting people to speak with him.

I'm not a huge fan of Selvin's in general, but it is an interesting topic, or at least different than the same tired stories, and I'm looking forward to reading it.

Looks like this book will be released on June 19, for those interested 

https://www.amazon.com/Fare-Thee-Well-Chapter-Grateful/dp/0306903059

 

 

 

Chapter 9: Cryin' Ryan

"I'm not a huge fan of Selvin's in general"

 

Ditto.

This Selvin guy is gonna take Phil and Jill down. They are going to jail for a long time. Justice will finally be served.

"the tone would definitely not be all pixie dust and fairy wings."

Reality is not all pixie dust and fairy wings.

Tabloid trash of things we already know..Jill is a control freak ....yada yada yada...everybody’s got to cash in on the GD money train...I don’t think Rock’s book was all pixie dust and fairies...oh well what can ya do...

I always appreciated Selvin in the sense that he's pretty unfiltered in his opinions. I'll probably pick this up. 

Shine a light on that final money grab fiasco in Santa Clara and Chicago. Go go go.

And perhaps it hasn't been real pretty since the summer of 1995 but '99-2007 Phil Lesh & Friends will always be shatterproof. Hopefully the music gets it's due. 

 

 

 

Joel Selvin is a poor mans Scott Allen... 

>>Joel Selvin is a poor mans Scott Allen... >>

 

Now that’s funny. Or very possibly it could be the other way around? Who wrote for Relix and who wrote for Rolling Stone? I’m 

>>>>This Selvin guy is gonna take Phil and Jill down. They are going to jail for a long time. Justice will finally be served.

when will it all end??? they really need to wrap this investigation up already 

 >He also said that he had NO TROUBLE getting people to speak with him.

I wouldn't think that would be a problem.  When the remainder of the band have gotten together it's obviously for a cash grab.  I don't fault any of the band members nor think it's all that salacious. I'm guessing that they all have equal amounts of love and hate for each other. 

 

>when will it all end??? they really need to wrap this investigation up already 

 

TOO -- 3 years no indictments 

The Dead 2.3  years -- 0 indictments 

FTW - 5 shows 27 indictments  

You do the math! 

 

who's joel selvin?

Corpse humper

I'm guessing this dude is some sort of hanger on/leach on the GD scene?   If so, being shat on by Phil and Jill should have been an honor.

   

97% of all professional musicians, actors, artists, producers, etc. have shat on someone(s).

"Given his oft-expressed displeasure with tribute bands, Lesh's pick of Kadlecik to join his new band served two purposes," Selvin writes in Fare Thee Well. "It effectively crippled the top tribute band by taking out their guitarist and it signaled Lesh's intent to tool his new band into the ultimate Grateful Dead tribute band."

 

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/grateful-dead-after-jerry-garcia-fare-thee-well-book-w520108

lol

DSO was so crippled they r playing the Cap tonight...

do you think jill is involved in txr orgies with the busboys and grilled cheese?

#goldengate

Flatbread-Gate! (Goat-cheese with Sun-dried tomato and Crimini mushrooms)

Scully's book was great, though laced with a lot of burn out.

I remember Selvin from the 70's & 80's. Wrote some decent reviews, and had his favorites.

He gave  GD some shining reviews- especially in the late 70's.

 

Was his source Derp Throat?

 

Phish were taking away Dead fans (esp those in their teens and 20s) well before 1995-1998. I stopped seeing the GD in 93 bc I thought they sucked, were too slow and Vince's keyboard sounds were so horribly inappropriate for the music. Phish were a breath of fresh air in 92-93 and most of the audience was young disillusioned Dead fans....

Selvin's SF Chron article on Vince Welnick after he died made me cry when I read it. So horrible but it was obviously a bit of a hit piece by Weir and others

  

Selvin definitely used to be pretty solid in the Chronicle

 

cool name too.      Jill Mia these days. I like the Ichabod crane but man phil is the energizer bunny for sure!

>>> '99-2007 Phil Lesh & Friends will always be shatterproof. Hopefully the music gets it's due<<<

I'm an optimist (or gullible... or just a fool) but I think that it's these positives that make the story so interesting, so I'm hoping that the positives will be properly included in the story, and I think there are as many or more positives in this fascinating & on-going story than just the interpersonal sniping and money issues between the existing members.

But then I guess positive stories don't sell as well as soap operas do, and traditionally Selvin hasn't been the most comprehensive writer, so I guess I'm probably just being foolish to hope that this will be a fair and complete report.

This thing called the Grateful Dead has always been such a different animal than anything else that has ever come along. That their music and influence continue to thrive and grow well into the third decade after the groups demise, not only continuing to hold the interest of fans of the actual band but connecting with new generations of young people, with no signs of it slowing down anytime soon, is to me the central & most important part of this amazing story, and is what makes it a sellable story in the first place.

The warts are always interesting and are definitely part of it all, but the real story is so much more than just bickering and drama over "money grabs", so I'm hoping that it's the whole story that Selvin is going for.

But then he has car payments like everyone else, so I suppose I'm just being a hopeful fool again.

(And nobody is going to write a story about THAT any time soon)

LONG LIVE THE GRATEFUL DEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Very well put.   My oldest is 19 and for her to tell me that her musician friends listen to and play GD music is fantastic.  They're part of the American song book.  

I dropped her at a party a few years back and as we were pulling up a band of 16 year olds rang out the first chord to Shakedown.  She looked at me and said 'I hate you'.  She smiled when I said  'I love you too'.  

 

Jonas that's fucking awesome thank you for sharing

 

Long live love

<<This thing called the Grateful Dead has always been such a different animal than anything else that has ever come along. That their music and influence continue to thrive and grow well into the third decade after the groups demise, not only continuing to hold the interest of fans of the actual band but connecting with new generations of young people, with no signs of it slowing down anytime soon, is to me the central & most important part of this amazing story>>

Absolutely!

 

<<Wonder what Warren Haynes thinks about all of this?>>

Warren lived through the stormy (no pun intended) times of the Allman's with Dickey Betts' and his issues. Has clearly seen alot and suspect he will play it down the middle.

 

 

where does fat donna fit into this sprawling epic?

^Into an XXXXL......

I kid, I kid!

 

 

 

ha ha. cool jonas.

Grateful Dead Books is not happy (from fb): "The biggest asshole in the world has a book coming out."

No its not Ted Nugent.

 

The whole money thing with me is amusing. The market pays what it pays and the band for what I know signs contracts in advance of the tour. What is there to bitch about?

>>>What is there to bitch about?

Apparently everything especially when the site won't evolve. Should have show reviews and setlists for Dead & Company & JRAD but Phil ain't n in them so we can't complain about Jill.

Selvin understands that some of the tales in his book may disillusion Grateful Dead fans, but he wanted them to know the unvarnished truth. "Look, there's a thing in the the book about how all the fans think that there's a golden circle of love binding the members of the band," says Selvin.

Who thinks that? I always viewed that as how people who didn't really follow the band saw it. I started going in 79 so I missed Rainbow and Unicorn phase, but even at a young age I understood that it was fucking dark, and that the barrier at the front of the stage was there to protect the band from the crowd, but also to protect the crowd from the band. 

 

Always thought Selvin was a bit of a blowhard.

He at least covered hippie music in the SF Chron back in the day, providing some decent coverage in the larger local mainstream media.

Local media and newspaper are no longer relevant here in the Bay Area. Probably skip Selvin's book.

 

Joel Selvin believes the remaining members of the band made a crucial error in the immediate aftermath of Jerry Garcia's death, when they retired the name "The Grateful Dead." They compounded the “problem” by not actually touring together for three years, (according to Selvin) a crucial period. Around 2006 Selvin has a book in mind. "The book proposal that I put together was just this grim, unrelenting downward spiral,  It had no redemption in it whatsoever. This is where I learned a real life-lesson about the book business: You need a happy ending."
Then, along came GD-50.  Selvin views this as his happy ending.  He found  an eager publisher.  Of course he still had a book to write. Fortunately Phil & Jill had a  machiavellian masterstroke.  “I  wanted this book to be a balanced account, but their deeds speak for themselves."  So much for balance. Apparently Phil & Jill had no interest in being interviewed, but Selvin has a story to tell, a book to sell.  With Dead & Co drawing “enormous crowds,”  there was money to be made. Yawn. 

Not sure if I care what Joel Selvin has to say any more than I care about what your average brain-damaged wook has to say and I’m not buying any of their books either. 

Writing a book about the Grateful Dead and making money off of it selling it to brain-damaged wooks (and other suckers) sounds like a great idea though. Almost as good as selling marked up bibles to brain-damaged republicans. 

I think any fan that’s followed this thing from 96 hoping they would eventually get it together knows what’s went down more or less. To me it’s been the same story for 20+ years. Here’s my take as a fan no inside knowledge or interviews 

96 Bobby and Mickey want to keep going form Furthur fest Ratdog and mystery box Billy wants a break Phil probably wants to move cautiously or wants no part of a Bobby run Band starts to consider options 

98 Phil signs on great year But Phil has problem with John Scher run management company or is offered money by live nation / either way splits forms Phil and friends records album gets clear channel / live nation airplay/ begins to develop a my way or the highway outlook 

99/2000 bobby and Mickey try to persevere pull in billy big fail buy buy John scher 

2002 / 03 bobby Mickey Billy decide to meet Phil demands sign on to live nation tour The Dead is formed jimmy herring is enjoyed by most lots of happy dead heads imho good shows decent venues easy reasonable good seats 

2004 Warren is brought in big mistake Billy begins to not like Phil my way or the highway demands hiatus is in the works 

2009 Warren fiasco again just a big fail with Warren 

2010 /11 Bobby willing to go along with Phil demands so he does’nt have to open for the allmans and play dives.

Furthur is formed Bobby and Phil get it most fans want a jerry sounding guitar. 

Furthur has a few good years but ultimately never fully blossoms 

Bobby can’t be happy in a band where he is sidelined falls down and Furthur is done. 

2015 Pete’s money convinces everyone to go along with Phil’s demands one last time Fare the well is a great financial and marketing success but falls way short in the music 

2016 to present I like Dead and  co they are good for one show a summer and a garden show in the fall

phil does it his way plays where and when he wants has a core of fans and musicians and is probably happy 

 

 

Thank God I just look to David Nelson and Hunters words for my fix now, not sure I could keep up with all that

John K posted a reply in the comment section of the Rolling Stone article. 

Hey, thanks for the mention... and for spelling my name right! ;). Armchair bandleaders and critics can think what they want, but I am pretty sure Furthur played more new original songs than any other post-Garcia Grateful Dead collaborations - not including solo bands like Phil Lesh & Friends or RatDog - and right out of the gate. Speaking from inside it, Furthur felt like working in an ultra-cool brother-brother business where I was regularly encouraged to step up, grab the wheel and drive the bus. The Bob Weir & Phil Lesh I had the pleasure to make music with were still passionate musical artists, chasing their ideal tones and trying to be impeccably "in the now." Furthur occupied a "sweet spot" between the solo projects and the big re-unions, working the zone of a successful indie-band, and whether it was a new original or a lesser-known cover, we took chances every night on songs very few people would consider "familiar," and we leaned hard on jamming, improvisation, and spontaneous composition. It wrapped up largely due to logistics, and I feel particularly blessed to have been a part of what now looks to be Phil Lesh's last touring art-adventure, as he seems to have put his focus on his home venue and residencies for the last five years. As others here have noted, DSO is doing just fine, and I am happy and proud they have carried on, but one of the things I learned in DSO playing 800+ different Grateful Dead setlists, is that when Garcia was around, nearly every setlist had new songs not on any album yet, or obscure covers, and it is for this bravery that I am most honored and proud to have been part of Furthur. ...and now I'll take my lumps on twitter; cue: trollers who didn't read past the second sentence of my post...or the article!

>>>ultra-cool brother-brother

 

yeah

but I am pretty sure Furthur played more new original songs than any other post-Garcia Grateful Dead collaborations - not including solo bands like Phil Lesh & Friends or RatDog - and right out of the gate.

by right out the gate do you mean that time you guys busted out Muli Guli after touring for almost an entire year? i was there bud, you cant kid a kidder, and that might be one of the worst songs to ever grace a GD related stage.

all the furthur originals blew ass except mountian song which wasnt exactly a furthur original, and even then it still blew a little bit of ass.

i was a HUGE furthur fan, and still am...when they were playing classic dead tunes heavy on the jamming...all these original songs and obscure covers everyone is usually jizzing in their pants over at post jerry GD shows typically sucks balls. if they were properly jammed out, that would be my preference, but i know how poorly improv on obscure stuff is handled by these guys and i usually am only interested in hearing classic big jam custie shit like dark star, let it grow, eyes, scarlet fire, etc etc etc. that is where the good improv always is.

...

Not that I know that much about the song, but the jam in colors of the rain would go out there a bit. I think that was a further original.

>>>classic big jam custie

would make a good t-shirt

I think JK needs to clarify what he means by “originals”

>>"The book proposal that I put together was just this grim, unrelenting downward spiral,

Nyc, is this written from a first person perspective?

Who is this Joel Selvin guy?  I won't Google him.

I blame you for not knowing this already.

Something on the Grateful Dead in 1971 should be done by the end of the week.

Book publishers don't change the coffee yearns as quick.

Selvin was the SF Chronicle music reviewer/writer for a very long time and was around for much of what went on over the years, and because he grew up in the Bay Area he thinks he's an expert on the BA "scene" in general.

But generally he's really nothing more than a shallow bottom-feeder.

I was hoping for better, but it sure sounds like this is just going to be another go-for-the-dirt report.

A shame, and a missed opportunity.

Add it to the list for Selvin.

Thank you sir.

>>>classic big jam custie

would make a good t-shirt

i dont need a tshirt, its written all over my face

Just read it. This book has got more dirt than all previous GD books combined. Much sensationalism. Much finger pointing. Much head shaking.

Yet if you read the credits, its got contributions from pretty much everyone except Phil/Jill and Billy.

 

It does also, however, contain some well written insights, among other things,  about the GD-influenced jam scene:

“Every one of the jam bands traced their heritage directly from the Grateful Dead. In a sense, it is like the music played around the Western world these days called Gypsy Jazz. That is nothing but music derived from the French jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt. There is no Gypsy Jazz—it is all Django. He has become an idiom and so did the Dead. Given that in any night the Dead’s music could touch upon Chuck Berry, Ornette Coleman, Bill Monroe, and Django himself, they staked their boundaries far enough apart to support and encourage experiments in practically any realm of American music. The progeny of the Dead range as far and wide, from the Dave Matthews Band to String Cheese Incident and beyond. Even bands that don’t sound remotely like the Dead—like Widespread Panic or Umphrey’s McGee—have borrowed crucial conceptual components from the band. So, while the Dead have been largely absent from this expanding community for almost twenty years, the band’s presence in this world, rather than go away, only enlarged. Tapes of old Dead shows constitute the standard indoctrination ritual for all who enter here. The band’s songs serve as common literature.”

Excerpt From: Joel Selvin. “Fare Thee Well: The Final Chapter of the Grateful Dead's Long, Strange Trip.” iBooks.

Watch not working is still right twice a day syndrome.

Jks voice has been to reduced to the Internet comment section now. Maybe a man opener gig in DC tonight for an out of town cover band? Hope he’s doing ok, not sure what “spontaneous composition” is supposed to mean or when it ever happened in Furthur but sounds kinda cool when you says those two words simultaneously, I guess. 

 

Read the whole thread and still no idea who Joel Selvins is or was. Thanks for any additional info.