Robbie Thomas
Touch of Grey: A 90s Teenager’s Viewpoint of the Grateful Dead
Above photo from Grunge.com / RIP Bob Weir
My first time hearing The Grateful Dead was when I was about 10 years old. I remember seeing the In The Dark CD Cover (remember those?), and before I heard the music on that CD, I thought these guys were Hard Rock or Metal. I remember asking somebody about the band if they fall in that category, they said no, they are Classic Rock. So I thought that perhaps they are hardcore in the lyrics, not so much in the music.
When I first heard Touch of Grey, I hated it. At that time, looking at that CD cover and the song wasn’t up to the hardcore standard that I wanted at the time, I thought the song sucked (at that time), and I really didn’t enjoy the whole album, minus Black Muddy River. Black Muddy River had some elements of that song that I enjoyed, and it was about 6 minutes long. I do like my six, seven, and eight-minute songs. So, that was my first liking of the Grateful Dead. I heard other tracks like Tennessee Jed, I hated that song a lot back when I was 10, and I still don’t like it.
Back in 5th grade in 93-94, my wannabe Grunge self made a few friends, including a popular kid named Drew. Drew and I were enemies in the early years of Elementary School, but when he discovered I was a fan of Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam, and U2, I was worthy of his respect. Drew really hated the Grateful Dead. I remember a poem he made up: “Grateful Dead, lost his head, found him dead, naked in his bed.” Down the road, I recall a time we were talking crap about the Grateful Dead, later bashing ‘Tennessee Jed’. I did say that I like Black Muddy River; his opinion was the total opposite.
Now, I will stop bashing the Grateful Dead. Around that time, I heard the song Casey Jones and I actually liked it. I probably heard it on WCSX, Detroit’s Classic Rock station. I barely listen to FM radio these days, but when I do, WCSX has played Nirvana, ’90s R.E.M., and Stone Temple Pilots. I’m getting old. I don’t think I ever told Drew that I liked Casey Jones. As mentioned in my blog, my friend Jan (the one I watched the O.J. Simpson Chase with) was a serious Grateful Dead fan. He introduced me to some other stuff they did that I liked. And I finally took a liking to Touch of Grey.
I didn’t see the Touch of Grey video until the late 90s. It was on VH1’s Pop-Up Video. I was a big fan of that show.
Jan gave me a few dubbed cassettes of the Grateful Dead. Including one of their Fillmore shows in 1971. What I didn’t like was the long pauses in between songs. There were times in that tape where you hear the crowd and just some random playing individually. I didn’t dig it. Jan introduced me to Terrapin Station, one of Jan’s personal favorites, and the album’s title track blew me away. Terrapin Station (the song) has one of the best beginnings. The orchestra in the background with the choir finishing the song, hell yes. Another favorite is Unbroken Chain, sung by Phil Lesh, a rare one with him at lead vocals. Jan also had a few books about the Grateful Dead; can’t remember the titles now.
On my 13th birthday (in 1995), I got a Sam Goody giftcard. I bought Pantera’s Far Beyond Driven on cassette for $13, and I found Skeletons In The Closet in the clearance rack for $10. Next to approach the clerk, I remember he had a flannel on, and he parted his hair in the middle, a 90s style through and through. I remember him saying, “Grateful Dead and Pantera? That’s a long jump.”
He was right.
When Jerry Garcia died, I thought my friend Jan would be devastated, but I recall it was just a normal day. He didn’t seem sad about it and just moved on. Not saying he was wrong to go about it that way. He would later introduce me to Phish that year, and I liked the song If I could, I would.
Rest In Power Bob Weir & Catherine Mary Siop