Mr Waxbanks,

I'm spewing? You're a writer and THE writer of the piece I responded to. I think I can safely assume you do a lot more "spewing" than I.

However, to "spew" a bit more, let me first point out that the best you could do to address my central point about a song-based musical endeavor needing to be about, more than anything else, umm, the songs, was to argue, I guess to try and invalidate my entire premise, that Casey Jones isn't an original song because the lyric is a retelling (really more of a literary reference used as a vehicle to update) of a traditional tale - a literary tradition you're apparently unacquainted with. The music in CJ, of course, with its deceptively complex arrangement (deceptive because it serves the song rather than to call attention to itself), is completely original. Sensational example of Weir's guitar genius on the studio version, btw, emulating Chet Atkins as he often did with his syncopated chordal attacks and pithy solo in the break before Garcia's more extroverted but no less beautiful reciprocal.

In response to one of your subsequent remarks, it was, conversely, not my intent to piss on Phish ("Piss On Phish" - I kinda like that!) and I went out of my way to give them credit for the major output of good work they've done and the joy they've organically brought to a relatively sophisticated audience. Its YOU who seems defensive here - my dear fellow, if you're gonna put stuff out there without decent command of your subject be prepared to hear back. If I was offended about anything in your piece it was your pretentiousness in attempting to write a serious technical analysis of the Dead's music (in this case in comparison the Phish) without any evidence of depth of musical knowledge or substantial history with the Dead's music - I don't care how many children you listened to Dark Star before anything else after birthin'. This is giving you the benefit of the doubt, because if you really have listened carefully to your share of Dead music and have come to these conclusions on that basis you're worse than pretentious - you are just not much of a musicologist. On the one hand you seem to say I made harsh statements without backing them up (although your inability to counter my first and central point where I cited examples altogether invalidates that idea), and on the other hand you imply that I was long-winded ("spewing" , self-indulgent and defensively subjective. Well, I'm trying to be more substantive this time, ok?

A couple of additional thoughts, if you're still with me: If you really believe Lesh is limited technically, check out King Slomon's Marbles / Milkin' The Turkey from Blues for Allah (it speaks for itself). That's what we call swinging, my friend. In jazz, you can either swing or you can't and if you can't, you don't get to first base. Its the antitheses of intellect because you can't teach it. If you DO know what it means, please hip me to the best example of Gordon swinging you can think of and I'll gladly eat crow and tell you so if he slays me. I saw his band at Brooklyn Bowl two months ago, BTW - nice set, good band leader, improviser & general player but still not a distinctive voice like Lesh, Casady, Jaco and others who you can readily identify regardless of context.

Now, if you really think Weir is inferior to ANY guitarist, lead or rhythm, check out just about anything from Europe '72 (an album on which HE is the star player of the band - not that there's normally any point in making that kind of comparison) and in particular his solo during the segue between China Cat & I know You Rider (that ought to be relatively easy for you to pick out), the undisputed high-point of the album; or his incomparable comping on Epilogue (the jam that transitions out of Truckin') that I bet you've never listened to carefully, if at all. As for Godchaux, on the same album (trying to make it convenient for you here) check out his esoteric but aesthetically gorgeous improv on Prelude (which you've probably never listened to carefully either) which initiates the highly directional jam (that is, with a clear, skillfully paced narrative) that reaches three increasingly intense climaxes before softly landing on the B-list Morning Dew that closes the record. And, speaking of records, for the "record" let me say that I'd much sooner listen to the excellent keyboard work of Page McConnell over Bruce Hornsby any day.

But why don't we just leave it at this- don't take my word for it (like you were waiting for permission); as such a distinguished authority on the music of Phish, you must know the band members personally. Ask them - tell Trey what you said about Weir; Mike what you said about Phil and Page what you said about Godchaux (and, to a lessor extent as far as I'm concerned, Mydland) - in fact, show them the entire piece in person - and see if they don't laugh in your face. If they don't, they're just being polite...

Regards,

Rob