Bob Weir - Heaven Help The Fool 1978

Issued half a decade after his first solo LP, Ace (1972), Heaven Help the Fool is the antithesis of Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir's debut effort. Although initially dismissed by critics and Deadheads alike as a slick, soulless, L.A.-sounding disc, the passage of time has somewhat mitigated that assessment -- but not by very much. One of the primary factors in the decidedly over-produced and at times uncomfortable-sounding approach can be directly attributed to the absence of his Grateful Dead bandmates. This is in direct contrast to Ace -- which was, in reality, a full-blown Dead album in disguise. Another common thread is producer Keith Olsen. As he had done with the Dead's Terrapin Station (1977) long player the previous year, Olsen obscures some uniformly interesting melodies with disco-laden arrangements, the most blatant offenders being "Wrong Way Feelin'" and a reworking of Marvin Gaye's "I'll Be Doggone." They're abused with synthesizer-drenched rhythms and disposable, generic backing vocals. Even the array of studio talent -- which includes Waddy Wachtel (guitar), David Foster (keyboards), fellow Bay Area Sons of Champlin-founder Bill Champlin (keyboards), Mike Porcaro (bass), Tom Scott (woodwinds), and former Elton John bandmembers Nigel Olsson (drums) and Dee Murray (bass) -- is unable to salvage a majority of the material on Heaven Help the Fool. However, it is Weir's uniformly strong original compositions -- penned with longtime lyrical collaborator John Barlow -- and well-conceived choice of cover tunes that suffer the most. Those wishing to hear infinitely more tolerable interpretations of tracks such as "Bombs Away," "This Time Forever," "Shade of Grey," and Lowell George's "Easy to Slip" should seek out Weir/Wasserman Live (1998). Likewise, the more industrious enthusiast might even wish to locate the Grateful Dead's very occasional live versions of "Heaven Help the Fool" and "Salt Lake City." AMG.

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Bob Weir - Heaven Help The Fool 1978

Issued half a decade after his first solo LP, Ace (1972), Heaven Help the Fool is the antithesis ofGrateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir's debut effort. Although initially dismissed by critics and Deadheads alike as a slick, soulless, L.A.-sounding disc, the passage of time has somewhat mitigated that assessment -- but not by very much. One of the primary factors in the decidedly over-produced and at times uncomfortable-sounding approach can be directly attributed to the absence of his Grateful Deadbandmates. This is in direct contrast to Ace -- which was, in reality, a full-blown Dead album in disguise. Another common thread is producer Keith Olsen. As he had done with the Dead's Terrapin Station (1977) long-player the previous year, Olsen obscures some uniformly interesting melodies with disco-laden arrangements, the most blatant offenders being "Wrong Way Feelin'" and a reworking ofMarvin Gaye's "I'll Be Doggone." They're abused with synthesizer-drenched rhythms and disposable, generic backing vocals. Even the array of studio talent -- which includes Waddy Wachtel (guitar),David Foster (keyboards), fellow Bay Area Sons of Champlin-founder Bill Champlin (keyboards),Mike Porcaro (bass), Tom Scott (woodwinds), and former Elton John bandmembers Nigel Olsson(drums) and Dee Murray (bass) -- is unable to salvage a majority of the material on Heaven Help the Fool. However, it is Weir's uniformly strong original compositions -- penned with longtime lyrical collaborator John Barlow -- and well-conceived choice of cover tunes which suffer the most. Those wishing to hear infinitely more tolerable interpretations of tracks such as "Bombs Away," "This Time Forever," "Shade of Grey," and Lowell George's "Easy to Slip" should seek out Weir/Wasserman Live(1998). Likewise, the more industrious enthusiast might even wish to locate the Grateful Dead's very occasional live versions of "Heaven Help the Fool" and "Salt Lake City."  AMG.

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Bob Weir - Ace 1972

As a "bonus" for re-signing another three-album deal with Warner Brothers Records in the early '70s, members of the Grateful Dead were given the opportunity to cut solo albums. Jerry Garcia (Garcia),Mickey Hart (Rolling Thunder), and Bob Weir (Ace) took advantage of the offer -- although it could easily be argued that Weir's disc was in reality the next Grateful Dead album simply featuring the rhythm guitarist's co-compositions and lead vocals throughout. In essence, Ace became the follow-up to the double-live LP Grateful Dead [1971] (aka "Skull and Roses"), which included a live and somewhat non-descript rendition of "Playing in the Band." Ironically, on this studio release the Grateful Dead stretch out during the seven-plus-minute version -- which is considered to be one of their most inspired improvisational interactions away from the concert stage. Likewise, practically every track -- with the exception of the painfully optimistic "Walk in the Sunshine" -- became an integral component of the Grateful Dead's performance repertoire for their remaining 20-plus years as an actively touring band. Much of Ace is flavored with the same country-rock textures that informed the Dead's previous two studio recordings, American Beauty and Workingman's Dead. The addition of keyboardist Keith Godchaux -- whose style on this album rivals that of Jerry Lee Lewis -- gives songs such as "Greatest Story Ever Told" and "One More Saturday Night" an aggressive bite which is conspicuous in its absence from the Grateful Dead's previous studio outings. On the whole, Ace is thoroughly enjoyable for devout Deadheads as well as less-fanatical enthusiasts. Other standout tracks include the lilting lullaby "Cassidy," Snooky Flowers' driving horn arrangement on "One More Saturday Night," andGarcia's lazy, laid-back pedal steel guitar work on "Looks Like Rain." AMG.

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