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SUBJECT:
The Ram’s Dead, Vol. 1 | New Album Release
Official Release Date: November 17, 2023
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PRESS RELEASE:
Last spring, I began reimagining and recording some of my favorite Grateful Dead songs. My new album, “The Ram’s Dead, Vol. 1” is an excursion into one of the my most profound musical influences. The lyrics of Robert Hunter and the guitar style of Jerry Garcia.
ABOUT THIS ALBUM:
The Ram’s Dead, Vol.1
Garcia (and Hunter) were some of the best damn storytellers to have ever lived. Even so, I’m trying hard to come up with a good reason why I decided to start recording Grateful Dead covers when I have more than enough original music to finish up. Perhaps the love of the music itself is enough. Music always knows where to go, it’s up to us to follow the signals, sometimes taking the scenic route is the best way to get to where we need to be.
Me and My Uncle
I know John Phillips wrote Me and My Uncle, but it’s one of the great live Grateful Dead songs from their vast song catalog. It’s one of the first songs I began to play when I moved out to California. Now that I think about it, it’s the very song that helped form my first band in the state of California. All that I have musically is an extension of those early backyard jams with the Hunt brothers and their families. Music built on a lifelong friendship.
I hope my musical re-imagination of the song sets your spirits on fire.
LYRICS
Me and my uncle went ridin’ down, South Colorado, West Texas bound
We stopped over in Santa Fe, that being the point, just about halfway
And you know it was the hottest part of the day
And I took the horses up to the stall , went to the barroom, ordered drinks for all
Three days in the saddle, you know my body hurt, it being summer, I took off my shirt
And I tried to wash off some of that dusty dirt
West Texas cowboys, they was all around, wheat, liquor and money, they loaded down
So soon after payday, no, it seemed a shame, you know my uncle, he starts playin’ the game
Hey now, high-low jack and the winner take the hand
My uncle start winning, the cowboys got sore, one of them called him, and then two more
Accused him of cheatin’, oh no, it couldn’t be, I know my uncle, he’s as honest as me
Hey now, I’m as honest as a Denver man can be, that’s right
One of them cowboys, he starts to draw, and I shot him down, Lord, he never saw
Shot me another, hot damn, he won’t grow old, in the confusion, my uncle grabbed the gold
And we hightailed it down to Mexico
Now I love those cowboys, I love their gold, love my uncle, God rest his soul
Taught me good, Lord, taught me all I know, taught me so well, that I grabbed that gold
I left his dead ass there by the side of the road, yeah
Scarlet Fire
These two are easily my favorite songs to see live when the Dead were an active touring band. I remember on night Garcia’s solo was pure scorched earth, divine fire stolen from the god’s given to man as a gift. This particular recording, along with Me and My Uncle is the first time I was able to feature local Pedal Steel player Aaron Brownwood. Pour yourself a drink, roll up a smoke, sit back, relax and enjoy the music.
LYRICS
Scarlet Begonias
As I was walkin’ ’round Grosvenor Square
Not a chill to the Winter but a nip to the air
From the other direction, she was calling my eye
It could be an illusion, but I might as well try, might as well try
She had rings on her fingers and bells on her shoes
And I knew, without askin’, she was into the blues
She wore scarlet begonias tucked into her curls
I knew right away she was not like other girls, other girls
In the thick of the evening, when the dealing got rough
She was too pat to open and too cool to bluff
As I picked up my matches and was closing the door
I had one of those flashes I’d been there before, been there before
F#
Well, I ain’t always right, but I’ve never been wrong
Seldom turns out the way it does in a song
Once in a while, you get shown the light
In the strangest of places if you look at it right
Well, there ain’t nothing wrong with the way she moves
Scarlet begonias or a touch of the blues
And there’s nothing wrong with the look that’s in her eyes
Had to learn the hard way to let her pass by, let her pass by
Wind in the willow’s playin’ “Tea For Two”
The sky was yellow, and the sun was blue
Strangers stoppin’ strangers just to shake their hand
Everybody’s playing in the heart of gold band, heart of gold band
Fire On The Mounatian
Long-distance runner, what you standin’ there for?
Get up, get up, get out of the door
You’re playin’ cold music on the barroom floor
Drowned in your laughter and dead to the core
There’s a dragon with matches that’s loose on the town
Takes a whole pail of water just to cool him down, yeah
Fire, fire on the mountain
Almost ablaze, still you don’t feel the heat
It takes all you got just to stay on the beat
You say it’s a livin’, we all gotta eat
But you’re here alone, there’s no one to compete
If Mercy’s a business, I wish it for you
More than just ashes when your dreams come true
Fire, fire on the mountain
Long distance runner, what you holdin’ out for?
Caught in slow motion in a dash through the door
The flame from your stage has now spread to the floor
You gave all you had, why you wanna give more?
The more that you give, the more it will take
To the thin line beyond which you really can’t fake, yeah
Fire, fire on the mountain