The Strat Jerry is using is called Alligator 🐊...it was a gift from Graham Nash for Jerry playing pedal steel on Teach Your Children.

It's actually about Mickey's dad, who was acting as the band's manager, embezzling most of the money they made and taking off. But as with most of their lyrics it can be interpreted many ways which is one of their amazing qualities. Thanks for your nice work breaking down the interplay between the instruments throughout the arrangement and going beyond the lead part.

Thank you all for your continued support during this crazy time!! We’re all working through this together, and I hope we can all recognize this as an opportunity to finally work towards something important. Keep the guitar in your hands :) - Michael

Fun Fact: This was actually the first ever performance of He's Gone, what a debut eh

"I think the band grooves better with one drummer." It's ok. You're among friends, and you're not wrong.

This is probably my fave Dead era: one drummer and pre-Donna. They were tight AF, but still daring, improvisational, and zen-like

Poor Pig Pen was very ill and Keith joined on the keys. The Grateful Dead are awesome for their evolving “eras”. Europe 72 is so great and unique in their History. Having the one drummer, that overlap of Pig Pen & Keith, Jerry on the old strat Grahame Nash gifted him, and a burst of unreleased music in their sets. Love this period.

Jerry on a Strat + Just Billy on drums + Pigpen & Keith playing together = My favorite Dead period by far!

He actually flubs the line which is why he puts so much emphasis on "you", it's supposed to be "You know better but I know him". A classic Robert Hunter turn of phrase. Your comments on Jerry's mystique are well said, at his best there's no filter between what he's hearing in his head and what he's playing.

The Billy only periods were great. So we’re many of the two/drummer periods. But they gave something up when going to two-and of course gained in others ways with 2. But 1972 sans Micky was surely awesome.

You have to check out a later version after they've developed the song a bit more and introduced the awesome bridge, "Going where the wind don't blow so strange..." Really takes the song to a whole new level! Great video, thank you, keep it up and stay healthy!

I’ve always felt like the root of Jerry’s style was infinite curiosity. He was an explorer and an absolute music nerd. What a great combo.

I'm a recovering quadriplegic and cant play guitar anymore but started watching your channel just for your GD videos. Love hearing your excitement about a band I've followed since high school in the mid 80s. Jerry was the main reason I even picked up a guitar in 1980. Since I cant walk very well I honestly wish I couldn't walk again if I could only have the dexterity and movement in my fingers to play again. Keep the videos coming please

kreutzman said he refrained from cocaine this whole tour , that and just him really helps define this era this tour

One drummer because Mickey had left the band after his father who had been their manager bailed with all of their money, leaving the band broke....This song is about him. Mickey later came back and I often wonder how he feels when they still play this song.

Minute 3:25 to 3:41 comment was the epitome of every guitarist trying to learn Jerry’s solos. “Do you get there? Thats the sound of that mystery.” Well said man! Awesome critique as always!

the dead ABSOLUTELY SLAY with one drummer. The groove is tighter and the improvisation and jamming is more direct, things happen quicker. It's more fun to listen to

nailed it. the simplicity of europe 72 as an entire tour is what makes that tour such a rabbit hole for new dead heads

My favorite Jerry is when he is playing that Strat...awesome tone.

Michael your breakdown of Jerry's sound was hilarious! I think you hit the nail on the head when you said the listener is worried about him musically AND physically, haha. His look, his tone, his phrasing, his lyrics make us all feel like were fear and loathing in Las Vegas.

I saw an interview somewhere where Bob Weir related how quietly proud he was when Lesh described his guitar sound from this period as a 'porcupine blowing kisses'. That's pretty funny.

It’s nice to see Jerry young, healthy, and having fun

Yes! Singular, yet abstract. This made my day. It’s almost a relief to hear someone put into words so much of what I feel about Jerry/The Dead. Nothing left to do but smile smile smile. Thank you. You get it.

Fun fact : this is the first He's Gone ever performed live and one of the only versions that still has the upbeat vibe compared to the more mellow song it evolved into. I'm so excited to finally see you diving into the early 70's period, musically nothing comes close to 1972 and 1973 Grateful Dead for me due to the flexibility they had with one drummer (that drummer happening to be one of the most creative ones to ever live and just listening to him closely was more influential than all my drum teachers combined) and just the general vibe of the scene at the time influencing the music positively compared to the later year's stadium tours and heroin. Sadly there is not that much footage of these years so I understand its harder to use for videos, but if you haven't yet definitely check out the 8/27/1972 Veneta Oregon concert which was released as an official concert film and all songs should be easily findable on youtube, I'd especially love your take on the Bird Song from that show which I have studied very in depth for it's drum and piano parts but it would be super insightful to hear a guitar player's perspective

Totally agree with the use of the D chord in the mix. Many online versions totally miss that. Thanks for the confirmation. Cheers!

"Do you get there?" ha ha.. Vassar Clements said this exact thing about Jerry's banjo playing. Vassar said that it always felt that Garcia wouldn't make it there, but then he'd arrive.

Since you mentioned the two keys, here's a history of the curse of the Grateful Dead keys players: Pigpen (B3 on this video)- original frontman, played through Europe '72, died in '73 of a rare illness. Keith Godchaux (piano in video) - joined Dec '71 with his wife on backing vox. Left in mid '79, died in a car wreck in '80. Brent Mydland- joined in late '79, died of an eight ball OD while still a a band member in 1990. Vince Welnik- joined in Sept '90, played through the band's end. Died of suicide after years of depression in 2006. The only keys players who didn't suffer an early death had the shortest tenures in the band- Tom Constanten ('68-70) and Bruce Hornsby, who played piano from late '90 to early '92 (another double ivories lineup, with Welnik playing electric keys and synths).

they played together such a long time they could, as garcia said follow each other down a dark alley and come out the other side. some times they did not make it, but boy howdy, when they did, it was magical and a joy to witness.

This is the only KZfaq channel where I look forward to reading the comments. Deadheads are such thoughtful and kind people.

That "Strat" sound was great in this era to my ears. He wanted the sharp Strat sound but, ever the tinkerer, had many modifications made to it. The Alembic guys called it "Frankenstein" in reference to all of the mods. It's a 57, as mentioned, given to him by Graham Nash. Still my favorite guitar sound of the band! Alligator was retired in 73 when "Wolf" came on the scene. Pretty good piece here from Fender........www.fender.com/articles/gear/iconic-mods-how-jerry-garcias-alligator-strat-earned-its-claws/

I always felt Robert wrote this song about my grandfather who passed in the 90's. At least for me anyways... Another great one, Michael!

Great video Michael!! I always love what you do! Thanks for being such a positive force in our community my friend! I hope you’re well, staying safe, happy and healthy!

Bobby always does stuff like that! 8:08 part of what makes him such a unique and amazing rhythm player.

16:00 exactly. 100% I loved the way you attempted to articulate that feeling/sound. On a razor's edge.

Michael: You're describing Jerry's derring-do -- he liked to take us to the edge of the abyss, have us lean over it and then pull us back a split-second before we think we (and the rest of the band) will fall in.

Your videos are so very, very excellent. I love watching these and hearing these old life-long classics through your fresh, technical eyes. PLEASE DO NOT STOP. Rock on man...see you at a Phish show some day, I hope.

The change on the melody rather than the beat....nailed it! Little Feat/Lowell George numbers do that all the time. You just put in words what I've struggled to describe for months!

My man! Thanks for doing this one. I'll hit your inbox with another one to check out. I appreciate all of the jam band tunes you've been breaking down. Keep 'em coming!

These videos have been such a delight! Glad to see all the love your channel is getting. Highly deserved. Would love some more UM content!

Love your breakdowns. What I loved more is that you knew who I was coming back from pits this year and bumping into you going through customs. Love you man. So chill and curious. Great music has its way of bringing people together and is one of the reasons our community continues to thrive. Keep chasing the magic. 😊

72 for me is really special. Keith was a perfect addition and best keyboard player the Dead had in my opinion. Very unique playing. He understood what the band and the crowd needed. There are some jams where Keith really digs in on the 72 tour; he had his PhD in psychedelia, no doubt.

Listening to your breakdown on the solo section I just realized how much it reminds me of Tennessee Jed.

Thanks so much for doing these videos.Your break downs have really helped with my composing abilities.

That feeling of being not sure if he's going to make it back to a resolve has always made me want to root for him ! To love his ability to take chances and miraculously land on his feet ......

Thanks Mike. I’ve said it before and I’m sure I’ll say it again. It’s been such a pleasure learning from you and watching you learn along with us. Keep on truckin’, I think we had a nice little breakthrough with this session.

Cris Jacobs is the man cant wait to see you guys play together, I never miss a Tuesday Live stream, and his 2 Jerry sets were incredible, he has become my favorite artist. 🤘🏻😷🤘🏻

These videos are amazing, thank you so much! You really keep all theory stuff on a great level without dumbing it down too much. Inspired me to pick up the guitar again, keep up the good work!

There's this part where you're explaning jerry's essence of his playing. And you end it with "That's the sound of that mystery." Love the way you listen to music man. Resonates with me!

@Guitargate , also, your videos make me smile, laugh, and even cry. I’m so blessed to be able to watch your videos. I’m more of an expert at Phish The Dead, The Allman Brotherws Widespread, Umphrey’s, more., etc, but you’re a better guitarist and teacher than I am. We could learn a lot from each other. I have joined your website and paid the fees, not to have you teach me, but just to help support you. I’ll support you financially in any possible way i can. Just keep me smiling, laughing and crying. I love you as a person and a musician, just for this. Thank you so much.

I lost the best friend I ever had last night to cancer. He was one of my music mentors and spent a lot of time playing music with him in the short 45 years that I played actively. I'm going to miss you Big Rick and all the lives you text in your 70 years are going to remember you and miss you too. Michael, one of the last things he did yesterday at the hospital was watch your take on Billy's strings term oil and tin foil. Like many of my other friends who I've been introducing you to, he also wishes he known you for the last 20 years to so easily break down these songs for us. I don't know if you ever gift memberships but if so when you were willing I would gladly accept. Please keep up what you do for those of us out here who are playing along unlimited knowledge with the desire to never stop learning 🎸

I am always leaning toward the 72 performances as my favourite, and with Jerry playing the Strat. The show in Veneta at Kesey’s Farm is just tremendous and beautiful.

Bobby is not wearing shorts. He is wearing long pants. His shorts look didn't come about until the late 80's-ish.

Can’t wait for the live stream. Sounds like a great idea.

Thanks! Love these videos, learning a lot!

He's Gone.. love this song. Thanks for sharing.

So stoked to hear you react to some '72 prime dead. I was just hoping you would do so this morning!

Your Dead vids are my favorite. We have such similar taste in music in the blues, bluegrass, alt country, folk, heavy shit, and The Dead. Very cool what you're doing. It's been said time and time again but watching your vids of you being so genuinely enthusiastic makes me feel like I'm loving sharing the greatness of music with a good friend that feels that same about it as me. And I'm learning more about theory in the meantime. Appreciate ya man. ❤️

"You don't know if he's going to land!" I have read similar statements from other musicians about his playing and this is how I feel so often while I'm listening to his music. I just stumbled across your videos and really get a kick out of your enthusiasm for music. Keep up the great work! PS - totally agree regarding the drummer situation. I love Mickey, but Billy alone was great.

I just love following you as you become more and more acquainted with Jerry.

I love the passion of Dead heads. Reading through the comments and all the little random nuggets of information. One of my favorite Dead songs for sure.

you are 100% right about the one drummer....and my fist show was '79 so I never saw them with only one.

Great observations from the technical view into the mystical. Enjoyable! One thing where you talked about Jerry seeming to almost fail or not knowing if he's gonna make it - if you watch that segment he's looking over at Phil or Keith 100% dialed in. He paints like Van Gogh with tensions and looseness but it cones out masterful.

I love the Dead since 1982 and agree with your 1 drummer assessment. I have this whole show on DVD. 2nd keyboardist is Keith. Pigpen died a year later in 73.

Hard to put into words indeed. Enjoying your interpretations of the uninterpretatable. Keep it up brother.

@Guitargate Pigpen, who ALWAYS played organ, was in his last years. Keith who ALWAYS played only piano, was just getting his start, and his wife Donna sang backup for 10 years or so, before they both left for The Heart Of Gold Band. Brent came into the band when Keith left and he played piano, organ, keyboards, basically everything until he died around 1991. They hired Vince then but Bruce Hornsby was hired to fill in the gap since Brent died in the middle of the tour, and Bruce ended up staying on for about a year because he loved it so much..The dead always had two drummers, except the brief time that Mickey hart was committed to a mental institution. You can watch the very show where he came back and its the show that’s featured in “The Grateful Dead Movie. Hope this helps.

Thanks for your efforts....stay healthy and happy with mom and the boyz

I have to admit I've never been a huge Dead fan but I really enjoyed this today. Still learning new stuff at my age, this was fun, both the music and the explanation of everything. Thanks.........

enjoyed it, thanks!

Thanks (more than ever!) for these videos...As a guitar player these are so much fun. ALSO- Not sure if you know, Michael but I recently found out I have some friends who don;t play guitar but love music and stumbled upon your channel and now they watch too just to get some insight and for your enthusiasm for the music. So thanks again and keep up the good stuff. -PS... (looks both ways then whispers) the more Zappa the better.

Dude you have to watch the documentary on amazon prime. It goes in depth about Europe 72 and why there isnt much footage of it even though they had a camera crew for the tour.

Jerry Garcia - lead guitar, vocals. Bob Weir - rhythm guitar, vocals. Phil Lesh - bass guitar, vocals. Ron "Pig Pen" McKernan - organ, harmonica, vocals. Keith Godchaux - backing vocals.

Michael, you are awesome. Keep up the good work.

You ain't wrong: Dead was way tighter with just Kreutzman.

'72 was such a legendary year

I like around 15:30 when you speak of the mystery of Jerry "making it" harmonically and hitting those damn notes.

Would you consider doing Row Jimmy, Live at Barton Hall, May 8, 1977 by the Grateful Dead? Here's an accurate review of Jerry's slide guitar solos written by someone else: "I have been listening to Row Jimmy in the Cornell show and I can't get the slide out of my mind. It comes from the back of the mix forward at about the five minute mark and elbows its way to the front, becoming more distinctive, gathering momentum and taking over in a series of intense and varying slides. It spikes and plateaus, ascending as if climbing a mountain. Methodical, precise and unrelenting in his determination, Jerry builds slowly, keeping with the reggae-like pace of the song, towards a crescendo at the 6:48 mark and then cascades down in a series of remarkably halting and plaintive wails as if the guitar is sobbing....the slide evokes a desperation and yearning at the same time. At the end of the slide solo, you can hear the audience gasp in recognition that what they just heard was different and extraordinary. Jerry is utterly commanding and proprietary in what he wants out of each note -- deliberately using the slide to move you and the band to another place before easing you down to a place where he can tell you that everything is going to be alright."

Awesome. Just beginning this one. Happy Sunday.

Also thanks for keeping on through the apacolypse here. You got time to make them, we got time to watch them!

Glad to hear you shout out to Chris. What a player.

I'm an unpracticed beginning guitar player, and what you are showing here is far beyond my abilities or knowledge of theory but i gotta tell ya, as a long time GD fan i love your videos and your enthusiasm. Seeing and hearing music through your ears and eyes inspires me. I love all your phish vids too! keep up the great work and keep em coming. May you and your family be safe and well in these times and please keep making these videos!

WHAT you tried to articulate about that sense of "longing " in Jerry's solo or the feeling following his ear ...of " not knowing if he is going to make it, but he always does" is why you HAVE to listen to 4-12 -78 Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham, NC "Peggy - O" solo . I'm begging you to check it out - you will be so well rewarded - the song starts 16:40 into the show. It is the quintessential solo of this kind. I use words like bittersweet or a sweet mournfulness but they are not right either. I love the fact that you to find it hard to describe. NO LINK - its too easy anything good is worth working for! 4-12-78 "Peggy-O" 4-12-78 "Peggy-O" 4-12-78 "Peggy-O" 4-12-78 "Peggy-O" 4-12-78 "Peggy-O" 4-12-78 "Peggy-O" 4-12-78 "Peggy-O" 4-12-78 "Peggy-O" 4-12-78 "Peggy-O" 4-12-78 "Peggy-O"

12:05 I love how Jerry is watching over your shoulder...

What an awesome video!

God I love this channel so dang much!

Like a Steam Locomotive rolling down the track ......He's Gone and NOTHINGS GONNA BRING HIM BACK.......He's Gone. So easy to visualize and yes multiple meanings to the listener. They actually miss him.

18:48 The early Hart era, '68-71, he was more about percussion to complement Kreutzmann's kit. At Hart's return, from '75-95, he was mainly a second kit. 19:45 Hence Godchaux sitting on chords, laying the foundation for Garcia's explorations. 20:48 Godchaux came on mainly for more keyboard action than Pigpen could handle, esp at this point, when Pigpen was slowly dying.

casually playing guitar along with early dead is a good time

Great video man!

Don't know if you have seen it, but that foxboro 89 hes gone is deff a hot one

Thank you guitargate

Can't express how much fun it is to hear your comments and see you discover the little things that that make this band so great. As for the grooving more with one less drummer, may be true, and I think many times for GD less is more, but the groove is also simply where they were in the evolution of their playing style as of 1972. They were so tight, with less going on, less muddied. And Bobby did a lot of things on some of these older classics that worked so well with Jerry and that Bob didn't do as much after the early/mid 70's. Love that you are getting that Jerry is on the edge, more than a few shows I would say wow I can't believe he pulled that off. Also the Dead's touring was such that they could go for something and if it didn't work they would just play it again a few nights later, truly an atypical luxury for a live band. According to setlist.fm they did 327 live He's gone's. But this one was the first! and it is tight and yet Jerry is going for it, fearless!

Keith Godchaux is playing grand piano. He joined the band in ‘71, and there was some overlap with Pig before Pig left the band due to illness brought on by his years of heavy drinking.

You da man....I've been watching your videos for months now and I can confidently say you've helped improve my playing and bring a lot of theory full circle for me. I'd like to request "that's what love will make you do" Jerry Garcia Band

I was on Haight Ashbury in 68...we were. waiting for the second GD album..

Great vid man

I have so enjoyed your voyage down the rabbit hole....

“Playing for my life” Garcia 🌹🖤🌹

Bro you are the best love the dead stuff

For me, the best example of interplay between Jerry, Bobby, and Phil is Chinacat Sunflower. Most notably the building intro. Very cool. Check it out.

"This is what I love about Jerry." Epic.