Tell the plum schnapps story now

@@emceesmith6665 My wife and I had to go thru several gatekeepers before getting to Albert’s home: As you can imagine, the LSD old guard and the locals were quite protective of the man. Once we successfully navigated our way, we were picked up by Albert’s personal driver and taken to his home. But I digress. When we reached Basil and I called Albert on the phone - yes, he was listed in the phone book - Anita answered the phone. I introduced myself, saying Albert had been so kind to review the LSD chapter in my 2004 book, The Naked Truth about Drugs, and I hoped to thank him in person for that, and for LSD. Anita’s English wasn’t all that good, so she said “Let me get our man” which I assumed was their caregiver (remember, they were both in their 90s and I didn’t think they were living alone). A man came on the phone and I went thru my pitch again. The man finally interrupted and said, “Um, this is Albert,” before reminding me he was 97 years old and not taking visitors. BuI kept pressing, gently. He was very pleasant but insistent on not having visitors. In desperation I said, “But please, we won’t stay long.” Albert responded, kinda shocked and said, “We?! How many are there?” I said, “Just my wife and I, but she can stay in the car if you want.” Albert found that funny and said, “Okay, I’ll give you twenty minutes.” And that’s when he sent his driver to collect us. All that time I was wondering how best to spend those 20 minutes and fantasized about Albert giving me a bit of his LSD stash. That didn’t happen, of course, but Albert wanted to toast our new friendship and offered us his homemade plum schnapps. He grew the plums on his property and had the schnapps made locally. He even designed the label for the bottles. My dilemma was this: I’m a teetotaler, but it was Albert Hofmann, ya know? And he sure sounded proud of his schnapps. So I said Yes, and he retrieved 3 small water glasses and a fresh bottle of his plum schnapps. He poured three full glasses and we raised them in toast to LSD and our new friendship. My wife is a drinker, but the schnapps had the viscosity of water and tasted like gasoline, so she took just a few sips and politely slid the glass my way. So I drank my glass and hers, and most of a third. Albert drank nearly two glasses himself and we both got pretty buzzed and Albert started telling stories. Wonderful stories. Our 20 minutes turned into nearly 5 hours, and it was the most wonderful and amazing afternoon, one even Alzheimer’s couldn’t tear from my memory. Albert walked us outside to show us his beautiful property and where he, over the years, would take LSD and commune with nature. My sober wife, bless her, asked the one important question my buzzed self failed to ask: When had Albert last taken LSD? Albert’s eyes twinkled and he answered: “A few years ago I took a trace amount, and spent the afternoon walking my property.” And since I knew nobody would believe my story of getting invited to Albert Hofmann’s home, my wife snapped a pic of me giving Albert a kiss on the cheek as we stood outside in his backyard. His wide smile indicated he didn’t mind. He invited us to his 100th birthday party in Basil, which we attended (where I met Nick Sand), and we remained pen pals till his passing in 2008. Albert Hofmann was a very kind, sweet man. And not a day goes by that I don’t reflect upon his great contribution to humanity. I know this was rather long-winded but I couldn’t help it. The afternoon was so remarkable that I just can’t share it in a few words. Hoped you found it interesting!

Nice story ✌🏽

I've holidayed in Milwaukee 🤣🤣 Three weeks in total, of MY life

I’m from England 🇬🇧, you paint a nice picture childhood memories ❤

Thank you 🌸

I have it on CD and it’s wonderful ❤

As long as it's the original mix and not the remix of 15 or so years ago, which gives me a headache.

I had no idea this existed. Thank you for the link!

16,189

Appreciate it Robert. Commenting or not 🌸

Thank you. I stayed away from the archive issues this time. 🌸

Love that Sugaree and the entire 2nd Set is just amazing - May of 1977 was an epic time for the Band Musically

As a matter of fact, Brent's was the only voice to be consistently in tune, night after night. Just A Little Light, Blow Away, and We Can Run are some really good songs. I like Bobby and Jerry's voices a lot, but Bobby was often out of tune and Jerry's voice could often be gravelly or shaky or nasally or otherwise unclear, depending on the night or decade. On studio recordings, however, their voices were pretty much all on the top of their game for every song. Outside of the studio recordings of Unbroken Chain and Box of Rain, Lesh's voice was generally trash IMHO. I never heard him sing any song well in any concert that I attended or listened to on a bootleg.

Thank you 🌸

I know several people with almost that many shows. I have far less ✌🏽

....and here I felt privileged to have seen them 5 times (incl a JGB show) from '89-91

Spot on! In reply to the San Francisco Psychedelic Albums ranked video I suggested a Rick Griffin cover art special. Including the albums he only did the lettering for (On the Beach, Late fot the Sky) there are at least 35 album covers to highlight.

@@markvanderdrift6801 That would be a much prized book in my collection.

@@maskedmarauder3278 The best actual book on Griffin and his art is Heart and Torch. Although it doesn't include a complete overview of his record covers... www.abebooks.com/Heart-Torch-Rick-Griffins-Transcendence-Harvey/14136654892/bd

@@markvanderdrift6801 Yes, that is excellent. My copy is trying to separate at the binding. Trying to baby it into lasting. Mouse and Kelley have a similar book from the same publisher. I dig all things Moscoso.

Thank you. 🌸

They are fabulous ✌🏽

If you like Workingmans you should like American Beauty

@@mazzysmusic well just to give you an update. I’ve bought both 50th anniversary editions on cd of Workingmans and American Beauty. Thanks for exposing me to the band and educating me. 😁

@@whitey7998 🥀🌹✌🏽

Thanks for watching and commenting ✌🏽

You think correctly. No relation

Great ranking there ✌🏼

@@mazzysmusic yea but ☠and🌹

I love all the Roxy albums too ✌🏼

I’ve mentioned joe Boyd alot in several videos and even showed his autobiography. Ry Cooder is also on that Mulduar album

I’ve shown my JA collection but haven’t done a ranking yet. . kzfaq.info/get/bejne/g82PqayAnriYp2Q.html

My experience with the dead is what I shared. With all the dead heads knowing every friggen version they played in every night , I think I would sound like an amateur. My love of them is more holistic. Sounds hippy dippy I’m sure Not sure what more I could say. So many Dead Heads are more obsessive than I am 🌸😎✌🏽

@@mazzysmusic Disappointed. Growing up in New England the Dead might as well have been from Mars. That you were at the flat bed truck concert and saw them at all those historic venues during that historic time is absolutely fascinating. What would you say? You'd answer questions from people like me. I hope you reconsider. Fuck the snobs.

Thank you ✌🏼

You are right about aoxamoxoa, ,man you have to give them credit, just for the title, but it is very well recorded, it's a fabulous record and that Rick Griffin artwork, the whole package is fantastic.

Box of rain is one of my all time favourite songs,has been since the mid eighties

And the recording is much better. It was my fave for decades but now with all the 1972 live stuff that's out there....I'm not sure anymore.

Live Dead and "Skullphuk" (the latter, especially) are much better RECORDINGS than Europe '72. A lot of Europe '72 is absolutely sublime, but it just doesn't sound all that great.

Yeah all the SF bands played some high school gigs. Good stuff.

On the other hand, give a listen to the Dylan+Dead rehearsal tapes before that disappointing tour---much better. Also, the Dylan show from Warfield Theatre 1980 with Jerry sitting in.

Thss as No Allen. Hope you enjoy some more ✌🏼

Dead Prog. When I’m in the mood it’s good

I think Easy To Love You should have been released as a single 🙂