Jerry Garcia Band – Electric on the Eel: August 29th, 1987 (Record Store Day Black Friday 2024)

I am a sucker for Jerry Garcia’s live albums – specifically Record Store Day (RSD) releases. Garcia had a repertoire of “Jerry standards” (mostly covers, but some originals too) that he cycled through his live shows in bands of various configurations – so the joy is the unique vibe of each show (different musicians, different styles, different venues, the mood of Jerry, the mood of the audience, etc.) I have about 30 different recordings of live performances of Jerry outside the context of the Dead – mainly as the Jerry Garcia Band (several are RSD releases). All are good (solid performances and quality recordings), but some resonate with me more.

Electric on the Eel: August 29th, 1987 resonates with me. Jerry sounds particularly on top of his game: soulful vocals, tasty guitar solos, and a well-rehearsed, yet loose, band. That is not unusual for the Jerry Garcia Band, but there was some extra magic going on that night – good mojo.

A particular highlight for me is Jerry Garcia Band’s interpretation of the Dylan standard “Forever Young.” Vocally, Jerry doesn’t imitate Dylan, but he certainly channels him. This is a very different vocal take than you would ever hear on a Grateful Dead song—it is Dylanesque.

Every song is an excellent rendition – I highly recommend it.

Electric on the Eel is a live album released by the Jerry Garcia Band on March 15, 2019. It contains three complete concerts on six CDs. The shows were recorded on August 29, 1987, June 10, 1989, and August 10, 1991, at French’s Camp in Piercy, California, near the Eel River. This RSD album is from the 1987 show, and it is the first time that the show has been released on vinyl.

The Jerry Garcia Band Eel River shows were co-produced by Bill Graham Presents and the Hog Farm (considered America’s longest-running hippie commune). Evidently, the hippie rural setting created a unique vibe that was not always present in the urban settings Jerry usually played in. The band included keyboardist Melvin Seals, bassist John Kahn, drummer David Kemper, and backup singers Gloria Jones and Jaclyn LaBranch for all three shows.

RSD Black Friday 2024 limited edition of 4,000 pressed on Orange Sunshine vinyl.

The full 6-CD version of the album is available on streaming services.

Tracklist

SIDE A
A1. How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) – James Taylor cover
A2. Forever Young – Bob Dylan cover
A3. Get out of My Life, Woman – Allen Toussaint (songwriter) and Lee Dorsey (performer) cover

SIDE B
B1. Run For The Roses – Garcia solo (written with Robert Hunter)
B2. And It Stoned Me – Van Morrison cover
B3. My Sisters And Brothers – Charles Johnson cover

SIDE C
C1. Deal – Garcia solo (written with Robert Hunter)
C2. The Harder They Come – Jimmy Cliff cover

SIDE D
D1. I Shall Be Released – Bob Dylan cover
D2. Think – Jimmy McCracklin cover
D3. Evangeline – Los Lobos

SIDE E
E1. Gomorrah – Garcia solo (written with Robert Hunter)
E2. Let It Rock – Chuck Berry cover

SIDE F
F1. That Lucky Old Sun – Frankie Laine cover
F2. Tangled Up In Blue – Bob Dylan cover