Grateful Dead - Viola Lee (Acid Test Version)

[@Occaras]

the greatest marriage of psychedelic and blues

[@theemployee1561]

With PIG!

[@nataliezementbeisser1492]

@@theemployee1561 he nailed it so much here! insane!!

[@noahmciver6279]

This has stopped the world from ending multiple times, Completely serious.

[@bryanmeekins835]

You mean it wasn't that special world ender keeper awayer potion stuff that Honest Al McSal sold me for 2 bucks?

[@beauregardb6108]

@@bryanmeekins835 Sorry, Mate... You got robbed... This here's the real deal... RIP, P I G

[@georgepapoutsis1598]

That's why I'm listening to it now I guess

[@archstanton_live]

Spot on. The Dead also progressed from this. The world owes a debt to the Dead. Completely serious.

[@newusernamehere4772]

@@skgate Psychoactive serotonergic tryptamines commonly known as psychedelics (although this colloquialism can expand to phenethylamines as well) in sufficient doses can cause visions and tactile experiences of interdimensional entities, including every god from every religion, as well as death and yes, the end of the world Because of this it's enormously important (and I'm serious here, if you're on LSD this can save your life) that you 100% understand and are prepared to do the following (without hesitation, and this is something that can be difficult to start but once you get going you'll be fine, just don't forget) and of course that thing I'm talking about is

[@davemanone3661]

Me, my little brother and our friends used to play this, when we were teens. Later on, in our 20's we didn't have the chops for it. We called it our "in the moment tune". We never found it again, but it was good when we did, R.I.P. Jerry & Pig!

[@foursail100]

When I saw the Dead play at the Fillmore East back in February 1970, they played Viola Lee. It felt as though the top of my head was coming off!

[@D-Fens_1632]

Viola Lee was not performed at the Fillmore East shows on February 11-13-14 1970. There is actually a Viola Lee gap of nearly a year between April 1969 until the shows at the Capitol Theater in late March 1970. It popped up a handful of times in the Spring and Summer (perhaps you meant the Fillmore East shows from July 1970?) before being dropped entirely after a rather boring version on Halloween, where they don't even finish the song, instead unceremoniously veering into Cumberland Blues. No incarnation of the band ever played it again until Phil Lesh revived it at the Warfield in April 1999. They were already pretty much done with Viola Lee as early as 1969 (only 3 known/likely versions that year). Of the 8 times they did perform it in 1970, the only two that are general regarded as a cut above are 4/12/70 and the legendary monster from Binghamton 5/2/70 (released on Dick's Picks volume 8).

[@archstanton_live]

@@D-Fens_1632 another picky deadhead...

[@nedhoey]

@@D-Fens_1632 Ok but there are so many missing setlists from that period you can't be at all sure about the one year gap. Sure they were moving on in 1969 but because the same lack of setlists applies to prior years we really have no idea how many times they played it

[@MrMarckeedee]

It was....

[@foursail100]

@@D-Fens_1632 I was there on the 14th. They played Viola Lee Blues.

[@markturner6942]

Jerry, Pig, the boys, they made another culture.

[@simseb123]

Love this version of Viola Lee Blues. Raw, jangly and so much energy. For me, his was the Dead at their best.

[@RobotMillionaire]

They were at their best in 67-69 pure magic

[@benringenberg2394]

Hell yeah. Sixties viola lee blues was the peak of their psychedelic era. If you haven't listened to viola lee from Harper College, go listen to it right now, it is the most amazing thing I have ever heard. And as much as I love 60's psychedelic dead, I think their transition to the traditional style of workingman's dead and american beauty was perfect. Is there anything about this band that doesn't seem to be divine fate? I dont think so. I think everything they ever did played out exactly as it should have. My life would be incomplete without them, and I am thankful to live in this time if only because I found them.

[@roygoad2870]

@@benringenberg2394 For me, my favourite Viola Lee Blues are mostly from 1968, more punchy with high energy, just listen to an over 20 minute version from January 23 1968, though the date is wrong. It begins with banter from Jerry about the cops not letting the audience dance, so he suggests they can wriggle around instead, so cool 😎 11.10.67 is pretty nuts too, imo!

[@benringenberg2394]

@@roygoad2870 that's such a Jerry thing to say, hilarious.

[@leadzeppbelly]

@@roygoad2870 The version from Monterey Pop Festival is brilliant too but I agree the 1968 versions are just on another planet!

[@FloydMeadows-b9j]

On the 2/23/68 Viola Lee Blues it sounds like they’re inventing punk rock 🤣 absolute manic brilliance

[@dougtaphouse1031]

This is an absolutely insane jam.

[@nataliezementbeisser1492]

I have no idea how they can play like this. They invented a whole new genre here

[@Maaaatttttt]

I'm on acid right now

[@zombiestars42]

RRRRRAYYYY....WHO CARES ???

[@eyeojo]

John C yes we know, we have always known.

[@3-methylindole730]

@kids place on channel 9, don't tell me you smoke Lucy.... This can't be true.

[@jackstrawfromwichita6168]

@@zombiestars42 Do you know where you are, son?

[@zombiestars42]

@@jackstrawfromwichita6168 do you know why I gave this specific answer ?

[@donaldmattia1491]

Viola Lee Blues is so fucking good. I'm trippin'!

[@gratefuldrifter6588]

me to brother,jaming along to it bro is the best

[@elwoodblues9215]

This is deadacated to all the brothers and sister's that are doing state and county time for what ever crime they may have done . send them a letter in the air mail to tell them we love them and that they have a friend some were. Keep it grooving here on the outs waiting and keeping it chill tell they come home. And one more thought is on my head. Remember the most righteous badess Hells Angle Chocolate George who is riding his Harley in the sky for eternity for evermore. Peace and love R.I.P my Brother. It was well known and writen down on the history books that you loved the Greatful Dead music and grooved at the Haight Ashbury Human Be ins in the park. Thank you once again for a service well done.

[@ctdevil28]

@@jimmy5391 A lot of people in jail/prison for small, stupid shit. The law and justice are not the same.

[@elwoodblues9215]

@@ctdevil28 not to mention that's what the song is about.

[@secondsettweezer9884]

Hell's Angle? Like 666°?

[@elwoodblues9215]

@@secondsettweezer9884 much respect for the Red and White...

[@roygoad2870]

This is on Archives from January 8th 1966 at the Fillmore Auditorium!

[@flannigan7956]

Fuck yeah anyway but if that's correct then fuck yeah

[@NicholasOsella]

thank you soldier

[@Rivmic]

Incorrect, this was recorded at the Matrix on 12/01/1966.

[@_Ramen-Vac_]

probably one of their oldest jams and still the tip top best one.

[@gratefuldrifter6588]

agree

[@jamalharris315]

The CIA might have been running these Acid Test era shows.. But this is quite arguably some of the greatest guitar playing of all time here.

[@NicholasOsella]

lmao

[@JamesBarrett23]

I would love to have seen an agent trying to comprehend what was going on around them at the Tests. They were taking Owsley's finest. This was not a government operation. It was way beyond that.

[@the-np4mr]

Oh 100%

[@VedaTheDog]

I love the disclaimer at the top of the post: For research purposes only. "Research", that is what they were doing at the acid tests, it was all scholarship.....

[@przybyla420]

It was a brilliantly elegant experiment: what happens when you give a bunch of kids acid and have a party with the greatest rock band ever?

[@capnjimmy805]

“By thy Viola Lee Blues thou shall be judged.” This is just awesome ! I bet they won the Band Battle.

[@johnconroy8323]

Yeah they sure did

[@lwsullivan91]

Great session. Total gem. Ty for posting

[@MrMarckeedee]

Whole fuck. Many wormholes,and a giant vortex expanding and imploding on itself emitting a giant ohhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmm. You can hear the ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhm throughout this whole collision of sound. And I experienced all that completely sober. Can’t imagine being on acid and hearing this live.

[@johnconroy8323]

You don’t have to imagine Just drop then listen to all the Grateful Dead you can. P.S. you may want a good friend with you while doin this.

[@mhnoname11]

Some got six months, some got one solid.

[@archstanton_live]

But me and my buddies all got lifetime here.

[@longbootsjohnson5334]

thanks for posting this, that jam is sick!

[@GEA1955]

G. Dead`s are timeless fantastic music Love from Greece

[@CyphersCycles]

enjoying right now.

[@gratefuldrifter6588]

love the guitar to this,straight dope

[@uncasist]

Pretty good sound, Owlsey aboard.

[@wafflcoptr]

uncasist As someone who studies music technology Owsley was a genius, especially with the humongous sound system they used. The trick was they weren't the loudest, but they could get pretty damn loud and not suffer from distortion.

[@BradleyBaker-ov2we]

Right on, orange ☀ such good times, we were all together for a minute, seems like a different reality, it was. Brooklyn, pig pen, my. Bro, BROOKLYN

[@AbandonedNorthJersey]

Killer jam !

[@BorrowedTunes]

The Storm, A perfect rendition of the Storm and the heavy "chunk" that follows. Brilliantly executed stagecraft.

[@leesenger3094]

Who knows unless you were there. That said, Amazing VLB!

[@archstanton_live]

Would you trust someone who said they were there to know? That said, Amazing VLB!

[@leesenger3094]

You, are very lucky, yeah indeedy !

[@archstanton_live]

Yeah indeedy ! So are you (but I wasn't there) If you can appreciate the value in this music you are very lucky, yes indeedy. ;)

[@przybyla420]

There’s this Owsley interview where he talks about in the early days Jerry kept burning up his pickups or something like that. Like the guitar was built for it and would melt in the upper atmosphere

[@przybyla420]

Wasnt*

[@JonKinyon]

I just got a contact high.

[@roydealwis2772]

This music is not from the album above, very groovy music however !

[@klemkadiddlekopper]

Gotta love the album cover. Brings back psychedelic memories, or flashbacks, if you remember to, or choose not to, or can to, or have to, or wish to, or need to, or want to, oooooooooooooor aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh, hahahahahahahahahah.

[@nataliezementbeisser1492]

07:15 !!!!! WHAT THE HELL!!!

[@11BlackLamb]

Early days still some of my favorite iterations of the Dead

[@Maaaatttttt]

I can really dig this

[@bodeinebrazy]

Thanks for posting this

[@leadzeppbelly]

Best version and that’s saying a lot! Is this part of any release on CD? If not it should be in the future

[@mr.froglegs]

they shpuld make it one of the daves picks releases or give it its own solo release. its a pretty important concert so id imagine theyd make a box set or soemthing.

[@ChoctawNawtic4]

I wonder what that was like for Pigpen to be the only one not trippin. I bet he kinda help them together.

[@justinj1zalientoxic]

Choctawnic yeah but he was drunk

[@hammer44head]

Listen to that funky organ, Pig is laying down. Pig was a trip he didn't need no additives.

[@jimmy5391]

hammer head is right some people don't need acid to have a good time. I think he had a bad trip at an acid test and said that was it. Respect

[@tonebenderx]

If you get the chance to watch the documentary on the GD called "Long Strange Trip" there is a part where a variety of people including John Perry Barlow talk about Pigpen and how not taking acid with the rest of the band left him progressively more isolated. To your point about "I bet he kinda help [sic] them together" ... this is a fact that he was their frontman in the early days and would be the stable focal point for both his band and the audience.

[@chris7brook]

Bluesman don't need no acid.

[@christopherscustoms3722]

That was fucking awesome.

[@nicklongo2939]

This was the highest they ever got. A month later it was all over. All the rest was echoes.

[@jg6698]

Sort of

[@jg6698]

They milked it thru 72

[@NicholasOsella]

@@jg6698 I'd argue 1971 never happened

[@garrettg790]

They left a damned legacy to be envied.

[@theteapot349]

the music never stops :O

[@kimdelong3429]

Playing this thru my phone on u tube through a reconditioned sanui 4000, circa 1969 modle, Wow!

[@MichaelHansenFUN]

huh? I have an acid test video somewhere

[@TheMasterTelevision]

I took too much help

[@TheMasterTelevision]

i survived

[@nataliezementbeisser1492]

@@TheMasterTelevision nicely done brother

[@jfire6194]

Ha wish I was at this one

[@mikel5582]

Which test is this from? This version is interesting but the band seems a bit out of synch relative to other VLB versions. Still a great listen; just different.

[@przybyla420]

Steal your face AKA MELTING IT OFF

[@terribrowne2939]

best guess is: Pico Acid Test - Viola Lee Blues LA, CA 3-19-66

[@clearview4076]

They were for a long time on Archive.org until it was stopped by Jerrys wife.

[@ClueSign]

OMG I didn;t know that -- why in the world would she do that???

[@clearview4076]

To prevent free downloading of the concerts

[@ClueSign]

Seems pointless and needlessly vindictive. That would be Ms. Koons?

[@clearview4076]

yes it was

[@monty70]

Have you graduated the acid test? Lysergic Acid Diethylamide.

[@jg6698]

Yeah over 50 years ago. The shit they've had since then don't count, junior.

[@nataliezementbeisser1492]

@@jg6698 Did you try 1CP-LSD or any LSD derivate?

[@reforest4fertility]

Very chunky -- it dances you into your core -- way cool -- & hot at same time, OFC! Should form a dancing corps, like yer good ol' Peace Corp, from back in JFK days. Too bad so many are in a daze not to see that for what that means: good!

[@nataliezementbeisser1492]

WOW!!!!!!

[@Elmerhartman]

The band used to swing!

[@tomeverett865]

intense!!!!

[@salpauciello8607]

Awesome!!

[@NicholasOsella]

good LORD

[@EduBanton645]

excellente

[@captaincoconut8967]

🟤DMT TIME 🟤

[@miked1311]

The World party someday.

[@millivinilli]

Long Live Darren Peligro

[@11BlackLamb]

Gibson Hollow?

[@charlessalinas4210]

I could pass the. Acid test with flying colors.

[@graveyardelf6765]

'66 or '67, I'm guessin'. Anybody happen to know when this was recorded??

[@bob733333]

66

[@samuelkurzeja8412]

jerry was in my dream, and he said I was dead, so I said no i'm grateful

[@SeaHorseGypsy]

I had dream where jerry and I were sitting around a big fire with a bunch of people and i was trying to get him to teach me st. stephen on guitar but i couldn't get him to. Then, in the same dream he and i were in an army jeep going across a gigantic bridge and it was broken in the middle but we jumped the gap. I was flung about 50 feet out of the jeep upon landing. From the jeep he threw me this huge old leather bound book. Then i woke up. Wish i knew what that book was.

[@chaim5397]

it was about how to play st stephen

[@lizzy620]

@@SeaHorseGypsy the book of life.

[@christinahutton9983]

@@SeaHorseGypsy ,it was the Bible.

[@NicholasOsella]

dig

[@WolfDaddy420]

Definitely not from an Acid Test, more like a composite of two different performances of this song from 11/29 and 12/01/1966 at the Matrix in San Francisco...

[@uncasist]

Actually, I agree. This is much too coherent and the sound is too good for an Acid Test.

[@jimjarnagin5344]

Absolutely!!! This had to be a show...still it's fascinating to see how everyone's playing evolved leading up to that first album.

[@dlblox27]

@@uncasist This neither too coherent nor too good sounding to be an acid test recording

[@archstanton_live]

(Acid Test Version) the title says. Composite of the period seems quite possible given the quality of the recording.

[@roygoad2870]

It’s from Archives January 8th 1966 at Fillmore Auditorium 😊

[@WeirdErnie]

Punky.

[@DAGDRUM53]

but me and my buddies all got lifetime in here

[@jameskennedy721]

This is part of an actual Kesey Acid Test ? !

[@nedhoey]

no

[@marcosdenizatrailhiker2037]

Polarize the electrons and use the eigenstates for memory packets and let the engineers figure out how to do it