Mountain song is an instant classic and seven hills of gold is mighty fine. I think they almost have enough new material to make a studio album. I wonder....

Colors of the Rain is my favorite, with Mountain Song and High On A Mountain tied for second.

I would be stunned if they did a proper album with this new material.

not going to be records anytime soon according to Phil


Furthur keeps the spirit of the Dead alive

By A.D. Amorosi

'It's the vibe, and the vibe says we really, really, really want it. We want the magic and we want it badly. And making magic is one of those things where you just don't know how or when you do it. Magic happens when the stars are aligned and the energy flows brightly."

That's how Phil Lesh describes the wondrous interaction between fans and Furthur, his ensemble with fellow Grateful Dead member Bob Weir and young jam-band stalwarts who make their engines roar. Furthur hits the Tower Friday through Sunday, takes a day off Monday, and gets back at it Tuesday and Wednesday.

Lesh, who played the last several nights in New York City, ranks fans there with Philly's in demanding the most from Furthur's spacey approximation of the psychedelic Dead spirit. "You guys and New York want so much out of us, and we wind up delivering so much more than we bargained for," says Lesh with a laugh. "You're all very enthusiastic."

Lesh can't quite put his finger on what those demands are: "Like so many things, it verges on the intangible." Then again, Lesh can't put his finger on anything: "So much of what we do and what we get back is an intangible."

That's a fair characterization of bassist/composer Lesh. He's a fluidly innovative player as versed in Bach as in Mingus. With guitarist Weir, he's created a sensational mesh of muzzy music based on the most intangible of acts. Lesh and Weir are restless souls who within the loose confines of Furthur must maintain the tradition while finding new ways to groove. Like magic, innovation is hard to capture, hard to define. "Our muse is a fickle beast, and she doesn't always come on call," Lesh says. "We have to remain open to the potential - all possibilities, rather than a predictable path."

Weir and Lesh had toured together in several configurations before Furthur. Back in the Dead days, Lesh says, the members of the band were true equals, truly brothers: "Each of us were fingers on a hand; an absolute equality of balance." In the same spirit, there's no manifesto to this new band, no template for their approach to one another, other musicians, or fans. The pair knew they wanted to re-create the spirit of wide-open freedom that "defined the '60s," says Lesh. "Every so often we succeed, but we have the components in order for that to happen, so that openness is set up for everyone that plays with us."

Furthur currently includes young masters of the jam genre, including keyboardist Jeff Chimenti (RatDog), drummer Joe Russo (Benevento-Russo Duo), and guitarist John Kadlecik (Dark Star Orchestra). They do not only Dead hits and rarities ("anything that we scratch up and patch together") but also covers of contemporaries such as Traffic, Dylan, and the Beatles. Particularly fascinating is how Further has recently taken to covering Abbey Road, a different track at each date in album order: "Come Together" on Friday followed by "Something" on Saturday, and "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" on Sunday.

"Why not?" says Lesh, who got the idea from playing full Dead album sides during previous Furthur shows.

With no plans to record what he and Weir are doing now, be it original or covers, Lesh reminds us that the only way to be part of the Furthur process is to catch the shows. "I don't want it be something else yet," says Lesh. "Making a record now is so 20th century."

I do dig Colors of the Rain. I def do. But Mountain Song? It just speaks to me. Im just pleased in general that these new song are so wellw ritten and properly played. Sometimes when new music comes out its, well, lackluster. Case in point, Tom petty's 'Mojo'.

Furthur Song - Mountain Song

Bobby Song - Money for Gasoline

Seven Hills of Gold is good too

My vote is for "Big Bad Blues" the new Bob Weir tune. I cannot wait to hear it again, hopefully during the RCMH run.

I really love Money for Gasoline... I found myself completely enveloped by it at the Oakdale Theater. Mountain Song is very strong & I have to hear another replay of Big Bad blues, after hearing it for the first time the other night. Loved Bobby's initial acoustic performance of it from the couch on Facebook.

I like Colors of the rain also, but Seven Hills of Gold is starting to resonate as well. But my favorite new tune is Big Bad Blues...

Def. Big Bad Blues......

Mountain song and big bad blues for me