Sam Cooke’s classic “Let The Good Times Roll” was a real treat the first time I heard the Dead cover it. Sam Cooke is in Otis Redding territory for me, that is I question if someone is a well-adjusted individual whether or not the like the musical stylings of Msrs. Cooke, Redding, and Jackie Wilson probably qualifies here too.
This is just one of those quintessential set openers and really sets the table for the rest of the evening. If the invocation for the evening is to let the good times roll, it seems pretty obvious that the band was in a good mood, at least one would hope. I also like that there is no one lead vocalist on this tune. Brent, Bobby, and Jerry all take a verse, kind of like their take on The Weight. For me it adds something new and unexpected to the mix.
Brent adds some nice keys runs, but for the most part the extra curriculars on this this song are left to a minimum. Brent and Bobby do some vocal ad libbing at the end and you can hear Phil laugh when Bobby breaks out the falsetto. Clearly these guys are having a good time. This is a good example of the song being a solid vessel in itself. I hardly even noticed the lack of extended instrumental passages. What a great way to kick off a show though. This reminds me a bit of “Join The Band”, the opening track on Little Feat’s Waiting For Columbus. Nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile.
Complete Setlist 6/16/90
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Interesting opener, I suppose. This sways along more or less like the groovy Sam Cooke number that it was, but you’ve never heard a sadder version. Jerry and Brent sing it like the couple of doomed souls that they were. It’s downright scary. Then Bob chimes in and you can tell he is not about that. Funny how it works. The darkness ultimately overtakes the light even though Weir tries desperately again at the end to bust it out of the gloom. That failing, he counts off “Truckin'”.