The slow blues of I Know It’s A Sin the other day got me thinking about slow blues songs and I remembered that It Hurts Me Too fit that motif for Pigpen.
So I went in search of a Pigpen version and the Germany shows on the Europe are some strong ones (but let’s be honest – there are no bad Europe 72 shows, some are just hotter than others) so it seemed a good place to start. A couple of things stood out to me, as you can see below, but really Keith’s contributions grabbed my ear as a major influence here. Also I was struck by the way that Jerry’s guitar lines interacted with Pigpen’s vocals. It’s almost as if they were interlocutors in the same conversation but through vastly different forms of communication. Just another reason to love what this band was capable of doing.
Another slow blues tune, this time it’s Pigpen’s turn to lead the charge. I can’t tell if Jerry is playing slide at the beginning here or just very liquid straight guitar. Keith inserts a wide array of fills that provide some spice to this cup of gumbo. The juxaposition of Keith’s plodding left-hand chords and Jerry’s crying guitar licks under Pigpen’s bassy voice is simply sublime. Ah yes, now to a harp solo from Mr. McKernan. It’s slow and mournful almost as if the music is what’s been wrong in the situation. Billy offers a nice drum roll that signals Jerry’s solo, also slow and contemplative in much the same way as Pigpen’s harp work. But Jerry isn’t content playing the part of the victim, and his solo reflects this, building confidence and intensity until Pig re-takes the floor. It seems that music indeed has the power to heal, and the feeling of the song isn’t quite so somber by the time it wraps.
Complete Setlist 4/24/72
