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Phil Lesh: Love Will See You Through
Phil Lesh's first solo album, Love Will
See You Through, is a double-disc set of live performances culled
from a series of Phil Lesh and Friends concerts Lesh gave after
successfully completing liver transplant surgery in late 1998. Lesh
used these shows to get back to speed, so he surrounded himself
with friendly musicians -- including Jorma Kaukonen, Prairie
Prince, Zoe Ellis, Steve Kimock, and Pete Sears -- and
concentrated on songs the Grateful Dead routinely played in
concert, along with some tunes associated with Kaukonen. The
songs and the styles are familiar, but that's part of the charm --
listening to this music is like reuniting with old friends, fully aware of
their conversational rhythms and quirks. If you're not in the mood, it
can be a little irritating, but in the right frame of mind, it's a breezy,
enjoyable experience to hear the old tunes played in the classic
fashion. Even if it is Lesh's first solo album, Love Will See You Through isn't a major release in the
post-Dead canon, but it certainly proves that Lesh has returned to full strength, and Deadheads will no
doubt embrace this endearingly low-key music. Includes a live cover of "Broken Arrow" from Robbie Robertson's first solo album. Tracks
Phil Lesh - Love Will See You Through - 1999 - Grateful Dead Records/ Arista 14401
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