Song Review: Dead & Company - “Feel Like a Stranger” (Live, Nov. 21, 2017)
Donna Jean Godchaux, Brent Mydland, Vince Welnick, Susan Tedeschi, Joan Osborne, Sunshine Becker & Warren Haynes were all hired, in part or in whole, for the high harmonies they provided for the Grateful Dead or its many spinoffs.
John Mayer, on the other hand, was hired to play lead guitar for Dead & Company. & while he excels in that role, he’s also taken on the task of singing high harmonies & his falsetto backing vocals are among that band’s biggest weaknesses. For evidence, see the new, pro-shot video of the group performing “Feel Like a Stranger” in the nation’s capital on Nov. 21, 2017.
Bob Weir’s disco-tinged track about an incipient one-night stand continues to thrill even after nearly four decades & even with its new, slower tempo. But while “Stranger” was a vocal powerhouse during the Mydland-era Dead days, the song is more enjoyable for its music in Dead & Company’s hands & the vocals are its most-obvious drawback.
Fortunately, this 11-minute specimen is all about the jamming & for that, this is a joy. But it’s no stretch to say that virtually every “Stranger” played between 1980 and 1990 is superior.
Grade card: Dead & Company - “Feel Like a Stranger” (Live - 11/21/17) - B-
2/4/19
