John Molo

[skifurthur]

http://www.phillesh.net/philzonepages/friends_stuff/setlists/200605/john_molo.jpg

Damn. He is so good that you forget that it took two drummers in the past to create "the sound."

Carry on.

[highway320]

Here's to John Whitecloud Molo!!!
The Lion King! Mount St. Molo!!!!!!!!

Fuckin rocks!

[Rosebud]

I dig Molo too but he's no Kreutzman...or Pemberton for that matter!

[AmyG]

I dig Molo too but he's no Kreutzman...or Pemberton for that matter!


No...he's JOHN MOLO!

A truly amazing drummer. I've seen Phil many times and they were never as good as when Molo was playing for them.

thank you, ski!

[skifurthur]

One look at his credits show that he can, and does, play with anyone well.

Albert Lee
Bruce Hornsby
John Fogerty
House drummer for the MSG Katrina benefit

When I saw the taping of John Fogerty's A & E (this is a hint on something else ;-) ) special, Fogerty changed some songs for diferent takes and Molo never flinched. Him teamed with Phil creates one of the most versitile rhythm sections ever on stage.

As for the "Kreutzman...or Pemberton" comment, Rosebud, I really do think he is stronger in more areas than either of them. In Phil & Friends he adds a punch that breathes new life into the old...exactly what Phil wants...and exactly why I love what Phil is doing.

Do I love the good old GD? Of course I do. That was then, this in now. I've changed and hearing those songs these days shows me the songs have changed as well. Does it always work? Nope. It didn't always work in the old days as well.

It's nice to know that those chestnuts still have legs on them. Ryan seems to think so, yes? He plays with them...if I wanted the same I would be on the DSO board. ;-)

[The B]

Couldn't agree more, Ski.

He is The Fucking Master

[wonderpiece]

i love molo too. he is hilarious!!! all those faces he makes while playing. so funny. very humble guy, too.

if you guys watch the phil DVD there is an AWESOME clip backstage of them all doing st. stephen a capella style and molo is mouthing the rhythm section~ i think. anyways, it is really good, that part of the DVD.

molooooooooooooooooo~ all time

[Rosebud]

Molo is a fine drummer but my friend, your "it used to take two" comment is a little trollish don't ya think? I mean, what else were you looking for?

I simply disagree....strongly. I too have seen Molo drum at least 15 shows worth and he's a strong drummer. He has a big sound and I enjoy his playing but the man does not have that edge and quirkiness that Kreutzman brought to the band. Molo improvises with Phil? You mean when he gets a command in his earpiece?

Billy K brought it from all sorts of places and Ryan couldn't shake Brad if he tried.

Sorry but we'll have to just disagree. Ya'll can go listen to Baracco hamfist it up with Molo, I'll stick with mr P for now and my memories of Molo/Herring won't be replacing those of Kreutzman/Garcia anytime soon.

[cwhumble]

>>>Ya'll can go listen to Baracco hamfist it up with Molo

hey can't we keep these conversations over in the sandbox?.......kettle?

[Rosebud]

Gee what do you know? I type the word "troll" and look who shows up.

[skifurthur]

Trollish?

Not even close, Rosebud. More like personal opinion. I never meant disrespect for the Billy/Mickey combo. I, for one, have an amazing amount of wonderful memories that I can relive via recordings of that team. My comment was just to illuminate what a fine drummer Mr. Molo is and how he and Phil compliment each others playing...creating a synergistic whole the exceeds the parts.

Re: earpieces. At Phil Lesh University the earpiece "issue" was brought up and a lot of misconceptions about what is going on where illuminated. Phil talked of how the GD "invented" the concept and how he wished that tapes existed of what went on. He figured that 80% of them where, "Turn me up" "No, turn me up." The idea was that with the loudness of the stage area the could communicate with each other without shouts. Much like many jazz musicians do. Most of what goes on with P&F is not orders, it's letting others know what is going on with the other players. Monitors tend to accentuate each player's part in the overall mix. As such, a chord progression by one player might not be heard by all the others. Phil job as the band leader is to let the others know, "Hey, I am hearing this progression...let's follow that path and see where it leads." Isn't that the nature of improv? Anyway, Phil mentioned that he really doesn't bark orders but if he did, "It's my band, isn't it?"

P&F isn't the GD, nor was it meant to be. In my book, that's a great thing. It shows respect, but not zealotry.

I absolutely agree that memories of Molo/Herring (never got the Q adulation thing anyway) won't replace Kreutzman/Garcia. Nor should they. Two totally different beasts.

Since this is a Ryan board, I will state more clearly that I love when Ryan covers GD songs and takes them into new areas of exploration. That is what I love about live performing and why there are few bands that "do note-by-notes" that I can listen to over and over. Fresh ingredients always make the best stew.

Anyway, I think Molo rocks. I think Billy rocks. I think Brad rocks. Might as well add Manu Kichu, Bill Bruford and a bunch more. They all are great drummers and deserve praise.

Sorry if you took my comments to mean anything else.

[Rosebud]

Let me clarify that I am not calling Ski a troll. I appreciate his stance and can see why he and many others feel the way they do. His is certainly a valid point of view. I just thought starting a thread anywhere on the internet blaspheming our beloved Billy K, indirectly as it may have been, required a rebuttal. It's in a messageboarding deadhead's creed, thou shall not allow average to be spoken/typed/posted of the band. ;)

Besides, I don't see it as "still there" as many Phil Pholks do. There's a fine line between reconstructing a song and plain old fuckin' it up.

[Rosebud]

See? Now I post that and see that Ski's beat me to it. Kudos.

Lessee, Here's where I am with Phil. I was jealous of the spring '99 Phish/Phil shows. To date, some of the strongest material of his post Jer work IMO. Being a big Kimock fan as well, I couldn't wait for the fall tour when Steve was supposed to play out East....then the split and we got Warren and Derek. Still, it was cool and fun to see Phil.

When it was announced that the original Q line up was opening at Burlington, I had to swing up there so I caught the first two. They were cool shows but I left feeling musically exhausted. Just so much notes notes notes notes notes notes with very little breathing room. You were prolly there, I remember the Into The Mystic being a welcomed relief.

My friends all dug 'em so I caught a few more shows from them. I think I skipped '01 but for VIBES '02 they were pretty good. The band had gelled and they put on two excellent evenings but.......by this time I found them to be a drugs required band. If I wasn't high and fob dead center, I didn't enjoy a Q show. Of course, that requirement was remedied by being met and I enjoyed a few shows. I always had a hard time looking past Baracco who I still think little of. BTW, he's with DSO now isn't he?

Bring on Joan. I like Joan's voice but there's something about her that doesn't click. Add that I'll forever have to try to shut out the evening in Hartford Meadows when she was practically humping Bobby's leg.....christ was that embarrassing. So anyway, I have not gotten a chance to se the current band with Larry and I am certainly a big Larry fan.

Funny that while you make the point of things being new with Phil's approach, I say they're still the same old songs and springing off an old chestnut or two is fine but to have nothing new by way of repitore, spells stagnation to me. There may be many many ways to do a Cumberlands but there's a finite number of times I care to hear them.

So my apologies for any misunderstanding, Molo's cool as hell. As long as we agree that pulling out a '73 can be one of the wisest choices of one's day!

[skifurthur]

We definately agree that pulling out a '73 can be one of the wisest choices of one's day, but I'm in a Spring '77 mood this morning. ;-)

I enjoy Joan's voice as well. I, too, am a bit embarassed about having all these guys running around a venue with a raging Joanie. She does have that sizzle. Someone once described her as "Pig and Janis' lost love child."

Larry adds a cornicopia of layers to the sound. Sless plays the Jerry parts without sounding just like Jerry...a good thing in my book. I caught Sco in Buffalo in '05 and again at PLU. I suggest that when he plays again as a friend that you drop everything you are doing and catch the show. Lightning in a bottle, my friend. I know that his extended, multi-part solo in Althea Buffalo '05 was the best damn guitar solo that I have ever witnessed. My jaw was agape...as were many that night. Standing O during and right after it with Phil leading the cheers.

It's not so much the ways that they do a song, it's the way that different players bring different feels to their parts. I noticed that at PLU with the assembled students. They all fed off of each other and trancended themselves. If you could have seen the grin on Phil's face when they dropped into the "Turkey In The Straw" jam in Eyes you would know exactly what I mean. They nailed it as well as the Dead ever did and Phil knew it. Not bad for a throw together band, eh?

Not sure if Baracco is a full-time DSO member.

[highway320]

Baracco has not been with DSO for over a year, since they hired a full-time keyboardist.

And Herring has not played with Phil for, what, like 2 years or something?
What's this Herring/Molo thing? Pick phil's weakest guitarist to associate with Molo?

I don't think Ski's comments were any more trollish than yours Rosebud, perhaps slightly less so.

Your play by play of your experience with post GD Phil is respectfully recognized, but your opinion in that regard comes across as much stronger than your experience.

It seems like this playground argument has been tempered...
Excuse me if I come off a bit bitchy, I do believe I am tandem-PMS-ing right along with Iris this month. There seems to be enough to go around...

In the spirit of good drumming, I'll offer up a freebie DVD to anyone who wants it:
2-16-87 "World Music in the Schools" Benefit, Petaluma Veteran's Memorial Auditorium.... with Baba Olatunji, Mickey, Jerry, Santana, Bobby Vega, etc.

Just e-mail me your address (I never check the PM thingy) and I'll send it out.
Fuck, I just rememebered those Talking Heads, Naivemelody!!! If you read this, I will send them shortly. Damn.

[skifurthur]

Uncle,

Rosebud and I had make up sex already. All it good. :-D

ski "still on that damn bus" furthur

[FunkyAvocado]

We definately agree that pulling out a '73 can be one of the wisest choices of one's day, but I'm in a Spring '77 mood this morning. ;-)


I've been on a '77 kick as well and easily my favorite post hiatus year for the GD machine. Unfortunately I am stuck in front of a computer for work till the 18th so I wanted to do a fun little side project while sitting on my ass so I don't lose my mind and join a monastery. Im creating my own "bedhead" of sorts for this year and so far this is what I have come up with. It's really only for myself and friends..

Black Peter - 10/12
Brokedown - 5/11 (only problem is this horrific cut at the end. Wah!)
Comes A Time - 5/1 (the gar solo just sends me a little farther over the rainbow then the 5/4
Dancin - 4/22 (The dancin->mojo->dancin reprise) Yum
Eyes - 9/3
Might As Well - 10/29
1/2 Step - 11/6
Dew - 5/8 (duh)
Sugaree - 5/19
Terrapin - 3/18

The scarlet->fire is up for verdict today. The 4/23 and 5/8 come to mind.

Yeah, I need to get a life.

Cheers-Kevin

[skifurthur]

5/8 scarlet/fire for me and the 5/7 Terripin always floats my boat...mileage may differ.

I agree on the duh for Dew.

I guess with that post you are officially the Dew-Duh man. ;-)

[Zephirine Drouhin]

that's the best male pms admission i've heard highway,
i can feel the cramps from here.

forget the drumming, somehow i missed the best part of this whole thread:
the make up sex . . .

[cwhumble]

>>>Gee what do you know? I type the word "troll" and look who shows up.

Why I Oughtta!!