Bob Weir - Ace

ACES!!

As another reviewer noted: this is esentially a GD album. Performing on this work is every member of the dead from that period. Personally it is right up there in the top 3 dead albums for me, along side Workingman's Dead and American Beauty (Blues for Allah and Wake of the Flood in close pursuit!). Seeing that Jerry was at the helm for the most part on WD and AB albums it is nice to see Bob in charge for a project. This is just a stellar piece from composition, penmanship, performance and through production! If you have a growing dead collection and this is not yet in it... you need to ammend that problem now.
I wish the same could be said of Heaven help the Fool. February 11, 2008

GRATEFUL ACE

ACE is, perhaps, the best Grateful Dead studio album -- only Pigpen and Micky Hart are absent. Albeit released as Bobby's solo album, it showcases his collaborations with John Barlow and played as only the Dead can play them. Virtually all the songs are Dead classics and most rank among the top 40 favorites of any well-seasoned Deadhead. February 1, 2008

A great, non-Gratefule Dead, Dead album

OK - so all of the Dead are on this album. However it is Bob Weir's step up front and be recognized venue. The songs are all Bobby and the band does their usual best backing him up.

All of these (well maybe not "Walk in the Sunshine") spent a great deal of time in the Dead's repertoire during their live shows. Many of these became some of the band's most loved live songs. It is nice to hear these songs in their studio form - even though the live versions are by far the best.

This is a good selection to round out your existing GD albums. It is also an easy entry into the Dead themselves. May 13, 2007

Don't be put off by the name of the artist...

The album says Bob Weir, but this album is purely Grateful Dead! All of the songs (except for the underrated coulda-shoulda-woulda been counterculture anthem "Walk In The Sunshine") on this album go on to become staples the Dead's live shows. But just like "Workingman's Dead" and "American Beauty", "Ace" provides a snapshot into what these great tunes sound like in the studio.

The horn section on "Black Throated Wind", "Mexicali Blues", and "One More Saturday Night" really add a new dimension to the Dead sound that unfortunately would not be explored much furthur (yes I mean to spell it that way).

This album isn't lacking in jams either, this studio version of "Playing In The Band" (which improves greatly over the short version on the "Skull and Roses" album) includes a middle jam section that is just as satisfying as every other live version released.

If you liked the "Garcia" and "Rolling Thunder" albums, you'll be especially pleased by this set. For Dead studio completists, this provides a perfect bridge between their sound on "American Beauty" and what they would sound like on "Wake Of The Flood". May 12, 2007

A Gem

This is probably the most underappreciated album ever: it is so good and yet, tragically, (I'm not exaggerating) few people know about it. From Greatest story ever told to Cassidy the album is an example of killer songwriting, fantastic singing by Bob, and great production/arrangement. Even if you don't like the dead you'll still like this album. However, if you are a Dead fan, the album is home to some Dead classics: Playing in the Band Mexicali Blues and One More Saturday Night (if you didn't already know, pretty much everyone from the Dead is on this album). Finally, (and most obviously) anyone who professes to like Bob Weir must have this album. It's a travesty that this album isn't more celebrated among Deadheads and music fans in general. December 31, 2006

More reviews at Amazon.com ...