Track Record – The Grateful Dead

Today’s Track Record covers the studio albums by The Grateful Dead.

Full disclosure: I’m not a huge fan of The Grateful Dead. When I was a kid, I saw some of the imagery, especially the skeletons and lightning bolts, and I thought these guys were some heavy metal band like Black Sabbath. Then I heard “Sugar Magnolia” and had the feeling that I had been hoodwinked. They were so wimpy. Even at a young age, I had no use for hippies. I always thought it was common sense. Who doesn’t like things like love and peace? Stoners sitting around doing nothing but staring at each other might find it hard to change the world if they can’t get off the couch. I’m a very liberal guy, but I’m also a very pragmatic guy.

Years later I matured a bit, and now I play in a band that frequently plays their music, sometimes entire sets of it. I’ve had to sit, listen to, and learn certain tracks, a few of which I’ve come to like, and a few I think are awful. I avoided them like the plague growing up, so I decided that The Dead would be a good candidate for a Track Record column. I still don’t love them, and I definitely don’t love a lot of the “Jam Band” stuff out there unless I’m seeing it live, but even then, endless noodling bores me to death.

That said, these are my gut reactions while listening to the entire studio catalog of The Grateful Dead from start to finish.

 

The Grateful Dead (1967)

I know this album isn’t really representative of their other material, but I’ll say this. It’s not bad at all. Lots of R&B and straight ahead 60s rock/pop here. It’s an easy listen. Good harmonica on “Good Morning Little Schoolgirl” from Pigpen. “Cold Rain and Snow” is a tune I was asked to learn for a gig once, but this version is a little different than what they did later on. This one’s faster and I think I like it better. “Sitting On Top of the World” is pretty fun! “Morning Dew” is pretty insufferable though. Apparently, it’s Jerry Garcia singing but it doesn’t sound like him, and the vocals are not great, although he does try to inject some emotion into the performance. Try being the operative word. “Viola Lee Blues” made me want to turn it off after 3 minutes.

As far as 60s music goes in general, I like some of the music itself, but I hate the way it’s recorded. I find some 50s music is recorded better somehow. This album has that 60s production I don’t love, where it seems like someone just threw a mic on the floor in the middle of the room and hit record. So in the end, this isn’t a bad album but I don’t like how it sounds, if that makes any sense.

Line up:

• Jerry Garcia – lead guitar, vocals, arrangement
• Bob Weir – rhythm guitar, vocals
• Ron “Pigpen” McKernan – Vox Continental organ, harmonica, vocals
• Phil Lesh – bass guitar, vocals
• Bill Kreutzmann – drums, percussion

 

Anthem of the Sun (1968)

This is a weird album. It starts as if we just turned up the faders on a song that has already been playing. It’s sort of chaotic in the sense that at any moment it just stops and goes into some other unrelated piece of music. It’s recorded and mixed horribly as well, with lots of sounds that sound like they’re coming from the next room. Oh, and lots of noodling. When it comes to this type of experimental music, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, or even Jefferson Airplane did it a lot better. This album is a mess. I’ll be glad to not hear it again.

The story goes that they took lots of live concert tracks and started layering in studio creations to create some kind of psychedelic experience. What actually happened, according to my ears, is they made a bunch of noise that makes no sense. But I’m sure the stoners loved it. It’s often described as a “sound collage” and that there was nothing else that sounded like it at the time. There was probably a reason for that. I’m sure the label was thrilled.

Line up:

• Jerry Garcia – lead guitar, acoustic guitar, kazoo, vibraslap, vocals, co-lead vocals on “That’s It for the Other One” and “Born Cross-Eyed”
• Bob Weir – rhythm guitar, 12-string guitar, acoustic guitar, kazoo, vocals, lead vocals on “New Potato Caboose”, co-lead vocals on “That’s It for the Other One” and “Born Cross-Eyed”
• Ron “Pigpen” McKernan – Hammond and Vox Continental organs, celesta, claves, vocals, lead vocals on “Alligator” and “Caution”
• Phil Lesh – bass guitar, trumpet, harpsichord, kazoo, piano, timpani, vocals
• Mickey Hart – drums, orchestra bells, gong, chimes, crotales, prepared piano, finger cymbals
• Bill Kreutzmann – drums, glockenspiel, gong, chimes, crotales, prepared piano, finger cymbals

 

Aoxomoxoa (1969)

This album is an improvement, though I still think the production could have been better. These sound like actual songs to me, and not just noise that you have to be wasted to enjoy. “St. Stephen” is not bad at all. There are some nice guitars on top of the mix. For these guys, it’s a pretty tight arrangement. “Dupree’s Diamond Blues” is like a harbinger of future songs and albums. You can now hear where the band is going. “Rosemary” contains echoes of John Lennon. “China Cat Sunflower” is a good example of a song that was better live. But it’s not all wine and roses (or should I say skull and roses) here. Whatever is happening on “What’s Become of the Baby” needs to stop.

I don’t love the album, but I also don’t really hate it. I think the good outweighs the bad. It’s more listenable than the previous album.

Line up:

• Jerry Garcia – guitar, vocals
• Bob Weir – guitar, vocals
• Ron “Pigpen” McKernan – organ, percussion
• Tom Constanten – keyboards
• Phil Lesh – bass, vocals
• Bill Kreutzmann – drums, percussion
• Mickey Hart – drums, percussion

 

Workingman’s Dead (1970)

Many folks consider this to be the beginning of the “good stuff” from The Dead. The double shot of this album and American Beauty are looked at fondly in most circles, from Dead fans to the general public. “Uncle John’s Band” opens it up, and while it’s a decent track, about a minute and fifteen seconds in, the beat disappears. I guess it was rim shots or something. Then all this random drumming/percussion starts to happen in the background. It’s a bit unsettling to me to establish a pattern and then just toss it for something different. This is one of those issues I will always have with this band: two drummers and lots of inconsistency. The rim shots come back in around the three minute mark for a hot second, and then it’s back to random boombity boombity boom percussion. I do like the time changes, though.

I let the rest of the album play out without much thought. I just wanted to take it in since I’m not that familiar with their catalog. It went by easily, though I didn’t think it was as amazing as most folks say it is. There’s something about Garcia’s voice that I just don’t like. He’s very wimpy when he sings. Weir has a little more character to his singing, though I don’t think he’s a great vocalist either. I just enjoy when he’s singing more than Garcia, though he doesn’t sing much lead on this record. “New Speedway Boogie” is probably my favorite track. “Cumberland Blues” isn’t bad either. “Easy Wind” is a bit of a mess. It’s a bunch of random drumming bookended by an actual song. This band did not need two drummers. “Casey Jones” is a classic, of course.

Lots of country/Americana influence on this album. It reminds me a little of The Band at times. I like that they got rid of all the psychedelic experimentation and focused on making actual songs. It’s definitely the best in their catalog so far, though I’m guessing the follow up is going to be better.

Line up:

• Jerry Garcia – lead guitar, pedal steel guitar, banjo, vocals, lead vocals on all songs except where noted
• Bob Weir – guitar, vocals, co-lead vocals on “Cumberland Blues”, lead vocals on the reissue live bonus track “Dire Wolf”
• Pigpen (Ron McKernan) – keyboards, harmonica, vocals, lead vocals on “Easy Wind”
• Phil Lesh – bass, vocals
• Bill Kreutzmann – drums, percussion
• Mickey Hart – drums, percussion
• Tom Constanten – keyboards on reissue live bonus tracks “Dire Wolf”, “Black Peter”, “Easy Wind”, “Cumberland Blues”, “Mason’s Children”

 

American Beauty (1970)

This is the one even the mainstream folks know about. This album and the previous one were released the same year I was born, but it’s the tracks from this album that I remember hearing on the radio growing up, along with “Casey Jones.” “Truckin’” was on the radio a lot. “Candyman” is the weak spot for me. It’s long and a little boring. I find it odd that they opened side two of the record with “Ripple” and closed with “Truckin’.” I would have reversed those.

None of the songs annoyed me, as some of their songs often times do. It’s a nice blend of Americana, country, folk, blues, and rock music. While I’m not a fan of the band, it’s hard to deny that this is a half-decent album that I might be tempted to listen to more than once. I guess that goes for the previous album also, but this one plays better than the previous one. It has a little more personality. I would say it pretty much cemented their studio sound. I still find the drumming annoying at times, but that’s just me.

Line up:

• Jerry Garcia – guitar, pedal steel, piano, vocals
• Bob Weir – guitar, vocals
• Mickey Hart – percussion
• Robert Hunter – lyrics
• Bill Kreutzmann – drums
• Phil Lesh – bass guitar, guitar, piano, vocals
• Pigpen (Ron McKernan) – harmonica, vocals, lyrics on “Operator”

 

Wake of the Flood (1973)

This album is a little different. There were some line up changes on this album, so the sound definitely shifted a little. Pigpen had died and was replaced by Keith Godchaux, and his wife Donna Jean also joined on backing vocals. Mickey Hart left, and it makes me wonder if it had anything to do with his dad’s ripping the band off. Anyhow, this album is a bit jazzier. You’ll hear some sax on tracks like “Let Me Sing Your Blues Away” and “Weather Report Suite.” There are clavinet and electric piano in the sonic palette. One of the things I do like about the band is that they don’t always just sit in 4/4 time, and “Row Jimmy” weaves in and out of time, which makes this otherwise boring song a little more interesting.

I mentioned some comparisons to The Band previously. The opening track, “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo,” definitely took me there again. I had known this track, having to learn it on drums, so it was familiar to me, and I believe it’s my favorite track on the record. I’ve also played “Eyes of the World” but to me that one’s less interesting. I had never heard the “Weather Report Suite” before and was impressed at some of the guitar work, especially in the first couple of minutes. There are some interesting things going on, but I just wish it wasn’t 13 minutes long. The drumming is slightly improved on this album, I’ll add. I still think the drums have been recorded poorly, however. They still sound far back in the mix and it’s hard to discern what’s going on at times.

Line up:

• Jerry Garcia – guitar, pedal steel guitar, vocals
• Donna Jean Godchaux – vocals
• Keith Godchaux – keyboards, vocals
• Bill Kreutzmann – drums
• Phil Lesh – bass guitar
• Bob Weir – guitar, vocals

 

From the Mars Hotel (1974)

The only tracks I knew from this album were “U.S. Blues,” “Loose Lucy,” and “Scarlet Begonias” because I had to learn them for some gigs. I think I also like them in that same order. I can’t say that the rest of the album grabbed me, though. It starts out with a strong “U.S. Blues” but then wanders around with “China Doll” and “Unbroken Chain.” This album version of “Loose Lucy” is interesting because when I had learned it, it was a live version which was slower and had a different groove. I think I like that version better, but this one is upbeat and funky so it’s not bad at all, and it gives the album some life. “Ship of Fools” isn’t a bad track, but I’m realizing that the band is more interesting when they’re playing more upbeat material. Lyrically, it’s good stuff, though.

In the end, I’d say this album is uneven, but I think that’s probably the case with all their albums.

Line up:

• Jerry Garcia – guitar, pedal steel guitar, vocals
• Donna Jean Godchaux – vocals
• Keith Godchaux – keyboards, vocals
• Bill Kreutzmann – drums
• Phil Lesh – bass guitar
• Bob Weir – guitar, vocals

 

Blues for Allah (1975)

I really liked the album cover for this one. I also like the first song, which I had never heard before. “Help on the Way/Slipknot!” has a very obvious jazz/fusion influence with some great guitar work that at times isn’t even that wimpy. This album has the popular “Franklin’s Tower” on it, which isn’t a bad song. It’s the kind of Dead song you expect to hear at a concert and everyone just vibes to it. It’s not my favorite tune by them, but I enjoy playing it on the drums and watching people bop around to it. The song “The Music Never Stops” is cool, but once again, it starts with drums that sound like they’re in another room, but then the guitar comes in and it’s nice and clear. The production could have been better.

I want to mention something else about the drums on this album. I’m pretty harsh at times, because I find Kreutzmann frustratingly inconsistent and loose, but with Hart back in the mix, things got a little better. Songs like “King Solomon’s Marbles” don’t bother me as much. It seems like the song is busy, but with a purpose this time. It’s a tighter album, I think, and the percussion isn’t just gratuitous anymore. I like the first few tracks, but after that this album fizzles into wandering weirdness. However, this is what I expect from a Dead album. The twelve and a half minute “Blues for Allah” suite at the end is just insufferable. It sounds like a bad grammar school play.

Line up:

• Jerry Garcia – guitar, vocals, production
• Donna Jean Godchaux – vocals, production
• Keith Godchaux – keyboards, vocals, production
• Mickey Hart – percussion, crickets, production
• Bill Kreutzmann – drums, percussion, production
• Phil Lesh – bass guitar, production
• Bob Weir – guitar, vocals, production

 

Terrapin Station (1977)

I had no idea that Keith Olsen (of Fleetwood Mac fame) produced this record. I’m guessing this was someone’s idea (probably not the band’s) to change the band into a more polished act and generate some sales. Not gonna lie, I liked “Estimated Prophet.” White Reggae in 7/8 time is a fun idea. I’m not sure I love “Dancin’ in the Streets” that much. Sounds very hokey to me. I’m not sure why they attempted this. “Passenger” is a decent rocker. “Samson and Delilah” is not bad either.

Let’s discuss this “Terrapin Station Medley.” Hats off to these guys for attempting their version of a wimpier version of a Genesis tune like “Supper’s Ready.” Creatively, it’s pretty impressive. The time changes are not obvious, but something that warrants attention by drummers. I’ll have to give it a closer listen another day. I like trying to figure these things out like they’re little jigsaw puzzles. I like Kreutzmann’s drumming a lot more on this kind of record, as opposed to him just left to his devices, floating around between chords while Hart pounds on other stuff in contrast. A lot of influences come raging out in this long piece. I hear lots of Genesis, of course, but then there’s Beatles about four minutes in too. I guess the big issue I have with it is the same issue I have with a lot of their other longer pieces. They drone on too long, and they’re really not that interesting melodically. Some of it (around the eleven-minute mark) sounds like music you hear waiting on line for a Disney ride. It had to have been a nightmare memorizing all this stuff, so again, kudos to the band. But this medley is a hard listen at times.

Gone are all those psychedelic wanderings, and even the folky roots. This is meant to be a commercially viable album, except for side two, perhaps. As I’ve stated earlier, I enjoy the fact that this band has certain prog rock elements. They’re not afraid of odd meters. The drumming is more focused, more defined. The percussion is better and not so random.

Line up:

• Jerry Garcia – guitar, vocals, production
• Donna Jean Godchaux – vocals, production
• Keith Godchaux – keyboards, vocals, production
• Mickey Hart – percussion, crickets, production
• Bill Kreutzmann – drums, percussion, production
• Phil Lesh – bass guitar, production
• Bob Weir – guitar, vocals, production

 

Shakedown Street (1978)

Lowell George produced this one. Again, not knowing the band at all, I had no idea. You can hear that Little Feat influence right there in the opening track, a cover of “Good Lovin’.” Even though the producer is different, the album still maintains a more “current” sound of the time.

I legit enjoy “Shakedown Street” which is a danceable disco-type track. I love playing it with a band, although I try to give the drums a little more balls. “Fire on the Mountain” is another one we play regularly, and while it drones on a bit, it’s still fun to play. I found the rhythm-based track “Serengetti” pretty enjoyable. When those guys (Kreutzmann & Hart) put their heads together instead of randomly banging things, some good stuff can happen. We are treated to some good, old fashioned, blues-rock tunes for side two. “I Need a Miracle” is a standout here. I hear that Little Feat influence in “Stagger Lee” once again. A new, slower, groove-oriented version of “All New Minglewood Blues” shows up for some reason, but it’s not terrible. I prefer the speedier version.

So I like this album about as much as I like the first half of Terrapin Station, which is high praise from me. This one’s better as a whole, though.

Line up:

• Jerry Garcia – guitar, vocals, production
• Donna Jean Godchaux – vocals, production
• Keith Godchaux – keyboards, vocals, production
• Mickey Hart – percussion, crickets, production
• Bill Kreutzmann – drums, percussion, production
• Phil Lesh – bass guitar, production
• Bob Weir – guitar, vocals, production

 

Go to Heaven (1980)

New keyboard player Brent Mydland joins the band to ring in the 1980s version of the band, synths and all. I feel like by this point the band had a split personality. In the studio, they were making records that sounded like they were trying to be commercial and fabricate hits because that’s what their contract said to do. Live, they were the same old Grateful Dead, doing their thing. Also, the Grateful Bee Gees album cover is pretty funny, although I always took it as them appearing as angels, having died and gone to Heaven. They got a lot of backlash, I’m sure, but I think it’s pretty clever considering the album title.

That said, this album isn’t bad at all. I immediately liked “Alabama Getaway” which is a great opener. “Far From Me” and “Easy to Love You” are almost yacht rock. “Althea” is a song I’ve known from playing it live with a band, and I do like that one. It’s got a great groove. “Feel Like a Stranger” also borders on that southern California sound by the Eagles and Fleetwood Mac, but I like it – maybe because I like the Eagles and Fleetwood Mac a hundred times more than I do the Dead. The rest of the album is a decent listen, closing with the bluesy-rocker “Don’t Ease Me In.” I don’t miss that abstract noodling one bit.

So, as expected, I like this album. I’m guessing a lot of Dead fans don’t love it, but I never was a Dead fan. I can respect what they tried to do. It’s also nice to hear tasty drums and percussion that are all precise and serve the song.

Line up:

• Jerry Garcia – guitar, vocals
• Mickey Hart – drums
• Bill Kreutzmann – drums
• Phil Lesh – bass guitar
• Brent Mydland – keyboards, vocals
• Bob Weir – guitar, vocals

 

In the Dark (1987)

This is the first Dead album I remember coming out in a store. I worked at a bunch of record stores when I was growing up. I was 17 when this one came out and I remember it being a pretty big deal. There were even music videos. I’ll be the first to admit that the chorus of “Touch of Grey” is a little catchy, but I will also admit that I’ve never liked the song much. Whenever you think it’s over, there’s yet another verse. I play it with a band now, but the only thing I like about it is that I can just tune out and let it happen. It’s not difficult to play.

The other track I play on drums a lot is “West L.A. Fadeaway” which I like a lot better. It’s a little meaner, a little groovier. For some reason when I hear “Hell in a Bucket,” I’m reminded of Glen Frey’s “Smuggler’s Blues.” I had forgotten this tune, but after hearing it again my memory was jogged. Not a bad song. “When Push Comes to Shove” has a nice slow blues feel. “Tons of Steel” sounds more like something Jackson Browne would put out. “Throwing Stones” is a decent song that’s just a bit too long. “Black Muddy River” takes the album out with a whimper. Garcia’s voice got wimpier year after year.

So this album is better than I had expected it to be, which is a nice surprise. I still don’t like “Touch of Grey” though.

Line up:

• Jerry Garcia – guitar, vocals
• Mickey Hart – drums
• Bill Kreutzmann – drums
• Phil Lesh – bass guitar
• Brent Mydland – keyboards, vocals
• Bob Weir – guitar, vocals

 

Built to Last (1989)

Seems like they chose the wrong title for this one. It ended up being their last studio album, and Brent Mydland died a year later, and Garcia died in 1995. The fun piece of trivia I learned is that part of this album was created at George Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch. This album was described to me by a Dead fan as “hot garbage” with a couple of good moments. Let’s see if that holds up.

I already knew two songs from this album, again because I had to play them on drums. They are “Foolish Heart” and “Standing on the Moon.” I actually think “Foolish Heart” is a decent tune, even if it’s a little on the wimpy side. “Standing on the Moon” bores me to tears, though. Mydland’s “Just a Little Light” sounds nothing like the Grateful Dead to me. His “Blow Away” is slightly better, but only because the guitars a little louder and distorted. “We Can Run” sounds closest to an actual Dead song, but not a very good one. Sometimes I feel like Mydland joined the wrong band. “I Will Take You Home” is a nice lullaby, but not a great way to end the last album of a band with this kind of career. Weir’s “Victim or the Crime” and “Picasso Moon” are neat lyrically, and not too bad musically, but don’t blow me away either. They both go on way too long. “Built to Last” is typical Garcia fare, and sounds like something he’s written before. His singing is tired, and it definitely shows on “Standing on the Moon.”

In the Dark is definitely a better record than this one. Was this one “hot garbage” though? I’d say it’s pretty close. It’s probably a good thing they didn’t go on to make more albums if this was the direction they were headed.

Line up:

• Jerry Garcia – guitar, vocals
• Mickey Hart – drums
• Bill Kreutzmann – drums
• Phil Lesh – bass guitar
• Brent Mydland – keyboards, vocals
• Bob Weir – guitar, vocals

 

Leave me a comment below with your favorite album, track, or album ranking.