REVIEWS:
A proper introduction will follow.
Jerry Garcia - vocals, guitar, pedal steel, some keyboards; Bob Weir - vocals, guitar; Phil Lesh - vocals, bass, some guitar, some keyboards; Ron "Pigpen" McKernan - vocals, keyboards, harmonica, some guitar, some percussion; Bill Kreutzmann – drums, percussion
Mickey Hart added on drums and percussion in 1968 (left around 1970, re-joined in 1975 or so). Tom Constanten (keyboards) added in 1968, left in 1970. Keith Godchaux joined in 1971 (piano, some vocals), his wife Donna Godchaux (vocals, mostly back-up) joined the following year. Pigpen died in 1973. The Godchauxs left in 1979 (Keith died the following year). Brent Mydland (keyboards, vocals) added in 1979. Mydland died in 1990, replaced by Bruce Hornsby temporarily and later Vince Welnick (keyboards, vocals) permanently. Garcia died in 1995, band broke up.
--Fredrik Tydal
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(reviewed by Fredrik Tydal)
The Dead's humble beginnings as a folk/blues pop band. Underrated both by fans and the band members themselves. They probably thought they recorded their first album too soon and in a way they're right; this is basically their then-current stage act transferred to the studio. But it's a good stage act! Old folk and blues numbers speeded up with fast Garcia solos and swirling keyboards by Pigpen. Take their rendition of the classic "Sitting On Top Of The World", for example. Now, most people probably now that one as a slow blues, but the Dead turn it into a chugging, up-tempo rock song with a catchy chorus – clocking in at just 2:01. Definitely a highlight here.
They give the same speeded-up treatment to Jesse Fuller's old "Beat It On Down The Line" – the first in a long line of Bob Weir’s so-called 'cowboy songs', songs that many fans seem to have a love/hate relationship to. This one is good, though – it never stops down for a second and features some particularly stoned back-up vocals. Unfortunately, as with some of their other songs, they later slowed down "Beat It On Down The Line" in concert, which made it less interesting. "New Minglewood Blues" has the second Weir lead vocal on the album and it might as well be my bet for best song here. A re-working of a traditional blues number, it just grooves along with its playful keyboards and macho lyrics. I just love the way Weir hesitates before going into the verses - "Ah, ah, I was born in a desert..."
You'd think that at this their early folk/blues stage, Pigpen would be all over the album with his songs. But, no, he only gets one showcase of his own here – "Good Morning, Little School Girl". Sure it's a decent enough performance, but I’ve heard better. A bit of an odd selection, seeing as Pigpen performed many better songs in concert during this time which they could have cut in the studio instead, like "Next Time You See Me" or "In The Midnight Hour". Because of the mediocre production, the harmonica has a bit of a weird, eerie sound – which at least makes "School Girl" moderately interesting. However, Pigpen does dominate the album's sound with his keyboards – for the first and only time. Later, Pigpen's mediocre skills on the keys would be eclipsed by the talents of Tom Constanten and Keith Godchaux. Of course, the Dead also moved into more complex and guitar-oriented territory after this album. On these selections of simple blues and folk songs, however, Pigpen appears confident and comfortable behind the keyboards – contributing significantly to the overall sound.
This album also features one of the few generic hippie songs the Dead ever did and the closest thing to a psychedelic number here, namely "The Golden Road (To Unlimited Devotion)" – their first single (and a flop one, at that). It's quite catchy, actually and you can see that it was a stab at making something commercial, obviously under pressure from Warner Brothers – anxious to make a buck from the erupting San Francisco scene. The band was somewhat embarrassed by it, though, and only played it live about five times or so. I like those goofy back-up vocals, but the lyrics are something to be ashamed of – at this point they hadn’t yet hooked up with lyricist Robert Hunter. Actually, "The Golden Road" - and a few other songs on this album - is credited to one McGannahan Skjellyfetti, obviously a collective pseudonym for the band members.
"Morning Dew" might ring a bell for some people. Written by Tim Rose, it has also been covered by the Jeff Beck Group and Nazareth. This was to become a popular concert staple for the Dead and this, their early studio version, is a bit underdeveloped. Emotional lead vocal from Garcia, those keyboard touches and a contemplative mood – it's good, but it would become better live. Still beautiful and touching, though. At five minutes in its studio incarnation, it would later be doubled in length when played live.
Closing the album, however, is the only hint of things to come. Yes, the cover of "Viola Lee Blues" is, at 10:01, their first 'epic', you might say. It starts out behaving like a regular song, then turns into jam mode. It's a bit hard to say anything about it; it's a fairly straightforward jam, not really complex or so. Pigpen keeps it up all the way, even if it's Garcia who is the star here. Already as this early stage, Garcia was more technically proficient than the guitarists in the other San Francisco bands.
In conclusion, this is obviously not the place to start with the Dead. But it's an interesting and intriguing album all the same – definitely underrated. These folk/blues roots run through the Dead’s whole career and they're crucial in the understanding and appreciation of the band – to know from where they came musically. It's perfect to go back and discover it after assimilating their classic albums. Oh, and this one should not be confused with 1971's double live album Grateful Dead, without the definite article.
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(reviewed by Fredrik Tydal)
The Dead negotiate themselves unlimited studio time from Warner Brothers and spend six months making a psychedelic classic. However, a classic doesn’t necessarily have to be great. What’s for sure, though, is that this is a seriously weird album. You would never believe this was the same band who did that catchy keyboard pop on the previous album. Oh, and this was probably the first time a rock band had attempted to merge live and studio performances; the Dead came up with this idea when they realized they only had material for about third an album.
We start off with the multi-part "That’s It For The Other One" (the first rock song to have different sections noted on the track-listing, later so frequently used by, for example, Yes?). The first part, named "Cryptical Envelopment", starts out as a regular song with almost a memorable memory. Then we crash into five different, simultaneous performances of the same section of the song – all mixed together into one. It's hard to say anything about the rest of the song, it just grooves along. The vigorous Kreutzmann/Hart team particularly shines here – it shows how an extra drummer thrown into the mix can make good effect. It's a full, robust sound. But it's not my favourite Dead epic.
The Dead were probably like kids in a candy store with their free studio access. They turn every knob, push every button and use all kinds of imaginable studio effects at the time. They mess up Garcia's voice by putting it through some sort of organ speaker in "Cryptical Envelopment", speed up vocals, make lots of things happening at the same time. They were probably in heaven with eight-track recording. Regrettably, though, some of the effects were apparently lost in the final mix.
Granted, this was probably a fun album to make for the guys and they learned a lot of the studio in the process of making it. But, question is, how enjoyable is it for the listener? Particularly some thirty years later, under no influence of drugs? Well, it can be interesting to listen to – there’s something happening all the time. And the playing is good, of course – with the addition of keyboard player Tom Constanten and drummer/percussionist Mickey Hart. Constanten was hired as an addition to the band, as Pigpen couldn’t play the complex, improvisational music Garcia and Lesh was moving towards. But, really, these are all just grooves – no real songs.
There is one major exception, though - "Alligator", Pigpen’s catchy reptile song with funny Hunter lyrics. It a nice change of pace from the acid jamming of the rest of the album. However, the song drifts into jam mode after five minutes or so and it's sounds like they're overlaying different live performances again – interspersing it with all sorts of weird studio tricks. Pigpen then starts ad-libbing lyrics and it all moves into "Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks)" which basically is a mess of scary-sounding feedback. And on that note the album ends. Ouch. If this album symbolized an acid trip, then it must have been an acid drip gone wrong.
How do you summarize and rate such an album? By which standards should it be judged? It has one and a quarter of a good song, the rest are just grooves. Good grooves, though – well played and quite interesting. And, like, this is almost as psychedelic as it gets… Let’s settle it with an ambivalent 5. And one extra point for "Alligator", of course. Just don’t make it your first Dead album.
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(reviewed by Fredrik Tydal)
Nice palindrome there guys, but what exactly is an 'aoxomoxoa'? So, what has happened since last time? Well, this time the guys tried to write some actual *songs*. Problem is, though, some of these songs worked better in a concert setting – where they became more developed and more nuances were added. Take "St. Stephen" for instance – what does the studio version have that the live cut on Live/Dead doesn't have? Not much. Piano, perhaps, some assorted studio tricks. But that’s about it. The "St. Stephen" on Live/Dead slams the studio version to the floor and throws it out the window. And the studio version doesn’t even have that wonderful 'High green chilly winds' coda! "China Cat Sunflower"? The same thing! Actually, the only way to appreciate the gimmicky studio "China Cat" is to first have heard the stripped-down live version on, for example, Europe '72. The live version emphasises the funky riff and nice melody, which are almost indiscernible behind the over-orchestration and na-na's of the studio version. However, after becoming used to the live version you can actually enjoy the stoned, over-the-top studio take. And the lyrics are positively off-the-wall...
Garcia is really turning out to be the front man of the band and completely dominates the album, taking all the lead vocals. Pigpen is getting dangerously out of the picture here; not even a solo showcase and he probably doesn't even play much on the album, with the more skilled Constanten behind the keys. In fact, McKernan isn't even credited for playing anything here – he is merely credited in the liner notes as "Pigpen"! "Dupree’s Diamond Blues" and "Doin' That Rag" are both fine compositions, hinting at the band's folk/blues origins and definitely sowing a seed for things to come. These two are probably the first examples of Robert Hunter's "story songs", which would crop up a lot in the future. I’ve come to appreciate "Mountains Of The Moon" a lot – an intimate, vaguely British sounding folk ballad flavored with a delicate harpsichord. Its melody and charm doesn’t come through until subsequent listens, though.
The - what should we call them - 'aural collages' of "Rosemary" and "What's Become Of The Baby" are... not very good. They do detract from the enjoyment and cohesiveness of the album. Guys, I thought we finished showing off Warner Brothers' exquisite studio resources on the last album? Ok, so you finish off with bluesy "Cosmic Charlie" to make it up to us… All right, you’re forgiven. Another tough album to rate. They're getting somewhere in the song-writing department, but they still have a way to go. It's not as bad as I first thought it was; there are actually some good songs to be found beneath the hazy pot clouds. Even though the albums are so different, this is a small step up from Anthem Of The Sun – even if the step is too low to make any difference in the rating. It isn't even funny how much better they were live at this point...
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(reviewed by Fredrik Tydal)
The Dead were in dire straits, following the excessive experimentation in the studio and the unwise decision to hire Mickey Hart's embezzling crook father Lenny as financial advisor. More people than ever went to the concerts, but no one seemed to buy the records - why cough up bucks for the inferior studio Dead when you could get the whole concert experience much cheaper and even for free? All the while the impatient Warner Brothers were breathing down their necks. What to do, then? Well, give the people what they want, of course! And, thus, this classic double live album was released - now on one CD.
Right, this is the classic live Dead sound - essential to any classic rock fan. We start off with the quintessential Dead epic "Dark Star", here presented in a 23-minute performance. Like all songs over twenty minutes, it takes a couple of listens in order to digest it. What can you say about it? Well, it's pretty. It has a nice and memorable vocal melody. There is a good deal of improvisation here, as well every "Dark Star" sounds different. Suffice to say, it's not my favourite song on here, but it's sure worth taking in.
"Dark Star" segues directly into "St. Stephen" and... Holy smoke! This is the best "St. Stephen" you'll ever hear! Incredibly tight playing, no lyrics flubbed! And it has that lovely coda chant not present on the studio cut! It then moves right into Lesh's complex "The Eleven" with its odd time signature and almost gospelish vocals. It's amazing that they keep it up all the way. The best moment on "The Eleven", however, is at the end when Lesh begins to lead the band into "Turn On Your Love Light" and that distinctive bass riff suddenly emerges. You just have to hear that.
"Turn On Your Love Light" is just crazy - an ordinary R&B song taken to ridiculous proportions. This one is only about fifteen minutes, though -it usually went on for much longer than that (at Woodstock, under extreme circumstances, they reportedly played in for ninety minutes). I love every minute of the this cut, though - not one boring moment. Pigpen is at his peak here - he improvises and ad-libs lyrics all over the place. This guy really had an encyclopaedic knowledge of blues/R&B phrases and clichés. And he has the audience in his hands the whole time. Even though most of the song is improvised, it has its specific sections - I particularly like the part when Pigpen says "Now, wait a minute - I wanna tell you about my baby" and the whole band come crashing in afterwards. And the band play off each other magnificently on this track in particular - they really connect musically on an almost telepathic level. No kidding. Whether it's Lesh leading the band back on track with that great riff, Garcia and Weir improvising back-up vocals or the Kreutzmann/Hart team taking a brief percussion excursion. The song never seems to end, but when it finally does, Pigpen lets out his roar and the audience gives its enthusiastic approval - the first room for applause on the album so far! What a ride.
Their cover of the somber "Death Don’t Have No Mercy" is next. Written by fingerpicking blues hero Rev. Gary Davis, it was also a concert staple of Hot Tuna's at the time. George Starostin described this one as "ten minutes of generic blues" and, well, he's right. But it's good generic blues! Garcia lays down some emotional solos and delivers a particularly poignant vocal. This is also the only song on the album with Pigpen behind the keyboards - after all, it's only just a simple, regular blues song. My favourite part of the song comes towards the end, when Garcia goes for the à cappella "in this land" and some guy in the audience yells "All right!". That such a solemn, old blues number can invoke such a reaction. It tells you a lot about the Dead's roles as popularizers of traditional American music.
Then we move into "Feedback" which basically is, well you guessed it, nine minutes of feedback and assorted scary noisemaking, written by Mr. Skjellyfetti. Ok, so it might have had it's purpose as part of the overall concert experience, but it's not very enjoyable or even funny to listen to. Even if it gets kind of nice around the six minute mark and onwards. See, this album and the Dead's concert act at the time were probably modeled after or even a metaphor for an LSD trip. It starts out pretty, contemplative and slightly trippy ("Dark Star"), then speeds up, rocks out joyously and evokes a lot of senses ("St. Stephen", "The Eleven"), after which normal, everyday things become distorted and hard to recognize ("Turn On Your Love Light" - a regular R&B song stretched out to extraordinary lengths), followed by darkness and depression ("Death Don't Have No Mercy"), then moving on to downright scariness ("Feedback"), after which there finally is a light at the end of the tunnel with the comforting harmonies and religious warmth of "And We Bid You Goodnight". Hey, it's a concept album after all!
So, how do we rate this one? As a document of the Dead’s concert experience at the time, it's priceless. As a musical document listened to today, it's priceless too - except for those non-musical passages of "Feedback". A full-pointer for the experience, but an eight for the musical enjoyment. That makes it an overall 9, doesn't it? Get this before any of their other live albums.
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COMMENTS
I agree with you that this is one hell of an album, and I agree that St. Stephen and The Eleven are great here. But, I think you're vastly underrating Dark Star. You say it's "pretty and ... slightly trippy." Slightly? Dark Star is probably the trippiest song ever recorded. Members of the Dead would only play the song when they were in a psychedelic groove, usually with the aid of acid. You say the album is an acid trip; maybe, but Dark Star clearly is. It's an incredible song, taking you to other worlds, and is one of the top 5 or 10 songs of all time.
(reviewed by Fredrik Tydal)
First thing's first; this was recorded in February 1970 and released in 1973 to meet contractual obligations with Warner Brothers. It was also compiled as a sort of tribute to the (in 1973) recently deceased Pigpen, as over half of the album features his lead vocals. And, no, there are no further volumes in this series. And Bear was the nickname for legendary S.F. dope-dealer and soundman Owsley Stanley. The first side is completely unplugged, starting off with Lightnin' Hopkins' "Katie Mae" - a rare, completely solo performance by Pigpen, with the man himself on guitar. He doesn't seem very confident about his guitar skills and at one point even acknowledges to the crowd that he just missed a note. The audience reaction is great on this one. You can just picture Pigpen casually sitting at the edge of the stage, strumming the guitar.
At this time, you can clearly see that the Dead were starting to go back to their roots. Just the fact that they began to have acoustic sets around this time probably surprised many. "Dark Hollow" is another old chestnut they've dug up. Slightly countryish flavor, good harmonizing on the catchy chorus - completely in tune with the traditional American music they would explore and embrace on their studio albums the same year. Next are two surprises. First Garcia's take on the traditional "I've Been All Around This World", then a cover of the Everly Brothers' hit "Wake Up Little Susie". The later is a surprise, all right - you can just hear the audience’s stunned but hearty approval. I like the way they emphasize the riff on that one. Then comes a preview from the forth-coming Workingman’s Dead album - namely "Black Peter". The Dead are out treading the water here, trying to see the audience's reaction to their change of direction. It's a compliment to the Dead that "Black Peter" fits it perfectly here, among the other rootsy American songs. Probably was their intention. You couldn't tell, actually, that it was a composition of their own - pinned against the other songs here. I miss the organ from the album version, though - but if it's acoustic it's acoustic...
On to the electric side, then; what do we have there? Well, an 18-minute rendition of Howlin' Wolf's "Smokestack Lightnin'" of course! This was a concert staple of their early days and it was about time they got it down on record. You can't go wrong with that ominous riff, of course, and Pigpen is in full flight here. You gotta love his impersonation of the Wolf, doing his trademark suggestive howls. The guys do some variations on the riff and once in a while Garcia takes off for a solo or two. It just chugs along like freight train, never stopping at a single station. Sometimes it slows down a bit, but it soon picks up steam again and keeps moving on down the tracks.
Closing the album is another Pigpen vocal showcase; Otis Redding's"Hard To Handle", which is good, clean fun. You just have to love the way Pigpen intonates words like "baby", "store” and "say". After the verses, the band jams on in a slightly funky groove (I wonder what Pigpen did during all these instrumental passages? Grabbed a beer? Chatted up a lady in the audience?), until Pigpen returns for another first verse. I have to say that I generally like the song part of "Hard To Handle" over the jam part. This one here is not a stunning jam, too brief - I've heard better. Still worth listening to, though. All in all, this is not essential or anything. It's a nice parenthesis and a fitting memento for Pigpen. Also, some of these songs you won't hear on any other official release. Buy it to honor Pigpen's memory, if for nothing else. And any 1970 live Dead is of course always good Dead.
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(reviewed by Fredrik Tydal)
So, what had happened since Aoxomoxoa? Well, the Dead heard Crosby, Stills & Nash's debut album and said, "Hey, guys, if those potheads can sing harmony, so can we!". So, the guys stunned the people who had pigeonholed them as a psychedelic band by releasing this tasteful, low-key collection of stripped-down roots songs with sparse arrangements. Of course, when you think about it, this wasn't such a surprising move after all. They had played most of these songs in concert for almost a year, already featured acoustic sets in their stage act and this rootsy character of their music had always been an underlying fixture throughout their career.
By this time, Jerry Garcia had discovered the magic of the pedal steel guitar. He fell in love with the instrument and dragged it around to any recording session that would have him - he played it on albums by Jefferson Airplane, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, New Riders of the Purple Sage among others. And the pedal steel is of course prominent on this album as well, providing the backdrop for "Dire Wolf", for example. Oh, yeah - "Dire Wolf", everyone loves that one. It's a nice countryish shuffle about a bloodthirsty wolf killing the song's narrator - all set to pleasant singing by Garcia and a seriously catchy chorus. As track number three, "Dire Wolf" is the first sign that this is not your ordinary country-rock album.
The opening number, "Uncle John's Band", is a well-deserved classic. It was even on the American Recording Association's list of the best songs of the last century. I see it as a kind of nod to Crosby, Stills & Nash's "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" - a semi-acoustic, invigorating, harmony-soaked song. Nice lyrics too, and I particularly like that descending guitar line towards the end - they would jam around on that chord sequence in concert, which would take it to greater heights. "High Time" is usually considered filler, but I don't know. Sure, it's a bit slow in the beginning, but it picks up steam later. More pedal steel too!
"New Speedway Boogie" is, of course, about the Altamont Speedway and the events there on December 6th, 1969. Now, the Dead never actually played at Altamont - they were supposed to, but elected not to perform at the last minute, as it would only have prolonged the suffering. However, you can see Garcia, Weir and Lesh briefly talk in the Gimme Shelter movie (Garcia later described the Altamont experience as 'a nice day in hell'). The song is a bit obscure in its message, though - it clearly alludes to Altamont, but who is it aimed at? I get the feeling that it's a response to a journalist or something, as it keeps directing statements to one Jack. Doesn't matter, really - you still get the point. The lyrics are great, full of metaphors and antitheses. "Now, I don't know, but I was told, in the heat of the sun, a man died of cold." How true. And they don't assign any blame or try to find any scapegoat for the tragedy, but instead matter-of-factly state that "I saw things getting out of hand, I guess they always will." A positively chilling song, particularly that coda with the repeating lines "One way or another, this darkness got to give".
A lot of people seem to love "Cumberland Blues", but I just think it's one more song. A bit of an early 20th Century feel there, tying in with both the album title and cover. Nice shuffle, with a brief lead vocal spot from Weir. Yeah, another Garcia dominated studio album - even if Pigpen gets a lead vocal this time, on the sly "Easy Wind". Apparently written completely by Hunter, it's perfect for Pigpen with its cliché blues lyrics. Nice groove, too. "Black Peter" should not be over-looked - a slow, solemn number about a man on his deathbed, with eerie organ work. Finally, closing the album is "Casey Jones". The most up-tempo number here, it has both a memorable verse melody and an incredibly catchy chorus. It puts a smile to you face that the guys actually manage to squeeze the word 'cocaine' seven times into a four-minute song.
So, this was without a doubt their best studio album up to that point. They were on a roll in the song-writing department, and would be so for at least two more years. Still, a few of the songs - regardless of how good they might be - feel a bit lightweight and even gimmicky. However, there is genuine emotion to be found in several of these songs - and it was the feel and concept of those songs that the Dead would expand upon on their next album.
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(reviewed by Fredrik Tydal)
This is their studio masterpiece. If you're only picking up one album by the Dead, this is the one to get. Sure, you'll miss out on their live sound, which is regrettable, but the fact remains; this is their absolutely finest hour. It's essentially in the same style as Workingman's Dead - with more emphasis on the heartfelt material, arrangement and production. The songs are more fleshed out there, with more keyboards and guitars. A mandolin even pops up once in a while! As well as the by-now compulsory pedal steel, of course. Even the lead vocals are a bit more fairly divided up between the band members this time. It's hard to imagine anyone not liking this album, at least on subsequent listens. That is, of course, if you go for this kind of rootsy music. If you enjoy, say, Dylan's John Wesley Harding, Crosby Stills & Nash's debut or Neil Young's After The Gold Rush, then you're guaranteed to get your kicks out of this song collection of pure Americana. I'll just have to take this one song by song.
First out is "Box Of Rain", which features Phil Lesh's first lead vocal on a studio album. It was written to Lesh's dying father and is in that context quite touching. Hunter got down just the right words to match Lesh's lovely melodies and chord changes. It starts out rather sorrowful in its first half, but then there seems to be a distant light at the end of the tunnel during the second part - when the song title emerges. "A box of rain will ease the pain and love will see you through". It's abeautiful song. Lesh was not very confident about singing lead, and thus Garcia and Weir back him up a lot here. Sure, his voice is not as expressive as Garcia's, but in this song it works fine.
"Friend Of The Devil" is probably the most famous song on here. Nowadays it's almost a country-blues standard - Dylan even regularly covers it in concert. Sometimes it's hard to believe that the Dead actually wrote it. Regrettably, the Dead of course later slowed down this one in concert (and that's also the version Dylan plays), which I think is a shame since I really like the original up-tempo version. Certainly one of the very best songs here. "Sugar Magnolia" is, without a doubt, the best song Bob Weir ever wrote. The original studio version is interesting, as this was a song the Dead would speed up live. The studio cut has a vaguely countryish character, with pedal steel in the background - a side to the song that would be lost in the concert setting. Lovely riff and really romantic vocals from Weir. Oh, and I just love that false stop when Kreutzmann comes in on the drums again. Nice 'sunshine daydream' coda, too. This was also one of the few successful collaborations between Weir and Hunter, as Weir later hooked up with lyricist John Barlow.
Pigpen comes in with the fun, self-penned "Operator". Many see it as filler and, well, unfortunately it feels a bit trivial compared to all the great songs on there. But it does relieve the tension a bit, it's just fun and nothing serious. It's a phone song, in the tradition of Muddy Waters' "Long Distance Call" and Chuck Berry's "Memphis, Tennessee". And you have to give some credit to Pigpen for being able to just get down such a traditional-sounding country-blues with seemingly little effort.
Garcia's "Candyman" - oh, man... It basically builds on the old blues idea of 'the candyman coming to town' (you just have to figure that one out for yourselves). The verse melody is sung by Garcia in his most bittersweet voice and then they harmonize on the memorable chorus. The best part, however, is the pedal steel solo after the second chorus, which is followed by a heavenly, wordless repetition of the chorus. That's just out of this world. And when you think it just can't get any better, they throw in the organ to accompany the third verse and the final chorus... Wow. Did I mention the arrangements were great on this album? It's a great sing-along, too - "I come in from Memphis, where I learn to talk the jive..."
And what do they follow that masterpiece with? Well, "Ripple", of course - the very best song on the album and one of the best they ever did. What can you say about it? Well, it's one of those songs you think you've heard your entire life. Instantly memorable melody, great lyrics, perfect harmonizing, beautiful 'rippling' mandolin courtesy of David Grisman and, of course, that fantastic, up-lifting coda. It just soars. It's so humble and yet so grand. Beautiful beyond words, but I did my best. "Brokedown Palace" is the dark horse here. I'm so glad the guy at Prindle's site recognized it as a great song. Garcia's mother died during the making of this album, and I’m sure this song has something to do with it. The song is sad, yet comforting. The river keeps on 'singing sweet songs' no matter what happens - the river is always constant. The piano mimics the river beautifully and, once again, the coda is really good.
Unfortunately, the next two songs don’t really hold up very well against the utter greatness of the rest of the album. Ok, so "Till The Morning Comes" is pleasant enough. A jolly, little rocker - it's really quite all right, but nothing earth shattering like "Ripple". But"Attics Of My Life"... Ok, so it's not really offensive or anything. But guys, I thought you had showed off your harmonizing skills already? I love their harmonizing, don't get me wrong, but a song doesn't get by with harmonizing alone. That's all the song has, actually - harmonizing. I don't think the "attics" metaphor is particularly clever, the melody is nothing special and the tempo is way too slow. And there's nothing to justify the five-minute length, either. But, of course, that little misstep is all forgiven and forgotten when "Truckin'" kicks in. That song is just intoxicating, with its boogie rhythm, funny lyrics and playful organ touches. It's about the Dead's experiences of early 1970 America seen from the road, with police busts, harassments, failed idealism and the advent of harder drugs. Great song and the perfect way to finish off the album.
So, there you have it. The Dead's best and most accessible album ever. Go grab it from the shelf if you haven’t listened to it for a while. And if you don't have it already, what are you waiting for? Get it today. Nothing they did in the studio afterwards would even remotely approach this masterpiece. The inferiority of "Attics Of My Life" just can't stop the pure genius of the rest of the album from receiving a full-pointer. Oh, and notice that the words 'American Beauty' on the cover also spell out 'American Reality'. Pretty clever, huh?
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(reviewed by Robert Grazer)
HIGH POINTS: Touch Of Grey, Throwing Stones, Black Muddy River, Hell In A Bucket. LOW POINTS: None.
In The Dark is a supposed comeback for the Dead, and an overall solid release. Successful hippie songs in 1987, now that’s impressive. There’s no gazillion minute long jams here, just some catchy, straightforward rockers. By all means this is a success, probably one of the band’s more accessible releases, which may let some die-hard fans down, but at the same time converting a whole new bunch to the Dead. I'm not going to scream out how I forever pledge my life to Jerry Garcia because of listening to this, but damn, In The Dark is one enjoyable album from start to finish, though particularly on the opening and closing pairs. I couldn't think of a better way to kick things off than with “Touch of Gray,” which should have you singing along by the second verse. I'd call it my favorite track on the whole album, which certainly says something there.
“Hell In A Bucket” is hardly any worse, with an intriguing lyrical story to carry on the overall quality. “Throwing Stones” is bound to be stuck in you head for weeks (especially the “Ashes, ashes, all fall down” part) and by the end you wont even notice the seven minute length. The closing “Black Muddy River” is a very touching moment of the album, another of my favorites with sincere lyrics to finish it all of in an incredible way. The other three tracks can't match up, but they're good in their own smaller way. My favorite of these three is probably “West L.A. Freeway,” another track that uses its near-epic length to make itself seem almost too short.
The one place where In The Dark is somewhat lacking is with the diversity factor. Here and there the album can seem a little monotonous, making me wonder if there was some other way they could branch out just a little bit during these forty minutes. But I'm not complaining here. These little annoyances don't last for very long, and the seven songs (and especially those incredible pairs at the beginning and end) here are good enough to for the most part make up for whatever diversity the album lacks, so in the end it doesn't matter all that much.
In The Dark is a winner, and I'd send out a recommendation to Deadheads, but chances are they either own this or spit on it already. So the only thing I can say here is that if you were scared away from the Dead before because of their 70s acid trips set to music or the dozens of Dick’s Picks albums out there (is it possible to write a review for them without mentioning those things?), while not as acclaimed as American Beauty or Workingman’s Dead, In The Dark may be the place for you to start with them. It’s proof that as the band’s career wound down in the late 1980s, they could still make some exceptional music. I won't give it any more than a really high 7, though, mostly because I don't’ take it out all that often, but it’s still a rewarding listen each time.
OVERALL RATING: 7
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