Terrapin Station [Bonus Tracks] [Digipak]

Performer: Grateful Dead
Artist: Tom Scott
Engineer: Keith Olsen; Dave Devore; David DeVore; Keith Olsen
Producer: Keith Olsen; Keith Olsen; David Lemieux (Reissue); James Austin (Reissue)
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: The Grateful Dead: Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir (vocals, guitar); Phil Lesh (vocals, bass); Donna Godchaux (vocals); Keith Godchaux (piano); Bill Kreutzmann (drums, percussion); Mickey Hart (percussion). Additional personnel: The English Choral, Martyn Ford Orchestra, Tom Scott (lyricon, saxophone). Recorded at Sound City, Van Nuys, California; Automated Sound Studios, New York; AIR London, Trident and Abbey Road, London, England. Grateful Dead: Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir (vocals, guitar); Keith Godchaux (keyboards); Phil Lesh (bass guitar); Bill Kreutzmann (drums, percussion); Donna Jean Godchaux (background vocals). Personnel: Tom Scott (saxophone, lyricon). Additional personnel: Tom Scott. Audio Mixer: Tom Flye. Liner Note Author: David Gans. Recording information: Air London, London, England (11/02/1976-05/08/1977); Automated Sound Studios, New York, NY (11/02/1976-05/08/1977); Club Front, San Rafael, CA (11/02/1976-05/08/1977); Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (11/02/1976-05/08/1977); EMI Abbey Road Studios, London, England (11/02/1976-05/08/1977); Sound City Studios, Van Nuys, CA (11/02/1976-05/08/1977). Photographers: Ed Perlstein; Robert Minkin; Peter Simon; Cornelius "Snookey" Flowers. Arrangers: Bob Weir; Grateful Dead. In the late '70s, the Grateful Dead strayed from their musical roots (blues, folk, country) in the interest of "progress." Opinions vary on the degree of success achieved by their fusion of jazz and art-rock with the trademark Dead sound during this period, but from a purely compositional perspective, it's plain that the band's songwriting was at its most expansive and sophisticated on albums like TERRAPIN STATION. Sure, the appearance of Tom Scott and an orchestra on a Grateful Dead record may give pause to the faithful, but the slinky, odd-metered glory of Bob Weir's "Estimated Prophet" and the melodic charms of the multi-part title suite make TERRAPIN STATION fully worth the trip. For those who prefer to rock in a less artful manner, there's Phil Lesh's percolating "Passenger" and even an ostensibly incongruous cover of "Dancin' in the Streets." It is generally agreed that the Grateful Dead's late-'70s studio releases left even the most enthusiastic Deadheads longing for something more. The theory is that the band's momentum is best experienced during the ebb and flow of a live performance rather than the somewhat clinical tedium of a recording studio. Terrapin Station marks several milestones for the Grateful Dead: it was the band's first studio album in two years, as well as their return to a major label -- in this case Arista Records. More significant however is the use of an outside (read: non-Grateful Dead) producer. This was only the second time in which the Dead did not seize complete control. And the first time in a decade that they would relinquish their production reigns. They chose Keith Olsen -- a former member of the '60s garage rock band Music Machine -- whose production roster also included other Bay Area notables including the Sons of Champlin and Santana. Musically, Terrapin Station offers a few choice glimpses of the band doing what it does best. While the most prominent example is the album's extended title suite, there are a few others such as the cover of the Rev. Gary Davis gospel-blues "Samson and Delilah" and a resurrection of the Martha & the Vandellas hit "Dancin' in the Streets." The latter tune was originally performed by the Dead in their mid-'60s repertoire. What was once a garage rock and psychedelic reading has evolved into a 4/4-time, brass-influenced disco arrangement. Luckily, their extended versions during concert performances were infinitely more tolerable. Parties interested in examining the contrast between the studio and live performance versions of Terrapin Station material should seek the archival concert release Dick's Picks, Vol. 3. This two-disc set not only captures the band exactly two months and two days prior to the release of Terrapin Station, it also features stellar performances of every track from the album sans the up-tempo rocker "Passenger." [In 2004, Rhino released a remastered, expanded edition of Terrapin Station as part of the exhaustive 12-disc box Beyond Description (1973-1989); in 2006, this expanded CD was released separately. The expanded disc contained six bonus tracks: instrumental studio outtakes of "Peggy-O" and "The Ascent"; studio outtakes of "Catfish John," "Equinox," and "Fire on the Mountain," the latter of which would be revived for the Dead's next album, Shakedown Street; and a live version of "Dancin' in the Streets" recorded live at Cornell University in May 1977.] ~ Lindsay Planer

The Grateful Dead were right there at the birth of the 1960s West Coast psychedelic scene, but they handily incorporated simple folk, blues, and country sounds into their swirling, jam-oriented style. With an endless touring schedule and a huge following of devoted fans, the group fueled hippie visions well into the '90s and sparked the jam-band movement that would eventually fill the void left by the dearly departed Grateful Dead after the passing of guitarist Jerry Garcia. Since Garcia's passing, surviving members of the band have participated in various musical projects, including a reunion tour in 2003 under the shortened name of "the Dead."

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