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Grateful Dead
Beyond Description (1973–1989)
(Rhino)
Part Four: Terrapin Station
The Music Box's #8 specialty package for 2004
First Appeared in The Music Box, December 2004, Volume 11, #12
Written by John Metzger
By the time that the Grateful Dead began working on Terrapin Station,
its eighth studio effort, the group was ready to cede at least some of the
control over the final product to its new label. With Keith Olsen — the man who,
in 1975, produced Fleetwood Mac’s massive-selling eponymous outing — at the
helm, the Grateful Dead put together an excessively glossy collection that
succeeded in many ways, but failed in many others. Although the recorded version
is significantly better than its concert counterparts, Sunrise — Donna
Godchaux’s lovely memorial for roadie Rex Jackson — just didn’t fit within the
ensemble’s admittedly varied repertoire; despite its percolating percussion, the
revived rendition of Dancin’ in the Streets suffered from its stiff
recasting as a disco tune; and simply put, Phil Lesh’s driving rock song Passenger wasn’t terribly interesting.
Contrarily, in the hands of the Grateful Dead, Reverend Gary Davis’ Samson
& Delilah became a furious blast of fire and brimstone, and Estimated
Prophet, complete with Tom Scott’s shimmering saxophone and lyricon
accompaniments, was a breezy, sun-baked blast of California-style reggae. As for
the title track, it, at first glance, was jarring to many fans and appeared to
be the antithesis of the band’s raison d’etre. With its over-the-top orchestral
arrangement, courtesy of Paul Buckmaster, the song was turned into a prog-rock
epic that shouldn’t have succeeded anywhere near as well as it did, given the
Grateful Dead’s proclivity for loose, free-flowing improvisation. Still, its
roots undoubtedly were planted in the suite That’s It for the Other One
from the band’s second outing Anthem of the Sun. Even the precision of
its previous endeavor Blues for Allah — from the chirping crickets of the
title tune to the ringing bell that concluded Slipknot! — lent credence
to the notion that the symphonic architecture of Terrapin Station,
polished as it was, merely extended the ensemble’s sound in an utterly logical
fashion. Either way, the combination worked almost perfectly, and the
composition certainly stands as one of the most majestic and fanciful flights
within the collective’s canon.
Appended to the reissue of Terrapin Station are several studio
nuggets, the best of which are a terrific instrumental interpretation of Peggy-O, a jubilant rendition of Catfish John, and a magnificent
reading of Fire on the Mountain. In addition, there’s an interesting, if
inessential, instrumental jam titled The Ascent as well as a version of
Phil Lesh’s never-completed Equinox, which sounds like a work-in-progress
that, despite its awkward tentativeness, held potential if only it hadn’t been
shelved so quickly. The final bonus track is a concert rendering of Dancin’
in the Streets that sparkled in its elongated arrangement. While it was
fitted with the same disco groove that would be featured on the album, this was
a far more organic, intense, and focused performance, and its inclusion succeeds
in highlighting the many problems that undercut much of Terrapin Station. 
This is the fourth installment of a ten-part
series, which will examine Beyond Description (1973–1989) on an album by album basis. The entire set is rated:
Beyond Description (1973-1989)
Part One: Wake of the Flood
Part Two: From the Mars Hotel
Part Three: Blues for Allah
Part Five: Shakedown Street
Part Six: Go to Heaven
Part Seven: Reckoning
Part Eight: Dead Set
Part Nine: In the Dark
Part Ten: Built to Last
Beyond Description (1973-1989) is available from Amazon.com.
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Terrapin Station [REMASTERED CD] is available from
Amazon.com. To order, Click Here!
For Canadian orders, please
Click Here!
For UK orders, please
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Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2004
The Music Box
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