Published on Sep 17, 1998
Any time I really need a spiritual or emotional lift, I can
always count on the Grateful Dead. They always seem to be able to
life me out of any funk I am in, or they can make a smile that’s on
my face that much wider.
Funny thing is, their 1977 release
Terrapin Station didn’t always have that effect on me. The
first time I heard it, I had picked up an old beat-up record for 50
cents at the used record store I frequented. Listening to it, I
wondered, “What the hell did they do to ‘Dancin’ In The Street’?” I
filed the record away for a long time.
But then, something happened: I became a Deadhead, and found
myself updating everything to CD. I had also heard some tapes of
shows, with songs like “Estimated Prophet” ringing through loud and
clear. So, over to Best Buy I went, and picked up
Terrapin Station again. While I can understand how some
people don’t like portions of this album (for it’s not their best
work), it also contains some of the band’s most beautiful work.
Surprisingly, Jerry Garcia is almost completely absent in the
vocal department on this album; he only steps up to the microphone
once as the lead vocalist, and that’s on the title track. For the
most part, rhythm guitarist Bob Weir handles the vocals here, and
handles them well. (Donna Godchaux takes over control of the
microphone on “Sunrise”, possibly the weakest song on the album.
I’ve just never warmed up to this track, even after all these
years.)
For the inexperienced listener,
Terrapin Station contains two treasures that must be
experienced. The first is the 16-minute title track, which contains
some of the most intricate, prettiest rhythms the band has ever
come up with. Garcia’s vocals gently lay over the track, even
adding to the power of the song. The drum workout near the end
between Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart is simply incredible. This
one takes one or two listens to really appreciate, but it’s worth
the effort.
The second is “Estimated Prophet,” one of my favorite songs from
the Dead. Weir’s vocals combined with MIDI-guitar work from Garcia
(the guitar solo sounds like a trumpet, and is damned good) make
this track (done mostly in 7/4 time, just to keep you on your toes)
instantly addictive. I’ve even heard this track played on the
pumped-in music at the local Walgreen’s – no wonder I shop
there.
Of the remaining tracks, they’re very much hit-or-miss.
“Passenger,” a rare Phil Lesh-composed track, sometimes sounds like
a great song to me, but on my last spinning of the disc, it didn’t
strike me as being anything special. “Samson And Delilah” was
always a concert favorite of the Dead, but it’s also never been a
track I’ve particularly enjoyed. And “Dancin’ In The Streets” is
the first taste of “disco-Dead” that people got, and it wasn’t a
taste that some people liked. I personally liked the older,
trippier version of this song better, but this one does grow on you
after a time.
Terrapin Station not only marked the first album the Dead
recorded for Arista, but also the first time they worked with an
outside producer (Keith Olsen) since the band’s early days.
Personally, I think Olsen captured the sound of the band quite
well, bringing to the mix a crispness that had been missing for
some time.
Terrapin Station is a mixed bag when it comes to quality
songs, but it is a worthwhile listen, if only for the classics.