Onholiday(somemightsay)
Well-Known Member
Me when they cave and finally let me join...............
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All Time Top 1100 Albums (Aerosmith - Big Ones) P265
- Thread starter BlueHammer85
- Start date
The Grateful Dead - Terrapin Station
I didn't mind the first track; Estimated Prophet, probably a 6/10 for that one and then it was all downhill from there. When I say downhill, I mean I had it on whilst I was working and didn't even notice track 2-5, until some of the singing on track 5 (Sunrise) started grating on me a bit, no pun intended. Parts of the Medley were okay.
Wouldn't listen to it again, unmemorable is probably the best way to describe it.
4/10
I didn't mind the first track; Estimated Prophet, probably a 6/10 for that one and then it was all downhill from there. When I say downhill, I mean I had it on whilst I was working and didn't even notice track 2-5, until some of the singing on track 5 (Sunrise) started grating on me a bit, no pun intended. Parts of the Medley were okay.
Wouldn't listen to it again, unmemorable is probably the best way to describe it.
4/10
FogBlueInSanFran
Well-Known Member
Having lived at Ground Zero for Deadhead culture most of my life, with a wife who embraced it for a while, I think it does the band and especially the culture a great injustice to assume this record reflects either in both their good and bad elements.
@OB1 is precisely correct when he says this was a live band who thrived on improvisation. And he makes a good point regarding Terrapin Station’s production, which I didn’t know, but which really helps put the record in context.
So let's all agree that this isn’t representative, and noting that I’m not a big fan of the band in the first place, how does this stack up?
First, “Sunrise” is fundamentally unlistenable. Hands down one of the most appallingly awful tracks in the months we’ve done this. Words cannot do justice to how much I detested this song. It’s like a raw brussels sprout dipped in overcooked beet paste.
Next, that cover of “Dancin’ In The Streets” begins with the issue that the song is incredibly lame to begin with, so covering it is unlikely to make it any less lame.
The best part about “Estimated Prophet” is its title, and then the chorus; in between, the reggae back beat morphing into the Sesame Street sax sounds so strange and out of place for these guys, I couldn’t get comfortable. Its selection as an opener was an odd (and potentially acid-influenced) decision.
After that, it’s alright. I always thought “Passenger” was one of their more interesting tunes, in part because its also not reflective of their regular sound (its much jerkier and rockier) and “Samson and Delilah” is kind of a standard part of their act (it sounds much better live, like mostly everything the Dead did).
The most representative of “true” Dead here is the opening four minutes or so of the tortoid opus that closes it — we finally hear Jerry sing (as usual about nothing important), and his guitar skips around in that sprightly fashion he perfected/invented, aided by two drummers who always sound curiously like they add up to 1.4483 drummers. It's really lovely. The remaining twelve minutes I could take or leave, however.
In fact, the whole thing sounds disparate and thrown together and disjointed. Welcome to the 70s, I guess. So call the music between a 3 and a 4, but we don't do half scores, so something needs to give.
I'm going 4/10 because of the one true excellent aspect of Terrapin Station: a really great cover. Dance, turtles, dance.
@OB1 is precisely correct when he says this was a live band who thrived on improvisation. And he makes a good point regarding Terrapin Station’s production, which I didn’t know, but which really helps put the record in context.
So let's all agree that this isn’t representative, and noting that I’m not a big fan of the band in the first place, how does this stack up?
First, “Sunrise” is fundamentally unlistenable. Hands down one of the most appallingly awful tracks in the months we’ve done this. Words cannot do justice to how much I detested this song. It’s like a raw brussels sprout dipped in overcooked beet paste.
Next, that cover of “Dancin’ In The Streets” begins with the issue that the song is incredibly lame to begin with, so covering it is unlikely to make it any less lame.
The best part about “Estimated Prophet” is its title, and then the chorus; in between, the reggae back beat morphing into the Sesame Street sax sounds so strange and out of place for these guys, I couldn’t get comfortable. Its selection as an opener was an odd (and potentially acid-influenced) decision.
After that, it’s alright. I always thought “Passenger” was one of their more interesting tunes, in part because its also not reflective of their regular sound (its much jerkier and rockier) and “Samson and Delilah” is kind of a standard part of their act (it sounds much better live, like mostly everything the Dead did).
The most representative of “true” Dead here is the opening four minutes or so of the tortoid opus that closes it — we finally hear Jerry sing (as usual about nothing important), and his guitar skips around in that sprightly fashion he perfected/invented, aided by two drummers who always sound curiously like they add up to 1.4483 drummers. It's really lovely. The remaining twelve minutes I could take or leave, however.
In fact, the whole thing sounds disparate and thrown together and disjointed. Welcome to the 70s, I guess. So call the music between a 3 and a 4, but we don't do half scores, so something needs to give.
I'm going 4/10 because of the one true excellent aspect of Terrapin Station: a really great cover. Dance, turtles, dance.
Semper aggressus
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- Joined
- 19 Sep 2019
- Messages
- 6,228
- Team supported
- Manchester City
I don’t like any of these bands; how about some Foo Fighters, Weezer, BMTH, Subways and Hollywood Undead?
FogBlueInSanFran
Well-Known Member
Eventually we'll get to some of those -- patience, grasshopper. Or you can go to the other album review thread and get on the list to provide one. We just did the first RATM record.I don’t like any of these bands; how about some Foo Fighters, Weezer, BMTH, Subways and Hollywood Undead?
OB1
Well-Known Member
Mick Taylor.Good point. Who in your opinion takes best guitarist in the Stones?
Onholiday(somemightsay)
Well-Known Member
Who, who and who?I don’t like any of these bands; how about some Foo Fighters, Weezer, BMTH, Subways and Hollywood Undead?
BLUEisville
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 13 Apr 2014
- Messages
- 423
Their musicianship is superb and this album really is not very representative of what they were about. For a start off this album was heavily influenced by producer Keith Olsen - they mostly produced themselves - who was primarily an AOR /hard rock producer (he co-produced Whitesnake's 1987 hair metal monster) and had just produced Fleetwood Mac by... All the orchestration on the title track was down to him.
Estimated Prophet is a really good track and Passenger - inspired by a Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac - is a fine Stonesy rocker. The title track is interesting and bequtifully played and recorded.
The Dead though are a live band who specialised in improvisation. It won't be a lot of peoples thing but something like the triple cd "Pacific NorthWest '73 - '74: Believe it if You Need it" is a much better representation of the band. "The Very Best of The Grateful Dead" is a good intro to (mainly) their studio work, which is quite varied but Foggy is right, they ain't Prog.
Peace, love and cookie dough.
6/10
This says it all really. I'm a deadhead and I have a fond spot for this particular album. But most deadheads hate it and even the band didn't care for how it turned out at the time. Hell, ask many deadheads what their favorite album was and they'll tell you which show they liked the best instead.
If you want an accessible idea of what the Dead were as a band, have a look at some of the Dick's Picks releases (steady on). They are nicely remastered live performances, some releases being taken entirely from a single show. Can't go wrong with Volume Four.
With a little less polish you can find some great audience/soundboard remixes available on the net. Cornell 5/8/77 is probably the quintessential Dead show. I suspect if you listen to Scarlet Begonias -> Fire on the Mountain and don't care for it, you can safely say you don't like the band !
Mancitydoogle
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 7 Aug 2017
- Messages
- 1,490
I was looking forward to listening to this as I’m holiday in the sunshine I thought
It would be ideal scenario
Im no dead fan, previously having only listened to ‘American Beauty’ which was ok and ‘Touch of Grey ‘ which I really liked.
Anways back to this, the first track was ok,the second was an even worse cover than the ‘jagger /Bowie ‘ version and then it just got worse.
Its definitely an album I won’t be listening to again.
3/10
It would be ideal scenario
Im no dead fan, previously having only listened to ‘American Beauty’ which was ok and ‘Touch of Grey ‘ which I really liked.
Anways back to this, the first track was ok,the second was an even worse cover than the ‘jagger /Bowie ‘ version and then it just got worse.
Its definitely an album I won’t be listening to again.
3/10
OB1
Well-Known Member
This says it all really. I'm a deadhead and I have a fond spot for this particular album. But most deadheads hate it and even the band didn't care for how it turned out at the time. Hell, ask many deadheads what their favorite album was and they'll tell you which show they liked the best instead.
If you want an accessible idea of what the Dead were as a band, have a look at some of the Dick's Picks releases (steady on). They are nicely remastered live performances, some releases being taken entirely from a single show. Can't go wrong with Volume Four.
With a little less polish you can find some great audience/soundboard remixes available on the net. Cornell 5/8/77 is probably the quintessential Dead show. I suspect if you listen to Scarlet Begonias -> Fire on the Mountain and don't care for it, you can safely say you don't like the band !
Good point about Cornell 8 May 77.