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Terrapin Station

Grateful Dead - Terrapin Station Audio CD

A fair review of the Grateful Dead "Terrapin Station" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Grateful Dead reviews here, or go back to the Grateful Dead tabs.

Band: Grateful Dead
Title: Terrapin Station
Rating:

Release Date: 2006-03-07
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Estimated Prophet 2: Dancin' in the Streets 3: Passenger 4: Samson & Delilah 5: Sunrise 6: Terrapin Station 7: Peggy-O [Instrumental Studio Outtake][*][Take] 8: Ascent [Instrumental Studio Outtake][*][Take] 9: Catfish John [Studio Outtake][*] 10: Equinox [Studio Outtake][*] 11: Fire on the Mountain [Studio Outtake][*] 12: Dancin' in the Streets [Live][*] 13: Refrain 14: Peggy-O [*] [*] 15: Catfish John [*] [*] 16: Equinox [*] [*] 17: Fire on the Mountain [*] [*] 18: Dancin' in the Streets [*] [*]

A Passenger At Terrapin Station
The 70's offered up a number of new musical forms for rock to draw from in general,everything from fusion to reggae to funk and soul. Speaking strictly as a recent person recently introduced to the Grateful Dead,hearing their post 1972 studio albums (especially as I am by way of Grateful Dead: Beyond Description (1973-1989)) really brings to the forefront how there ended up being a whole lot more to the bands sound then a mere San Fransisco psychedelic jam band from the 60's. On a series of albums on the own self titled label all of these styles worked their way around the bands overall sound culminating in a masterpiece called Blues for Allah in 1975. A year or two later the Dead took their label to Arista and created an all new masterpiece. As if they were expected to they easily equalled (if not topped) the previous album in terms of innovation. Again the main thrust of the is funk,and hard funk for that. "Estimated Prophet" has a hefty,kicking groove that for this point really knows where it's going. A similarly high octane "Dancin' In The Streets" has the same effect;it cannot beat the orginal of course (NO ONE can) but they create their own excellent interpretation. "Passenger" and "Samson & Delilah) find a harder rock and lightly reggae/caribbean influence on a traditional arrangement. Donna Godchaux gets her own song here in the etheral,folksy "Sunrise",the one thing on this albums that assures the music's deep San Francisco "hippie" backround. The 16+ minute title suite is a masterpiece of itself,not so much a jam but a series of flowing compositions (not quite a rock opera) that include the Martyn Ford Orchestra and the English Choral adding a surreal kind of backround to the songs which explore this heavy funk/rock/fusion kind of groove all the way through. The bonus tracks,again a series of groove oriented outtakes are very good but all pale in comparasin to the superb album you get here in the first place. For all their accomplishments musically throughout their career the Greatful Dead got little more then a musical write off for their trouble:that being they become the poster children for the stoner jam band. But much as with bands like the Dave Matthews Band today (whose new CD Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King owes an awful lot to albums like this one) they have created a unique musical legacy all their own and despite the assersion of Dead Heads that they are better live their studio recordings should (and now probably do) stand in a much higher place in the relm of popular music.

Very Dated Music!
2/6= a very generous 3***Stars. I like track 1 & 4, "Estimated Prophet and Samson & Delilah", but that's about it. .

Dead Turtle Station
Fine work performed by Jerry Garcia, et al. For those tie-dyed in the wool Greatful Dead-Heads, this is a must have recording for their library. Terrapin Station Suite is worth it all, with added touches provided by Keith Olsen (recording engineer); also contains a rousing rendition of "Dancing in the Streets" and Donna Godchaux takes center stage in "Samson and Delilah" and "Sunrise" (which she wrote). Additional studio outtakes are an added bonus, as is the live take of "Dancing", which completes the trip. 2 joints up.
.

The Passenger
It was the Golden Spike that sent them onto a progressive, surreal intercontinental railroad. "Terrapin Station" took the Grateful Dead down a new set of tracks. "Terrapin Station" is a mesmerizing mix of music. The Grateful Dead was being,as usual, highly experimental. . . and the results were phenomenal.

The opening song "Estimated Prophet" is a joyous,sunshine ode to California,"standing on the burning shore. " It's hymnlike. There are references to the prophet Elijah and his fiery chariot. "Passenger" a catchy ditty, with unusual riffs. Interestingly,"The Passenger" is the title for the still-unreleased Iggy Pop biopic (sorry,it's not about Phil Lesh) "Sunrise" has beautiful singing from Donna Godchaux. It's a hymn honoring a roadie who passed away; the final drumming is from a Native American chief. The Terrapin Station Suite is impressive. It's a nearly 20 minute sonic journey. "Counting stars by candlelight/the spiral light of Venus" turns it into a cosmic hymn on par with the Beatles' "Across the Universe. " It was fitting that parts of Terrapin Station were recorded at Abbey Road in London. It's still a powerful,inspirational song.

The remastered edition has some beautiful extras. There are the enigmatic songs "Ascent" and "Equinox. " "Catfish John" is creole-spiced Americana. "Dancin' in the Streets" gets some long jamming from Jerry Garcia. Finally,there's a studio outtake of "Fire on the Mountain",one of the Dead's most inspiring tracks.

"Terrapin Station" carries you away! It's the Dead's magical mystery tour.

First Class (!)

I've had an absolute field day on these reviews pages at the expense of the Dead (and others!) in general, and 'hippy types' in particular. Ok, it's hold my hands up time.
I've penned reams about faded loons, floral shirts, 10 minute mellotron solo's, and, my particular favourite, the enjoyably ubiquitous centre-parting.

I suppose it's my inadequate way of coming to terms with the fact that I've been immersed in an art form that's completely alien to me. I've sneered, scoffed and chortled my way round some strange, intoxicating music, which I've usually grudgingly acknowledged, while at the same time, sarcastically pointing out every fallibility I can find. In short, I've stretched a point to breaking, with no other justification than narky inexperience.
Well that ends here.

My latest stop is 'Terrapin Station' and it's MAGNIFICENT on every level. A devastating mix of funk, rock and reggae, from the steely opening chords of 'Estimated Prophet' to the jumping climax of the 16 minute 'Terrapin Station pt1', we're on a winner in a big way.
There's lyrical and melodic strength that's joyous and delightful, there's serious cohesion, (my favourite rock term) clarity, and huge swathes of justified confidence. Justified because The Dead are on some kind of creative summit here-and don't they know it. The swagger is unmistakable. Each exquisitely crafted hook, each spray of feisty brass, every huge orchestral sweep is definite indication of a group on fire.

Despite the dodgy labeling, this is almost pure pop. It has a funny kind of sisterhood with Captain Sensible's album 'Revolution Now', in that it's surface sheen and pomp is (incredibly!) just the bait that draws you in, ultimately to discover the width and depth of what lies beneath. A clear sign of inner richness.

The scope and aspiration of 'Terrapin Station' is breathtaking and immense. It has subtleties and intricacies that other lesser, workmanlike musics can only dream of - and it's sustained. It applies pressure in the first 5 seconds and never let's up, relentless, whirling rock music which is appealing well beyond a delirious few listens, and has a resonance and resolve which is unshakeable.

As with all truly great music, it's profoundly influential, good and bad. The obvious offspring are the likes of Chic and the stomping Brothers Johnson. Unfortunately the lineage ends somewhere around those mortifying uglies, Level 42, but it does illustrate that even the most hopeless cruds can't be ALL bad, if they're trying to emulate 'Terrapin Station'.

A truer album you won't hear. It's full, across the board solid. Alert, soulful and downright FUN.
I'm not even gonna whine about the awful (again!) cover art, (I can still smell nappies when I think of 'Blues for Allah') because for once, the ludicrous details which I normally cheekily celebrate, are unimportant.
And I've even jettisoned a slew of train jokes in favour of breathless positivism, such is the chill-inducing, magical beauty of 'Terrapin Station'.
I'm glad I'm alive.

You can see a complete list of all Grateful Dead discography, or go back to the Grateful Dead tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.