Grateful Dead - "Terrapin Station" (1977)

 

A record collection worthy of the name ought to contain a number of Grateful Dead records, don't you think? And shouldn't a man with a musical focus on the 60s and 70s be familiar with many of the band's creations?

Grateful Dead is a band I feel like I know so well. I have read a lot about the band, it's often mentioned when you're looking back at the 60's, everyone knows who Jerry Garcia is and is familiar with the band's fanatical fans Deadheads. Yes, the Grateful Dead can't be defined as anything else than a legendary and mythical istitution in the music history. Of course I know the Grateful Dead. Or do I?

The truth: In my own record collection Grateful Dead has only been represented on the soundtrack to Zabriskie Point (which I bought because Pink Floyd also contributes on the album). And when I reflect on what GD songs I know it's silence in my head. I've got some theoretical knowledge but no practical. It feels a little strange that I have no idea what music Grateful Dead's really created.

One reason for this is when I first read about the Grateful Dead, it was all about LSD and flower power. Yes, the Grateful Dead was the ultimate psychedelic band sprung from the 60s creative explosion. Their concerts were an orgy of hallucinatory drugs and love and were described as happenings out of the ordinary. And who played at Ken Kesey and his Merry Pranksters acid tests? Grateful Dead, of course. But when I on occasion listened to some of their songs it was mostly long blues jams and nothing special, to be honest. Not as much psychedelia, peace & love that I had imagined. It probably made me a bit disappointed.

Anyway, some time ago I decided to dp something about the lack of Grateful Dead in my collection and acquired Terrapin Station. Why this album? I don't know, I had the idea that it was good. American Beauty is another one of their albums, I plan to buy in the near future.

For me this album revolves around the title track on side B which I think is an amazing creation, that is currently spinning intensively on my turntable. The more than fifteen minutes long song is divided into a number of different pieces which all appeal to me in different ways. There are strings, some wind instruments, beauty, choruses, prog, bombastic parts and everything you could wish for. I'm not bored for one second. And the lyrics in the first part, Lady With A Fan, is unusual beautiful. When the B-side has run out, I can play it from the beginning and think it is as beautiful again. And play it again. And again.

The A-side is OK, but not more. The first time I heard it, I was surprised as I hadn't expected it would sound like it does. It is well produced and no space is given for long, fuzzy jams. That's good. I think such jams can be a bitboring and unfocused in the long run. Except the cover on the boring Dancin 'In The Streets the songs side A are pretty good, but not much out of the ordinary.

I've understood that Grateful Dead fans are hesitant toward this record. At Terrapin Station, GD use an outside producer, only for the second time, which affects the sound. In addition, they take a departure from their usual jazz / blues / folk sound and instead lean a little more toward the progressive direction. I haven't much to compare with, so I like this album, especially the B-side. Can't do anything else but recommend it. Both side A and B contain quite accessible music, so the album is not something you need to fear from that standpoint. At the same time, especially side B is a just enough challenge as it's still a little different.

Tracklist

Side A

1. Estimated Prophet 5:37
2. Dancin’ In The Streets 3:16
3. Passenger 2:48
4. Samson And Delilah 3:29
5. Sunrise 4:03

Side B

1. Terrapin Station Part 1 16:17
- Lady With A Fan
- Terrapin Station
- Terrapin
- Terrapin Transit
- At A Siding
- Terrapin Flyer
- Refrain
 

Lee Hazlewood - "Forty" (1969, 1974)

The album's title and the text on the sleeve's back , where Lee mentions that he has attained the age of 40, would lead one to believe that he made this album to celebrate his 40th birthday. At least I thought so, until I realized he was actually born in 1929. And the year for the album's release says 1974, at least on my copy. But then again, maybe he wrote the words "Somewhere between the day I was born and yesterday when i turned FORTY ..." the day after his 40th birthday party and let the words mature a few years.

Stop the presses! I just noted on discogs.com that the album was actually released in the U.S. in 1969, and then in Sweden in 1974. Mystery solved.

It's always fun with Lee Hazlewood albums, you never really know what you'll get. Country & Western, psychedelia, cheesy ballads, dark humor, his own songs, covers, sad songs, great songs ... Or a mix of it all and more. My copy of Forty is the Swedish release, the American one looks like this:

I've seen the Swedish version sold online for up to almost USD 100, I guess that one is a little more exotic than the U.S. one. Forty contains only cover songs and as usual some of them appear on other Hazlewood releases (several of them on Movin' On). I find it difficult to say which songs are exclusively available on Forty, but September Song I haven't seen elsewhere.

Forty is a good album whose peaks include the beautiful What's More I Do not Need Her, the drawling Let's Burn Down The Cornfield and the more up-tempo The Bed. There are also some valleys, like the boring and cheesy September Song and It Was A Very Good Year. There are lots of brass and fat string arrangements on Forty, and in his best moments Lee creates - with the help of his female backing vocals and deep baritone voice - the usual dark and kind of strange moods. It's hard to describe Lee's music, cowboy psychedelia is a common term, sometimes I think the music would fit well into a 70s softcore film directed by David Lynch. With Lee himself in the lead role.
 

If you find Forty in the record shelves, a purchase can be recommended. I think the album provides a fairly presentable image of Lee and his music

Tracklist

Side A

1. It Was A Very Good Year 4:14
2. What’s More I Don’t Need Her 3:33
3. The Night Before 3:22
4. The Bed 2:36
5. Paris Bells 2:40

Side B

1. Wait Till Next Year 3:35
2. September Song 4:57
3. Let’s Burn Down The Cornfield 2:39
4. Bye Babe 3:34
5. Mary 3:01

The Animals – The Animals (1966)

I got this album on my 40th birthday along with a dozen other albums of varying origins and musical quality. I like the sleeve with its relatively austere design. I like the black and white picture with the red text. And I like the music too.

 

This is a compilation with songs from 1964 to 1965, of course with a focus on the band's hits (and possibly some fill outs). I was cautiously hesitant when I first put it on the turntable. Almost all the music I have from the 60's is from 1966 onwards, since I believe it was from this year it really started to happen within the music, when the experimentation took over. Much of what I’ve heard from the earlier years of the 60s has been lo-fi recordings with a rockabilly touch, or cheesy pop songs or ballads. In addition, I have poor knowledge of the Animals and succeeded for a short while to confuse them with the Shadows, and expected instrumental guitar songs. No clue at all, apparently.

But I was surprised. Sure it's kind of lo-fi, yeah, some songs might have a touch of rockabilly, and there are some ballads, but I was surprised how loud and danceable it is. Almost trashy. It just took a few seconds before I had to take my youngest daughter in my arms and start bouncing around on the floor until we became too dizzy, both of us. I would say that some songs are almost close to punk. But mostly you’ll get classic r&b. Loud, noisy punk blues.

The singer Eric Burdon howls without inhibitions and the organ hammers on frantically. For it is a lot of organ. Responsible for that instrument is Alan Price, he left the Animals in 1965 and instead created The Alan Price Set. And so it went on, the original members disappeared one by one - bassist Chas Chandler left the band in 1966 and became the manager of Jimi Hendrix, he also put together his band The Jimi Hendrix Experience - and finally it was just Burdon who was left of the original members. The new incarnation of the Animals was called Eric Burdon and the Animals and got a more psychedelic touch. In 1969 the band dissolved and has since had a number of reappearances in reunions.

The Animals had unfortunately a bad manager in the form of Michael Jeffery, and missed out on a lot of money. They were cheated, simply put. Michael Jeffery was a controversial man and was also accused of murdering Jimi Hendrix (who he helped Chandler manage). The reason was supposedly a juicy life insurance payment he wanted his hands on. Mr Jeffrey died in 1973 so no one will know for sure if he was a killer.
 

A man to be trusted? Michael Jeffrey.

This is certainly a fun album to brighten up your day. It's difficult to sit still when Burdon & Co. rocks on, and the lyrics are often so simple that you can sing along quite quickly. To my family members' chagrin and grief. I'm still surprised that they did this kind of loud and almost-punk music already in 1964. We’ve got mostly Eric Burdon to thank for the album’s wild appearance, his uninhibited singing gives the music a loud and rebellious touch. And the other members of the band frame the song in an almost equally ferocious manner.

It may be added that I've seen the album sold online from 10 US up to 100 USD. I don’t know if the ones who gave me the album knew this.

 

Tracklist

Side A

1. I’m Crying
2. House Of The Rising Sun
3. Boom Boom
4. I’m Mad Again
5. Bring It Home To Me
6. We’ve Gotta Get Out Of This Place

Side B

1. Story Of Bo Diddley
2. How You’ve Changed
3. Bright Lights White City
4. Roadrunner
5. Worried Life Blues
6. It’s My Life