Grateful Dead (Skull & Roses)
by Grateful Dead

This was made after they finally fired Tom Constanten for being a bad keyboard player in over his head, but before they added Keith Godchaux. What they did was have Merle Saunders overdub some organ parts, and Pigpen is in there on some tracks, but the keyboards are kind of absent on a lot of this album. So, where Constanten used to be doing aimless and meaningless tweedle dee dum dum organ parts and Godchaux would later be adding soulful and understated piano parts, here there's a bit of space. Also, since this is during the Mickey Hart-less years, so only one drummer, and no Donna Godchaux harmonies yet, the whole album has a stripped-down feel which is rather nice. It's always been one of my favorite Dead listens, although now only the first three sides, because I long ago grew weary of the drawn-out melodrama of Wharf Rat. Not on the level of Europe 72 of course, but a good slice of live Dead.

From Boltzmann 04/01/2020 11:10 | #249396 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

"It's like the whole album is one big jam session". No, it's like their whole discography is.

only 1 record

This was their first live recording released in the wake of the success of American Beauty & Workingman's Dead. The cover art became an icon.