Grateful Dead 'American Beauty'
Grateful Dead, ‘American Beauty’, 1970. Good old Grateful Dead. I love the Sixties and, as a student abroad in the US, was lucky to see this Beast live. People know the name in the UK but that’s about it. This was their back-to-roots album after all the sike-ay-delick madness of the Sixties. People needed to regroup, recharge, take stock, play with the kids at home. If you like country inflected rock and folk (say, Gram Parsons), then you’re in for a treat. You could play this album at your Granny with no adverse effects.
‘Box Of Rain’ starts the set, a song by bassist Phil Lesh for his dead father. Pretty tune. ‘Friend of The Devil’ is easy swing with mandolin and acoustic guitars. Main axeman Jerry Garcia was a fierce Bluegrass picker, despite the manic rock jam reputation of the band. ‘Sugar Magnolia’ a swoon of a riff with warm bass and tight drumming. ‘Operator’ countrified fun. ‘Candyman’ slow and melancholy. ‘Ripple’ made for sunshine, with a mandolin line that spreads joy. ‘Brokedown Palace’ slow lament with a rare example of Dead harmonising (singing not their strong point generally, ahem). ‘Till the Morning Comes’ happy strummin’. ‘Attics of My Life’ reflective and gorgeous. ‘Truckin’’ is their anthem, an easy boogie shuffle with the band cruising. Choon! Perfect sunny afternoon platter.
Grateful Dead 'American Beauty'
Grateful Dead, ‘American Beauty’, 1970. Good old Grateful Dead. I love the Sixties and, as a student abroad in the US, was lucky to see this Beast live. People know the name in the UK but that’s about it. This was their back-to-roots album after all the sike-ay-delick madness of the Sixties. People needed to regroup, recharge, take stock, play with the kids at home. If you like country inflected rock and folk (say, Gram Parsons), then you’re in for a treat. You could play this album at your Granny with no adverse effects.
‘Box Of Rain’ starts the set, a song by bassist Phil Lesh for his dead father. Pretty tune. ‘Friend of The Devil’ is easy swing with mandolin and acoustic guitars. Main axeman Jerry Garcia was a fierce Bluegrass picker, despite the manic rock jam reputation of the band. ‘Sugar Magnolia’ a swoon of a riff with warm bass and tight drumming. ‘Operator’ countrified fun. ‘Candyman’ slow and melancholy. ‘Ripple’ made for sunshine, with a mandolin line that spreads joy. ‘Brokedown Palace’ slow lament with a rare example of Dead harmonising (singing not their strong point generally, ahem). ‘Till the Morning Comes’ happy strummin’. ‘Attics of My Life’ reflective and gorgeous. ‘Truckin’’ is their anthem, an easy boogie shuffle with the band cruising. Choon! Perfect sunny afternoon platter.