It is generally agreed that
the Grateful Dead
's late-'70s studio releases left even the most enthusiastic Deadheads longing for something more. The theory is that the band's momentum is best experienced during the ebb and flow of a live performance rather than the somewhat clinical tedium of a recording studio.
Terrapin Station
marks several milestones for
: it was the band's first studio album in two years, as well as their return to a major label -- in this case
Arista Records
. More significant however is the use of an outside (read: non-
Grateful Dead
) producer. This was only the second time in which
the Dead
did not seize complete control. And the first time in a decade that they would relinquish their production reigns. They chose
Keith Olsen
-- a former member of the '60s
garage rock
band
Music Machine
-- whose production roster also included other Bay Area notables including
the Sons of Champlin
and
Santana
. Musically,
offers a few choice glimpses of the band doing what it does best. While the most prominent example is the album's extended title suite, there are a few others such as the cover of the
Rev. Gary Davis
gospel-blues
"Samson and Delilah"
and a resurrection of the
Martha & the Vandellas
hit
"Dancin' in the Streets."
The latter tune was originally performed by
in their mid-'60s repertoire. What was once a
psychedelic
reading has evolved into a 4/4-time, brass-influenced
disco
arrangement. Luckily, their extended versions during concert performances were infinitely more tolerable. Parties interested in examining the contrast between the studio and live performance versions of
material should seek the archival concert release
Dick's Picks, Vol. 3
. This two-disc set not only captures the band exactly two months and two days prior to the release of
, it also features stellar performances of every track from the album sans the up-tempo rocker
"Passenger."
~ Lindsay Planer