Working Man's Twang
My brother John, who is a few years older than me, has been bugging me to become familiar with the Grateful Dead, specifically the "Workingman's Dead" album.
Anyone who knows me, knows that this could be one of the most excruciating tasks that lie at hand. I've always been very clear and open with my disdain for the dead, so much so that it might be something to consider discussing with my therapist someday. I'm not really sure what the reason is for my blatant hatred. Maybe it's the cult like fan base or the twangy guitar riffs that seem to last a lifetime. Maybe it's the message in their music to be carefree and oblivious to the rigamorle of life. I'm so jaded that I'm personally offended by the mere suggestion. However, in spite of the protest I have always trusted my brother to steer me in the right direction of worthy music. So I purchased the album and took a listen.
Grateful Dead - Workingman's Dead
The first song "Uncle John's Band" was the familiar jam band sound the dead is notorious for so I was a little apprehensive. Then "YES" some real rock & roll shit worthy of the distinction with the song "High Time." Albeit there are still some twangy riffs like in the song "Dire Wolf" but it's balanced with lyrics reminiscent of a George Harrison anthem.
The album moves quickly but kept my attention from beginning to end with a few finger tapping blues jams smack dab in the center, "New Speedway Boogie" & "Cumberland Blues."
"Black Peter" winds the album down with real heart felt misery; a slow bruising blues I can hang with. My favorite song on the album is "Easy Wind", it's undeniable.
The album ends with their basic twangy tale of a rambler, that seems to make his way into a lot of their songs.
John, you are right, there is some Grateful Dead worth $7.92 and 30 mins.
Anyone who knows me, knows that this could be one of the most excruciating tasks that lie at hand. I've always been very clear and open with my disdain for the dead, so much so that it might be something to consider discussing with my therapist someday. I'm not really sure what the reason is for my blatant hatred. Maybe it's the cult like fan base or the twangy guitar riffs that seem to last a lifetime. Maybe it's the message in their music to be carefree and oblivious to the rigamorle of life. I'm so jaded that I'm personally offended by the mere suggestion. However, in spite of the protest I have always trusted my brother to steer me in the right direction of worthy music. So I purchased the album and took a listen.
Grateful Dead - Workingman's Dead
The first song "Uncle John's Band" was the familiar jam band sound the dead is notorious for so I was a little apprehensive. Then "YES" some real rock & roll shit worthy of the distinction with the song "High Time." Albeit there are still some twangy riffs like in the song "Dire Wolf" but it's balanced with lyrics reminiscent of a George Harrison anthem.
The album moves quickly but kept my attention from beginning to end with a few finger tapping blues jams smack dab in the center, "New Speedway Boogie" & "Cumberland Blues."
"Black Peter" winds the album down with real heart felt misery; a slow bruising blues I can hang with. My favorite song on the album is "Easy Wind", it's undeniable.
The album ends with their basic twangy tale of a rambler, that seems to make his way into a lot of their songs.
John, you are right, there is some Grateful Dead worth $7.92 and 30 mins.
posted by Anti-Hipster at
9:33 AM
2 Comments:
Kudos - I threw down the gauntlet and you actually approached it with an open mind. The main reason I chose the Dead is because that is the one band Hipsters always hate. Don't get me wrong track for track and album for album I would choose the Velvet Underground (the band hipsters always love) over the Dead. But since I am a recovering hipster myself who recently discovered the joys of homebrewed Americana I thought you might have a paradigm shift yourself. Shit these days all the hipsters are grooving on the roots influenced bands like Wilco, Band of Horses, Fleet Foxes, The Felice Bros, etc. Dylan is having a major resurgence so it is okay to approach the joys of Uncle John's Band without irony. If it's cool to dig on formerly obscure heros like Gram Parsons, Nick Drake, Big Star etc why not some Dead. Again it ain't Fugazi or Black Flag but does it need to be. These days you can't tell a erpson by their haricut and the clothes they wear like you could when I was in high school. And that's a good thing. Long Live Rock and ROll!
Oh yeah and Uncle John's Band is one of their least jammy songs. It might be twangy but it is really just a sweet roots flavored pop gem.
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