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Il disco della svolta country dei Grateful Dead. Dopo la sbandata psichedelica e acida che aveva prodotto capolavori come "Anthem of the sun" e "Live/Dead" i Dead approdano ad un disco più pacato anche se sotto la scorza country si avvertono ancora spunti del sound precedente. Innanzitutto più che una svolta si potrebbe definire un ritorno visto che soprattutto Garcia veniva proprio da quel tipo di musica. Primo di loro Dylan con "Nashville Skyline" e i Byrds con Parson avevano prodotto dischi di ottimo country rock, e ancora prima abbiamo i padri fondatori "Buffalo Springfield", ma questo dei Grateful Dead si distingue a mio avviso per l'esecuzione sopraffina dei brani.
Ci sono due classici delle loro esecuzioni live e vale a dire "Uncle John's Band" che apre l'album dando subito il tono a tutto il disco. Chitarre acustiche, voci delicate e una conclusione che cita i Jefferson Airplane come a mantenere un contatto con l'altro grande gruppo di Frisco. L'altro classico invece chiude l'album ed è la mitica "Casey Jones" con la chitarra solista di Garcia pronta a disegnare un sottobosco di atmosfere cupe su una musica invece solare e allegra. In mezzo abbiamo tanto country come nel brano "Dire Wolf" con la chitarra slide in evidenza su tutto. In questo brano Pigpen viene tenuto più a freno, si sente la sua voce e il suo organo mostruoso nell'unico brano psichedelico del disco e vale a dire "Easy Wind". Atmosfere assolutamente rilassate invece in "High Time" un brano che ascoltato con attenzioni ci porta in uno stato di rilassatezza unica, è proprio in questo brano che sotto sotto si sentono i soliti Dead, capaci di portarci in uno stato di trance acustica. Stesso discorso per "Black Peter" dove fa capolino l'organo di Pigpen in momento inaspettato.
Se vogliamo trovare un difetto a questo disco forse è nel fatto che sia po' troppo corto. Dopo realizzeranno "American Beauty" sicuramente più compiuto ma meno spontaneo e che strizza un po' tropop l'occhio ad un sound furbetto.
Elenco tracce testi samples e video
02 High Time (05:15)
You told me good-bye, how was I to know
you didn't mean good-bye, you meant please don't let me go?
I was having a high time, living the good life, well I know
The wheels are muddy, got a ton of hay,
now listen here, Baby, 'cause I mean what I say.
I'm having a high time, living the good life, well I know.
I was losing time, I had nothing to do,
no one to fight, I came to you.
Wheels broke down, leader won't draw,
the line is busted, the last one I saw.
Tomorrow come trouble, tomorrow come pain,
now don't think too hard Baby, 'cause I know what I'm saying.
I could show you a high time, living the good life, don't be that way.
Nothing's for certain, it could always go wrong,
Come in when it's raining, go on out when it's gone.
We could have us a high time, living the good life, well I know.
03 Dire Wolf (03:15)
In the timbers to Fennario, the wolves are running round,
The winter was so hard and cold, froze ten feet 'neath the ground.
Don't murder me, I beg of you, don't murder me. Please, don't murder me.
I sat down to my supper, 'twas a bottle of red whisky,
I said my prayers and went to bed, that's the last they saw of me.
Don't murder me, I beg of you, don't murder me. Please, don't murder me.
When I awoke, the Dire Wolf, six hundred pounds of sin,
Was grinning at my window, all I said was "Come on in".
Don't murder me, I beg of you, don't murder me. Please, don't murder me.
The Wolf came in, I got my cards, we sat down for a game.
I cut my deck to the Queen of Spades, but the cards were all the same.
Don't murder me, I beg of you, don't murder me. Please, don't murder me.
In the backwash of Fennario, the black and bloody mire,
The Dire Wolf collects his dues, while the boys sing 'round the fire.
Don't murder me, I beg of you, don't murder me. Please, don't murder me.
No, no, no don't murder me. I beg of you,
Don't murder me. Please, don't murder me.
06 Black Peter (05:44)
All of my friends come to see me last night,
I was laying in my bed and dying.
Annie Bonneau from St. Angel say the weather down there so fine.
Just then the wind came squalling through the dark,
But who can the weather command?
Just want to have a little peace to die,
And a friend or two I love at hand.
Fever roll up to a hundred and five.
Roll on up, gonna roll back down.
One more day I find myself alive,
Tomorrow maybe go beneath the ground.
See here how everything led up to this day,
And it's just like any other day that's ever been.
Sun going up and then the sun going down.
Come around, come around.
The people might know, but the people don't care,
That a man can be as poor as me.
Take a look at poor Peter, he's lying in pain,
Now let's come run and see, run and see,
Run and see, run, run and see, and see.
08 Casey Jones (04:24)
Driving that train
High on cocaine
Casey Jones you better watch your speed
Trouble ahead, trouble behind
And you know that notion just crossed my mind.
This old engine makes it on time
Leaves Central Station 'bout a quarter to nine
Hits River Junction at seventeen to
At a quarter to ten you know it's travlin' again.
Driving that train
High on cocaine
Casey Jones you better watch your speed
Trouble ahead, trouble behind
And you know that notion just crossed my mind
Trouble ahead, oh, Lady in red,
Take my advice you'd be better off dead.
Switchman's sleeping, train hundred and two is
On the wrong track and headed for you.
Driving that train
High on cocaine,
Casey Jones you better watch your speed.
Trouble ahead, trouble behind,
And you know that notion just crossed my mind.
Drive your train!
Trouble with you is the trouble with me
Got two good eyes but you still don't see
Come round the bend, you know it's the end
The fireman screams and the engine just gleams
Driving that train
High on cocaine
Casey Jones you better watch your speed
Trouble ahead, trouble behind
And you know that notion just crossed my mind
Driving that train
High on cocaine
Casey Jones you better watch your speed
Trouble ahead, trouble behind
And you know that notion just crossed my mind
Driving that train
High on cocaine
Casey Jones you better watch your speed
Trouble ahead, trouble behind
And you know that notion just crossed my mind
Driving that train
High on cocaine
Casey Jones you better watch your speed
Trouble ahead, trouble behind
And you know that notion just crossed my mind
And you know that notion just crossed my mind
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