Grateful Dead – Workingman’s Dead
50 years old. One of my top 5 Grateful Dead has turned 50 this year (2020), and it shows no signs of wear and tear or even the dreaded curse of sounding dated. Workingman’s Dead was a departure for the Grateful Dead that would have them putting the psychedelic electric fueled material and re-visiting their folk roots. This move resulted in what I consider to be one of the greatest Americana albums of all time. Why do I feel this way? Well, let me break it down song for song for y’all.
Uncle John’s Band
Considered by many to be one of the most accessible Dead songs, “Uncle John’s Band” is also a song that boasts a simple yet timeless message: Love and unity through music. “Come hear Uncle John’s Band… come along or go alone he’s come to take his children home.” The philosophy of many long time Deadheads was to wander and continue this search to find yourself; find your place in this crazy world. The character of Uncle John serves as a sort of Pied Piper that is to lead the people somewhere. This is a song that I find myself wrapping myself in from time to time whenever I’m feeling a bit lost. A significant song to the world if they’d just let it in.
High Time
“High Time” is one of the single most heart-wrenching break-up songs. Seriously. I mean, this is one of the saddest fucking songs. The traditional, early-era “sad ballad” sound of this song is what locks in with the uber-depressing lyrics to make this song captivating song. Whenever I give this song my full attention, I can almost find myself becoming and connecting with the character in this song. We’ve all experienced pain and heartache, but very few of us could put it into a song that is so moving.
Dire Wolf
“Dire Wolf” is one of my all-time favorite Dead songs. It is also one of the greatest campfire songs ever written. While I generally prefer the acoustic version of this song from their live album Reckoning, this version is quite a fun song. I have played this song around a campfire or two, and you just can’t help but rock back and forth with a smile on your face. This song has all of the charm, melody, and lyrical substance to be an old-time traditional folk song, but it was written by Jerry Garcia and Dead lyricist Robert Hunter. It’s not easy to create a song that sounds as old as America in it’s early, western days. Excellent song.
New Speedway Boogie
This is such a badass song featuring some of Jerry Garcia’s best vocal work. “New Speedway Boogie” is a document of the December 6, 1969 murder of Meredith Hunter, an attendee of a free concert staged by The Grateful Dead and the Rolling Stones. This event (and song) were somewhat of a symbol of the end of the “peace and love” era as the world headed into the ‘70s. As dark as this song is, it’s so much fun to listen to. It has this gnarly groove to it, and the guitar playing is top-notch. I love this one!
New Cumberland Blues
Easily another favorite Dead song of mine. “New Cumberland Blues” opens the Dead’s legendary Europe ’72 live album, and this version is every bit as energetic and fun. On this song has Garcia completely unleashes holding nothing back, and the playing over the complex but subtle rhythms of Bobby Weir creates this incredibly awesome “guitar” song. The vocal interplay between Garcia and Weir is so much fun. Once again, it’s a song that sounds like it could’ve been written back in the early 1900s documenting a character’s hard ass and exhausting job working in the mine, being kept up all night by a woman who wants to do nothing but fuck, and the competition of though as to whether go back to work or, well, just stay home and screw. Great, fun song.
Black Peter
With “Black Peter,” we go from the fun of “New Cumberland Blues” to the lowest of low moods. This song documents the death of someone called “Black Peter.” In the first ¾ of the song, the lyrics are sung in the first person of a man who I assume is dying of the plague. Once again, the song seems to have a “traditional” vibe to it, which leads me to associate it with the early 1900s. This song is so captivating to me because it’s sung from the standpoint of someone dying. Is this what it’s like to look death in the eye but to document it word for word? Garcia’s voice is so painfully beautiful that he manages to channel the character and relay the story in a way that is gutwrenching. Not an uplifting song by any means but a beautifully painful and dark song.
Easy Wind
“Easy Wind” is a gnarly, groove-driven song that, yet again, features a character working “chipping rocks for the great highway.” This is also the only song to feature Ron “Pigpen” McKernan on lead vocals and harmonica. This song is so full of grit, and I can just about feel the oppressive foot of “the man” on my back. I can feel the heat, smell the dust, and feel the sweat running down my back, and I wish for better times. This song is fucking fantastic and is also a sadly overlooked song in the Dead’s catalog.
Casey Jones
Hands down one of the most iconic Grateful Dead songs. Even if you don’t like the Grateful Dead or know very little about them, you have heard this song. Casey Jones is a character that has been featured in many songs in Americana music dating as far back as 1909 in a song called “The Ballad of Casey Jones.” According to history, Jonathan Luther “Casey” Jones from Jackson, Tennessee, was an American railroader who was killed when his passenger train collided with a stalled freight train at Vaughan, Mississippi. Knowing this now, even with the song’s someone humorous lyrics, it tells a dark story of a real-life tragedy.
In a nutshell, Workingman’s Dead is an outstandingly remarkable album that has stood the test of time since its 1970 release. The songs are so perfectly crafted and executed. The songs also have such a classic, old-time vibe to them that some people to this day think that these songs are traditional songs that were just re-arranged by the Dead. Dead lyricist Robert Hunter was able to craft songs that possessed such a traditional vibe by tapping into his knowledge and passion for old-time America.
In my opinion, Workingman’s Dead is an album that I feel everyone should listen to at least once. You don’t have to be a Grateful Dead fan, and you don’t have to fear having to subscribe to a lifetime of being a Deadhead. If you appreciate roots-based Americana music, great guitar playing, and songs performed and written as good if not better than many of their peers, this is the album for you. Put aside any preconceived notions you may have about the Grateful Dead and dive into this album. You may find your new favorite album.
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