It takes a train to cry

Press, 1 September 1977, Page 13

It takes a train to cry

by

NEVIN TOPP

Grateful Dead “Terrapin Station” (Arista AL7001): For the Grateful Dead fans, who have lasted through two Warner Bros, albums, one Round album and four United Artists albums, this debut album for Arista may come as quite a shock.

What’s this? The Dead doing “Dancin’ in the Streets.” Never would have believed it, except i hat it is an exceptionally fine cover version of the song put out by Martha Reeves and the Vandelles.

The Dead have also employed a producer, Keith Olsen. of “Fleetwood Mac” album fame, for the first time in its career.

Those seriously into the Dead's anarchic philosophy, which spans from the time of Ken Kesey, the Merry Pranksters and Electric Kool-Aid Acid Tests, will be asking has the group sold out?

For those into the group’s music the answer will come as “no.” A listen to the title track, “Terrapin Station,” which takes up the entire second side, is enough on its own. Musically, the group has got a lot tighter, sharper, and polished.

“Terrapin Station” features some excellent guitar work by Jerry Garcia, but even better is the use of electric violin,

the drumming techniques of Micky Hart and Bill Kreutzmann, and the vocals, particularly those of Donna Godchaux. Whoever, takes the lead vocal of this track, sounds like lan Anderson of Jethro Tull, with a rustic voice straight out of "Songs From The Wood” — except that it is far better. Indeed, the vocals on the album have the harmonic sound of the Beatles.

The disciplined influences of Olsen comes through clearly, making a complete change from the overdubbed, and sometimes fragmented music the Grateful Dead did previously.

Still, who would have believed it, one of the pioneers of the West Coast sound turning in a song like “Estimated Prophet” with its disco reggae rhythms. The Crusaders “Those Southern Knights” (Blue Thumb BTSD-6024): Today, we have some good news and some bad news.

The good news is that there should be another Crusaders album following this excellent one, but the bad news is that guitarist Larry Carlton has decided to leave the group. His playing is held up rock and jazz fans

alike, and has featured witl the likes of John Klemmer and Michael Franks, both of whom are into the cool, funky jazz rock that the Crusaders like to play.

There seems to be some guarantee that the Crusaders will not let you down — and “Those Southern Knights” is no exception.

Again the tightness is laid down by bassist, Robert “Pop” Popwell, and drummer, “Stix” Hooper, over which is laid some excellent electric paino work by Joe Sample, guitars by Carlton, and Wayne Flenderson and Wilton Felder on brass. “Keep That Same Old Feeling” could easily be a disco number for the < .mmodores mixing typical Crusader drive, especially the bass drum beat of I’ toper, to some choral chants that the group seems to favour. They do it again on “And Then There Was the Blues.” “Serenity” shows of a quieter side, while “Feeling Funky” does exactly that. “My Mama Told Me So” brings out the best in Sample’s keyboards and .'.so Wayne Henderson’s trombone.

Like Klemmer and Franks, T can’t say enough about this type of cool, funky, laid-back music that is being produced. The only way is to listen.