From The Mars Hotel [50th Anniversary] [Neon Pink Vinyl] [Barnes & Noble Exclusive]

by Grateful Dead

Overview

Recorded and released in 1974, the Grateful Dead's seventh studio album From the Mars Hotel came after a ceaseless run of touring that the band built their enduring legacy on, and right before they decided to take a break from the road for a year or two. Where much of their studio output could be unfocused or not quite as exciting as the mystical group playing of their live shows, the eight songs that make up Mars Hotel strike a balance that was rare for the band. Relaxed, floating tunes like "Unbroken Chain" or concert staple "Scarlet Begonias" take liberties with studio magic, overdubbing synthesizer textures atop Jerry Garcia's tell-tale guitar soloing and dialing in their mix of layered vocal harmonies, interweaving keyboards and guitars, and dynamics that would be next to impossible to control in the concert setting. Opening track "U.S. Blues" taps into the endless boogie the band rode masterfully on stage, but deepens the instrumentation with subtle clavinet tones and piano runs. Lesser known Dead tune "Loose Lucy" is similar, while "Pride of Cucamonga" is one of several cowboy songs Phil Lesh often worked into set lists, adorned in its studio version with tinkling saloon piano and heavenly pedal steel accents. The Bob Weir-led "Money Money" presages the late night funk sleaze that would come into the forefront a few years later on Shakedown Street, but the band settles the record down easy with the gorgeous and contemplative ballad "Ship of Fools." From the Mars Hotel is an underrated segment of the Grateful Dead's studio ouvre, lacking the massive stylistic shifts or evolutionary turns that make some of their more celebrated albums stand out. The painful irony is that this album achieved the standard goal of the record industry in the early '70s; capturing some of the lightning in a bottle of an amazing live act's stage show in a way that still lets solid songwriting shine through. Though unshowy and straightforward, these eight tunes represent precisely where the Dead were at in 1974, and stand as some of their most true-to-form studio work overall. ~ Fred Thomas

Product Details

Release Date:	06/21/2024
Label:	Barnes Noble Consign
UPC:	0081227817237
Rank:	25

Tracks

1. U.S. Blues [2024 Remaster]
2. China Doll [2024 Remaster]
3. Unbroken Chain [2024 Remaster]
4. Loose Lucy [2024 Remaster]
5. Scarlet Begonias [2024 Remaster]
6. Pride of Cucamonga [2024 Remaster]
7. Money Money [2024 Remaster]
8. Ship of Fools [2024 Remaster]

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Grateful Dead   Primary Artist
Donna Jean Godchaux   Vocals (Background),Vocals
Keith Godchaux   Harpsichord,Keyboards,Piano,Vocals
Ned Lagin   Guest Artist,Synthesizer
Bob Weir   Vocals,Guitar
John McFee   Guest Artist
Bill Atwood   Trumpet
Doug Sahm   Guitar
Vassar Clements   Violin
Jerry Garcia   Guitar,Vocals
Martin Fierro   Saxophone
Matthew Kelly   Harmonica
Brent Mydland   Vocals,Keyboards
Benny Velarde   Percussion
Frank Morin   Saxophone
Sarah Fulcher   Vocals
Joe Ellis   Trumpet
Phil Lesh   Bass,Vocals,Guitar (Bass)
Mickey Hart   Drums
Pat O'Hara   Trombone
Bill Kreutzmann   Drums

Technical Credits

Joe Gastwirt   Producer,Mastering Engineer
Jerry Garcia   Composer,Producer
Roy Segal   Engineer
Hale Milfgrim   Associate Producer
Cameron Sears   Producer
Robert Gatley   Mixing Engineer
Scott Pascucci   Associate Producer
Robert Peterson   Composer
Tom Flye   Mixing Engineer
Keith Godchaux   Producer
James Austin   Producer
Robin Hurley   Associate Producer
Robert Petersen   Composer
Robert Hunter   Composer
Phil Lesh   Composer,Producer
Mickey Hart   Producer
George Horn   Mastering Engineer
Donna Jean Godchaux   Producer
Mary Ann Mayer   Creation,Illustrations
Jimmy Edwards   Associate Producer
John Perry Barlow   Composer
Chuck Berry   Composer
David Lemieux   Producer
Bob Weir   Producer,Composer
Phil Brown   Mastering Engineer
Bill Kreutzmann   Producer