The Grateful Dead made their reputation on the road with their live shows, and they always struggled to capture that magic in the studio.
From the Mars Hotel, while not a classic, represents one of their better studio albums.
Jerry Garcia sounds engaged throughout and takes the vocal reigns for most of the songs on the album -- although he's not the most gifted vocalist, he proves himself able and versatile.
He sings the rollicking opener, "U.S.
Blues," with a tongue-in-cheek seriousness that gives the political song an edge, and he lends emotional sincerity to the atmospheric ballad "China Doll." Garcia shines on guitar during the funk workout "Scarlet Begonias," but the ensemble work is best displayed on the album's centerpiece, "Unbroken Chain." During this song, all the musicians are allowed to shine: Phil Lesh, the bassist and songwriter, provides tender vocals over a piano-based arrangement while the bridge allows the guitars and drums to stretch out in classic Grateful Dead style.
This album is highly recommended for fans, but casual listeners should start with American Beauty or Workingman's Dead.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | U.S. BluesJerry Garcia, Robert Hunter | Grateful Dead | Play | 04:40 | 10 MB | 30 MB |
| 2 | China DollJerry Garcia, Robert Hunter | Grateful Dead | Play | 04:10 | 9 MB | 24 MB |
| 3 | Unbroken ChainPhil Lesh, Robert Peterson | Grateful Dead | Play | 06:45 | 15 MB | 44 MB |
| 4 | Loose LucyJerry Garcia, Robert Hunter | Grateful Dead | Play | 03:21 | 7 MB | 24 MB |
| 5 | Scarlet BegoniasJerry Garcia, Robert Hunter | Grateful Dead | Play | 04:19 | 9 MB | 28 MB |
| 6 | Pride of CucamongaPhil Lesh, Robert Peterson | Grateful Dead | Play | 04:16 | 9 MB | 29 MB |
| 7 | Money MoneyJohn Perry Barlow, Bob Weir | Grateful Dead | Play | 04:24 | 10 MB | 29 MB |
| 8 | Ship of FoolsJerry Garcia, Robert Hunter | Grateful Dead | Play | 05:38 | 12 MB | 32 MB |
| 37 mins | 86 MB | |||||
| 37 mins | 243 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bill Atwood | Trumpet |
| 2 | John Perry Barlow | Composer |
| 3 | Vassar Clements | Violin |
| 4 | Joe Ellis | Trumpet |
| 5 | Martin Fierro | Saxophone |
| 6 | Sarah Fulcher | Vocals |
| 7 | Jerry Garcia | Composer, Guitar, Member of Attributed Artist, Vocals |
| 8 | Donna Jean Godchaux | Member of Attributed Artist, Vocals (Background) |
| 9 | Keith Godchaux | Harpsichord, Keyboards, Member of Attributed Artist |
| 10 | Grateful Dead | Primary Artist |
| 11 | Robert Hunter | Composer |
| 12 | Matthew Kelly | Harmonica |
| 13 | Bill Kreutzmann | Drums, Member of Attributed Artist |
| 14 | Ned Lagin | Additional Personnel, Guest Artist, Synthesizer |
| 15 | Phil Lesh | Bass, Bass Instrument, Composer, Member of Attributed Artist, Vocals |
| 16 | Mary Ann Mayer | Creation, Illustrations |
| 17 | John McFee | Additional Personnel, Guest Artist, Pedal Steel Guitar |
| 18 | Frank Morin | Saxophone |
| 19 | Pat O'Hara | Trombone |
| 20 | Robert Peterson | Composer |
| 21 | Doug Sahm | Guitar |
| 22 | Benny Velarde | Percussion |
| 23 | Bob Weir | Composer, Guitar, Member of Attributed Artist, Vocals |
Grateful Dead
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |