I’ve always thought this was a great album; today I decided it’s better than that. I praised The Band’s Big Pink and brown albums for trying to bring folks together in divisive times. The Grateful Dead was doing it too with Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty.
Big changes for the Dead on this album. The band decided to be tuneful, of all things. In a memoir one of them said for years they’d leave the Fillmore after a psychedelic set laughing that no one went home whistling that. Then they decided to give melody a chance. Robert Hunter was writing lyrics that described things. The words jumped out at me: are you kind; when life looks like easy street, there is danger at your door; won’t you come with me; come with me or go alone; he’s come to take his children home; ain’t no time to hate; I can hear your voice; don’t think too hard; you know what I’m saying; one way or another, this darkness had got to give; who can deny, who can deny; I can’t help you with your troubles if you won’t help with mine.
They aren’t singing about fighting in the street or Anastasia’s screams. If their words were any more communitarian, they’d be singing Kumbaya. I like that they are positive. Workingman’s Dead: Come for Casey Jones, listen to it all for the tunes and the lyrics.
converselyspeaking 