Workingman's Dead

Workingman's Dead: The Angel's Share
Workingman's Dead: The Angel's Share
Studio albumby Grateful Dead
Released	July 1, 2020
Recorded	February 1970
Studio	Pacific High Recording
Label	Rhino
Grateful Deadchronology

Workingman's Dead
Workingman's Dead
Studio albumby Grateful Dead
Released	June 14, 1970
Recorded	February 1970
Studio	Pacific High Recording,San Francisco
Genre	Roots rock; folk rock; country rock; blues rock;
Length	35:33
Label	Warner Bros.
Producer	Bob Matthews; Betty Cantor; Grateful Dead;
Grateful Deadchronology
SinglesfromWorkingman's Dead
	"Uncle John's Band"; Released: July 1, 1970;

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]
American Songwriter	^[2]
Christgau's Record Guide	A^[3]
Pitchfork	9.1/10^[4]
Rolling Stone	^[5]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music	^[6]

Workingman's Deadis the fourth studio album (and fifth overall) by American rock bandGrateful Dead.It was recorded in February 1970 and originally released on June 14, 1970. The album and its studio follow-up,American Beauty,were recorded back-to-back using a similar style, eschewing thepsychedelicexperimentation of previous albums in favor ofJerry GarciaandRobert Hunter'sAmericana-styledsongcraft.

In 2003, the album was ranked number 262 onRolling Stonemagazine's list ofthe 500 greatest albums of all time,264 in a 2012 revised list,^[7]and 409 in the 2020 list.^[8]It was voted number 371 inColin Larkin'sAll Time Top 1000 Albums.^[9]

Recording[edit]

The band again recorded at Pacific High Recording Studio inSan Francisco,spending just nine days there. After the protracted sessions required for the previous two studio albums, Garcia suggested "Let's do it all in three weeks and get it the hell out of the way".^[10]Besides trying to avoid the debt that had accumulated while recordingAoxomoxoa,the band was dealing with the stress of a recent drug bust inNew Orleans– which could have resulted in jail time. Additionally, they returned from a tour to find their soon-to-be-fired manager,Lenny Hart(father of drummerMickey Hart), refusing to showthe booksto anyone else in the organization. "In midst of all this adverse stuff that was happening... [recording the album] was definitely an upper," said Garcia in an interview.^[11]

LyricistRobert Hunterhad joined the band on the road for the first time, resulting in a period of faster song development. Unlike the psychedelic, electrified music for which the band had become known, the new songs took a new direction, reviving their folk-band roots. Bassist Phil Lesh stated "The song lyrics reflected an 'old, weird' America that perhaps never was... The almost miraculous appearance of these new songs would also generate a massive paradigm shift in our group mind: from the mind-munching frenzy of a seven-headed fire-breathing dragon to the warmth and serenity of a choir of chanting cherubim. Even the album cover reflects this new direction: The cover forAoxomoxoais colorful and psychedelic, and that ofWorkingman’s Deadis monochromatic and sepia. "^[12]In recent years, a search revealed that the photograph was taken at 1199 Evans Avenue in San Francisco.^[13]

Workingman's DeadandAmerican Beauty,the companion album that followed months later, were, according to drummer Bill Kreutzmann, both influenced by theBakersfield sound.He explained "We tried to be like aBakersfieldband – but one that still sounded like we were from 300 miles north of that town... we held to our psychedelic roots.Workingman's Deadwas all about discoveringthe song...American Beautybecame all about having the harmonies to do that ".^[14]

"This was, sort of, stepping out of our spacesuit and coming down to Earth and putting on a pair of Osh Kosh and digging the furrows... we would have to bring the music in, to support the texts: Hunter'sHoly Grail"

- Mickey Hart^[15]

While on tour inBoulder, Colorado,the previous year, Garcia had purchased asteel guitarand was now keen to use it on the new batch of songs. Lesh explained, "Just as with any other instrument he picked up, he made it sing. The main impetus for this development was the nature of the new songs Hunter and Jerry had been writing; many of them had a decidedly country flavor ('Dire Wolf,' 'Friend of the Devil,' 'High Time,' 'Casey Jones,' 'Ripple'), and Jerry began using the new axe on these as they were slotted into the set lists. Bobby [Weir] also began bringing in covers of his favorite country tunes and some originals in that vein, so we were starting to see a trend developing. Personally, I was thrilled that the band could make such a complete musical about-face while still maintaining the flat-out weirdness that I’d come to know and love."^[16]

Songs such as "Uncle John's Band", "High Time", and "Cumberland Blues" were brought to life with soaring harmonies and layered vocal textures that had not previously been a part of the band's sound. According to the 1992 Dead oral history,Aces Back to Back,in the summer of 1968,Stephen Stillsvacationed at Mickey Hart's ranch in Novato. "Stills lived with me for three months around the time of CSN's first record," recalls Hart, "and he andDavid Crosbyreally turned Jerry and Bobby onto the voice as the holy instrument. You know, 'Hey, is this what a voice can do?' That turned us away from pure improvisation and more toward songs. "^[17]

Garcia commented that much of the sound of the album comes both from his pairing with Hunter, as well as the band's friendship withCrosby, Stills and Nash:"Hearing those guys sing and how nice they sounded together, we thought, 'We can try that. Let's work on it a little'."^[18]

Release[edit]

The album title came about when Jerry Garcia commented to lyricist Robert Hunter that the album was "turning into the 'workingman's Dead' version of the band".^[19]Having both worked on all of the album's songs and gone out on the road with the band, Hunter appears as a seventh member on the front cover photograph.

Warner Bros. released "Uncle John's Band" (backed with"New Speedway Boogie" ) as a single to promote the album. It received limited airplay, even though it was edited to a radio-friendly three-minute length and the lyric "goddamn" removed.

Readers ofRolling StonevotedWorkingman's Deadthe best album of 1970, followed by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young'sDéjà VuandVan Morrison'sMoondance.^[19]

The album was remastered and expanded in 2001 as part ofThe Golden Road (1965–1973)12-CD box set. This version, given separate release in 2003, includes eight bonus tracks. ADVD-Audioversion was also released in 2001, without the bonus material. In 2014 it was issued as a two-LP set, mastered at 45 rpm byMobile Fidelity Sound Lab.

On July 10, 2020 Rhino Records released the "50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition" of Workingman's Dead. Disc one contains a newly remastered mix of the album. Discs two and three contain a previously unreleased complete concert from theCapitol TheaterinPort Chester, New York,recorded on February 21, 1971.^[20]

Track listing[edit]

All songs written by Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter, except where noted.

Side one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Lead vocals	Length
1.	"Uncle John's Band"	Jerry Garcia Robert Hunter	Garcia Bob Weir Phil Lesh	4:42
2.	"High Time"	Garcia Hunter	Garcia	5:13
3.	"Dire Wolf"	Garcia Hunter	Garcia	3:13
4.	"New Speedway Boogie"	Garcia Hunter	Garcia	4:05
Total length:				17:13

Side two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Lead vocals	Length
1.	"Cumberland Blues"	Garcia Lesh Hunter	Garcia Weir Lesh	3:15
2.	"Black Peter"	Garcia Hunter	Garcia	5:42
3.	"Easy Wind"	Hunter	Ron McKernan	4:59
4.	"Casey Jones"	Garcia Hunter	Garcia	4:24
Total length:				18:20

2001/2003 reissue bonus tracks
No.	Title	Length
9.	"New Speedway Boogie" (alternate mix)	4:10
10.	"Dire Wolf" (live)	2:31
11.	"Black Peter" (live)	9:07
12.	"Easy Wind" (live)	8:09
13.	"Cumberland Blues" (live)	4:52
14.	"Mason's Children" (live: Garcia, Lesh,Bob Weir,Hunter)	6:32
15.	"Uncle John's Band" (live)	7:57
16.	"Radio promo"	1:00
Total length:		44:18 79:51

Bonus track details

"Dire Wolf" recorded June 27, 1969, at Santa Rosa Veterans Memorial Hall,Santa Rosa,CA
"Black Peter" recorded January 10, 1970, at Golden Hall Community Concourse,San Diego,CA
"Easy Wind" recorded January 16, 1970, at Springer's Ballroom,Gresham,OR
"Cumberland Blues" recorded January 17, 1970, at Oregon State University (Gymnasium),Corvallis,OR
"Mason's Children" recorded January 24, 1970 at Civic Auditorium,Honolulu,HI (later released with complete concert onDave's Picks Volume 19)
"Uncle John's Band" recorded October 4, 1970, atWinterland,San Francisco,CA (sleeve notes incorrectly list as December 23, 1970, Winterland;^[21]another track from this date is a bonus onAmerican Beauty)

50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition – disc two

February 21, 1971 (Set 1) – Capitol Theatre – Port Chester, New York
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Cold Rain and Snow" (traditional, arranged by Grateful Dead)	7:36
2.	"Me and Bobby McGee"(Kris Kristofferson,Fred Foster)	7:33
3.	"Loser" (Garcia, Hunter)	6:54
4.	"Easy Wind"	8:49
5.	"Playing in the Band"(Weir,Hart,Hunter)	5:25
6.	"Bertha"(Garcia, Hunter)	6:13
7.	"Me and My Uncle"(John Phillips)	3:56
8.	"Ripple" (false start)	1:09
9.	"Ripple"(Garcia, Hunter)	5:24
10.	"Next Time You See Me"(Earl Forest,Bill Harvey)	4:39
11.	"Sugar Magnolia"(Bob Weir,Robert Hunter)	6:08
12.	"Greatest Story Ever Told" (Weir, Hunter)	4:09
13.	"Johnny B. Goode"(Chuck Berry)	3:42
Total length:		71:37 107:10

50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition – disc three

February 21, 1971 (Set 2) – Capitol Theatre – Port Chester, New York
No.	Title	Length
1.	"China Cat Sunflower"(Garcia, Hunter)	6:20
2.	"I Know You Rider"(traditional, arranged by Grateful Dead)	4:29
3.	"Bird Song" (Garcia, Hunter)	6:17
4.	"Cumberland Blues"	4:55
5.	"I'm a King Bee"(Slim Harpo)	7:32
6.	"Beat It On Down the Line"(Jesse Fuller)	3:17
7.	"Wharf Rat" (Garcia, Hunter)	9:46
8.	"Truckin'"(Garcia,Lesh,Weir, Hunter)	8:07
9.	"Casey Jones"	4:39
10.	"Good Lovin'"(Artie Resnick,Rudy Clark)	17:00
11.	"Uncle John's Band"	7:27
Total length:		79:49 186:59