Indie rockers have reincarnated the Grateful Dead in this five-and-a-half-hour tribute album. We give you the downlow the best tracks.
Last summer the Grateful Dead’s 50th anniversary was marked with five massive stadium concerts dubbed “Fare Thee Well,” a set of shows billed as the last time the band’s four remaining members would perform together on stage. The shows definitely had an air of celebratory finality, but ever since the 1995 death of the Dead’s iconic guitarist, Jerry Garcia, the band’s vast catalog has been steadily relived by countless acts—from Dead-member side projects to cover bands to artists from wildly different genres—and that doesn’t seem to be slowing down.
Case in point: “Day of the Dead,” a new extensive compilation of Dead covers curated by brothers Aaron and Bryce Dessner, both guitarists in lauded indie rock outfit the National. Released in late spring and featuring 59 tracks that run a total of five and a half hours, the new set is a marathon of music that looks back on all eras of the Dead canon with an eclectically fresh perspective. The Dessners normally play in a band that wouldn’t be pegged as Dead disciples, but as the twins spent approximately five years pulling together the massive compilation, they soon realized many of their contemporaries and predecessors in the indie and alt-rock worlds were also longtime fans.
As a result, The Dessners were able to assemble a heavy roster of talent, blending artists that represent a broad range of musical styles. There are plenty of emerging acts in indie folk, pop and roots rock (Kurt Vile, Lucius, Local Natives, Cass McCombs and Angel Olsen, among many others), along with more established Americana heroes (think Bruce Hornsby and Lucinda Williams), and even perspectives from abroad (Orchestra Baobab). Cumulatively, the variety of voices helps unearth the breadth of the Dead’s musical influences, offering a unique and insightful look at how the band blended elements of folk, blues, rock, country and jazz into its own wide-open sound.
Here are 10 Key Tracks from “Day of the Dead”:
The National
“Morning Dew”
The Dead turned this folk song into an eerily reflective electric ballad, recorded on the band’s debut album and remaining in the live repertoire until the group’s last summer on the road in 1995. The song gets even more darkly mystical in the sonic realm of the National, led by the brooding vocals of front man Matt Berninger. Given the timing of the release, it’s possible “Morning Dew” could show up in the National’s setlist during the band’s upcoming July 31 show at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. That show will be supported by Real Estate (who also appear on “Day of the Dead” with a pop-minded turn on “Here Comes Sunshine”).
War on Drugs
“Touch of Grey”
War on Drugs front man Adam Granduciel lends his best Bob Dylan cadence to this airy, synth-driven stroll through the Dead’s only song to ever crack Billboard’s Top 40 chart. While this song, fueled by its anthemic chorus (“I will survive!”), was the Dead’s biggest foray into the mainstream, Granduciel takes it into the realm of experimental home-studio obscurity.
Courtney Barnett
“New Speedway Boogie”
Barnett’s alt-slacker vocals work perfectly with the cosmic pondering that originally surfaced on the 1970 album “Workingman’s Dead.” The Dead’s version is delivered as a raw bluesy strut, and that primitive edge still lingers in Barnett’s free-spirited garage-rock jamming.
Charles Bradley
“Cumberland Blues”
Bradley, known as the “Screaming Eagle of Soul,” uses his hearty, howling voice to turn the Dead’s country-rock cruiser into a retro funk party track.
Bela Fleck
“Help on the Way”
If anyone can interpret the work of a full band with his own two hands, it’s banjo master Bela Fleck. His fleet fingers dazzle on the acoustic version of this jazz-rock favorite from live Dead shows. Oliver Wood’s rustic vocals perfectly complement this highbrow front-porch version.
The Flaming Lips
“Dark Star”
The Dead’s trippy opus finds a new psychedelic dimension in the electronic freak zone of Wayne Coyne and company.
Tunde Adebimpe, Lee Renaldo and Friends
“Playing in the Band”
The lead singer of TV on the Radio combines forces with noise rock guitar pioneer Lee Renaldo of Sonic Youth for a take on “Playing” that drifts into distorted industrial space for nearly 10 minutes.
Jim James
“Candyman”
When the My Morning Jacket front man lets his Kentucky drawl loose in this version of “Candyman,” it becomes clear that the Dead’s 1970 acoustic-based album “American Beauty” is that perfect blend of roots music we now call Americana many years before its time.
Lucius
“Uncle John’s Band”
The sweetly combined voices of Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig turn this campfire sing-along into a piece of hip indie pop ear candy.
Wilco with Bob Weir
“St. Stephen”
It seems only fitting to have an actual Grateful Dead member make an appearance somewhere on this epic album honoring the band. Weir plays his usual supporting role in this version of “St. Stephen” taken from a live show. Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy handles lead vocals and Nels Clines adds a ripping solo to this vintage jam vehicle.
