The Grateful Dead: In The Dark - 1987
Seven years after two excellent albums, The Grateful Dead returned with this, an absolute killer of a rock album that is accessible, clever and all-round likeable.
Touch Of Grey is a really catchy opener, with great riffs and singalong hooks aplenty. As 1987 rock offerings go, it is up there as one of the best. A rat-a-tat rum roll introduces the solid riffage of Hell In A Bucket which has a fair few echoes of Joe Walsh and Don Henley. When Push Comes To Shove is a rollicking piece of bar-room blues rock driven along by some fine piano.
West L.A Fadeaway is pure Dire Straits in many ways with its Knopfler guitar sound and quiet, smoky blues rock ambience. It gets into its groove and just keeps going over its seven minutes. There is something Dylan and Clapton-esque about it in places, too.
Tons Of Steel is get out on the highway Eagles/Don Henley rock and is a copper-bottomed driving rocker, full of atmosphere and on the road melody. Throwing Stones is another in this procession of top quality tracks. It is also Dire Straits in feel but with some of The Dead's own distinctive groove in there making it really attractive. It is sort of hard to describe just what it is but you just know it when you hear it. Lyrically, it also touches on political corruption in a more direct way than The Dead usually serve up. Their lyrics are often more obtuse than they are here. It features a great guitar solo in the middle as well. Let it never be forgotten that The Dead could play.
The album ends with a classic in the anthemic and beautiful Black Muddy River which is a lovely piece of slow, solid rock with a bit of a sad country tone to it. I can't analyse it much other than it is uplifting and inspiring. Listening to its mournful Van Morrison-esque tones makes me feel good, in some strange way. Like its two predecessors, this was a really good album - varied, unique AOR at its best. Strangely enough, however, the more I like an album in an unthreatening way, like this one, the less I can write about it.
