Various Artists - Stolen Roses Songs of the Grateful Dead (15 tracks) +Album Reviews

An uneven tribute that doesn't come close to the original...

Jac Polsgrove | Tucson, Arizona | 08/10/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I picked this CD up on the second day it was out, which also happened to be Aug. 9, the fifth anniversary of Jerry Garcia's death. I was hoping this would be a fitting fifth anniversary tribute, but it falls flat for the most part. The 77-minute CD opens with a nice Cumberland Blues by the Cache Valley Drifters, then slumps with a theatre troupe's performance of High Time and a weak version of B.E. Woman by the Pontiac Brothers. Then comes the worst part of the CD, an audience recording of Dylan doing Friend of the Devil. The performance is undated, but surely Dylan could've provided a soundboard. The audience recording is poor and Dylan's voice is whiney. I saw him in San Diego a month ago and he was great, so this performance is probably from his lost whiney period of a couple of years ago. What I'd hoped would be the CD's high point, the David Grisman Quintet doing a 10-minute Dark Star, instead turned out to be b-o-r-i-n-g, with none of the subtle nuance and dancing notes that trickled from Jerry's guitar in this eternal Dead classic. Surprisingly, one cut that I thought would be bad turned out just the opposite: Henry Rollins doing Franklin's Tower. OK, you can't tell it's Franklin's, but Rollins -- and I'm not a fan of his -- takes the tune and makes it his own. Probably the most enjoyable moment comes from a sad, plaintive version of Black Peter that Patti Smith cut on 8/9/95, the day of Jerry's death. She and band were in the studio working on Gone Again when they heard of Jerry's death. An impromptu version of Black Peter came from Patti's soul and its deep darkness conveys the sadness of that day five years ago. For Dead fanatics like myself, this CD is OK. For the average person, find someone who's got the CD and tape Patti Smith. (An a capella Black Muddy River by the Persuasions is also a brief treat.) Overall, though, this album is just like the recent Gram Parsons tribute CD: it only serves to remind the listener just how great the original was. Nothing comes close to the real thing..."

The Music Never Stopped...

Jac Polsgrove | 08/09/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Eclectic. This is the word that I would use to describe this Grateful Dead tribute disc. I have heard about the disc for quite some time now, and I must say that I am pleased with the results. From the bluegrass styling of the Cache Valley Drifters ("Cumberland Blues") and Cumberland Blues Cast ("High Time") to the rocking riffs of Widespread Panic ("Cream Puff War") and The Pontiac Brothers ("Brown Eyed Women")-plus everything in between. Listening to the disc just reminds of me how many influences there were to the Grateful Dead's music: bluegrass, folk, jazz, and rock. And hearing the vocal harmonies on "Black Muddy River" (by the Persuasions) reminds me of the first time I had heard "Uncle John's Band" on the Workingman's Dead album-those boys were no slouches themselves.Anyway, my favorite tracks on this disc are the Bob Dylan cover of "Friend of the Devil" and the "Dawg-music" take on "Dark Star" by David Grisman. I have given this disc a four star review on account of the Wartime cover of "Franklin's Tower"-it just doesn't seem to fit within the flow of the disc (in my humble opinion). This will probably be the one track that I skip over on this otherwise fine tribute to the Grateful Dead. In the end, it's all about the music. And it is quite apparent that the music and legacy of the Grateful Dead has touched a great number of people in number ways. I give two thumbs up to the producers, the artists, and lastly, the Dead, themselves, for putting out a great disc. I hope that Garcia is smiling, like he always had been, in the astral plane."

Interpretations of Greatful Dead Songs

Gary Nallan | Asheville, NC | 09/20/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Many of my favorite Grateful Dead songs are their interpretations of others' music, e.g., Bob Dylan.Producer David Gans has provided us here with the opposite, interpretations by others of Grateful Dead songs.Any serious fan of the Grateful Dead will love this album.My favorite tracks are by Elvis Costello: Ship of Fools/It Must Have Been the Roses, Bob Dylan: Friend of the Devil, and Joe Gallant and Illuminati: Unbroken Chain.The finale is by the Stanford Marching Band: Uncle John's Band. No kidding....it'll make you laugh!"

A Thing of Beauty & Weirdness

Steve Solomon | 08/27/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I strongly recommend "Stolen Roses". It is a thing of beauty; not at all your run of the mill tribute record. In their various and varied re-interpretations by performers ranging from Dylan, to Patty Smith, to Henry Rollings, to The Persuasions, the power and simplicity of Garcia and Hunter's songs leap into relief. They beg the question, how was it that their immense talent with song-craft went so long popularly unrecognized?Patty Smith's "Black Peter" (a thing of astonishing, ragged and just right beauty, in itself) was recorded the night of Garcia's dispatch to his chores in Hell. Her band was in the studio for a date that just fell apart and into an all-night jam on Dead tunes. Rollin's take on "Franklin's Tower" transforms sunshine into pure, liquid metal-shearing evil. Dylan does a "Friend of the Devil" that owns the bank on loneliness and desperation. The Persuasions' "Black Muddy River" is just the thing if you're in the mood for wisdom rendered in sweet aural molasses. There's a ton of other great stuff on the disc, too.Oh, and Elvis Costello reveals his secret Deadhead-dom in his liner-notes!"

Very disappointing, even if you like covers of Dead material

Dean Esmay | Westland, MI United States | 11/12/2001

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Let me start by being very clear: I not only like the Grateful Dead, but I really enjoy good covers of their material. In fact I think that, like Bob Dylan, the Dead's best songwriting often becomes most apparent when someone else does the performance. The Grateful Dead often gave wonderful performances, but just as often other artists have done even more wonderful things with the same material.A case in point is the Persuasions' collection of Dead material, MIGHT AS WELL. Another is the DEADICATED benefit of a couple of years ago.Unfortunately, this collection lacks any sense of cohesion, and many of the performances are rather simple and uncreative. There are two or three gems on here, especially material by Elvis Costello and the Persuasions, but unfortunately there's a lot of chaff you have to separate to get to the wheat. Worth picking up if you're a diehard fan who just must have all things Dead, but otherwise, don't bother. Check out some of the other cover albums first, or just get one of the better collections of material actually performed by the Dead, like ONE FROM THE VAULT, EUROPE '72, PEAKIN' AT THE BEACON, or SKULL & ROSES."

Search - Various Artists :: Stolen Roses: Songs of the Grateful Dead

CD Details

Synopsis

Similarly Requested CDs

CD Reviews