Grateful Dead: “Workingman’s Dead (50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)” (2020) CD Review

Workingman’s Dead was the first Grateful Dead album I ever bought, and it is one of the band’s two best studio albums, the other being American Beauty. Both albums were released in 1970, fifty years ago. To celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the release of Workingman’s Dead, a special three-disc deluxe edition has been released. The second and third discs contain a complete show from 1971. Workingman’s Dead had quite a different sound from the band’s previous releases, this one highlighting the group’s folk and country roots and influences, with a focus on Robert Hunter’s lyrics. These days when I listen to the Dead, I turn mostly to live recordings. But this is certainly an excellent album to revisit, and with this remastered edition, now is the perfect time.

Disc One: The Album

Workingman’s Dead opens with “Uncle John’s Band.” The first line sung on this album is “Well, the first days are the hardest days, don’t you worry anymore,” a line I often find myself singing, as a reminder, you know. And the harmonies are so damn good, really unlike the vocal performances on the earlier albums. And we all still want to heed the call to go hear and even join the band. “Ain’t no time to hate, barely time to wait” is another line from this song that my brain reminds me of regularly in these dark days. What a great start to the album. “Uncle John’s Band” is followed by a fantastic, kind of bluesy country song, “High Time.” The opening lines of this one are so good: “You told me goodbye/How was I to know/You didn’t mean goodbye/You meant please don’t let me go.” This song features an excellent vocal performance by Jerry Garcia. And listen to his work on pedal steel. Like a lot of Dead fans, I do wish he had played that instrument more. “Nothing’s for certain/It could always go wrong/Come in when it’s raining/Go on out when it’s gone.” Then “Dire Wolf” is so fun, so catchy, with lyrics that are easy to remember and sing along to, like any great folk song. In the strange days toward the end, when Jerry was getting death threats (yes, seriously), the band would – somewhat playfully – perform this song. “I beg of you, don’t murder me/Please don’t murder me.” But of course there were dark days early on too, and “New Speedway Boogie” deals with one of those times, the show at Altamont, where the Hell’s Angels were hired as security, one of the stupidest decisions made by anyone anywhere at any time. Yet, this song gives us a ray of hope, one I’ve been holding onto a lot lately, in the line, “One way or another, this darkness got to give.”

The most fun song on the album is “Cumberland Blues,” a fast-paced song with some heavy country and folk influences and more great blending of the voices. It’s a song about a guy who works in a mine, and is worried that the time he is spending with his woman might cause him to lose his job. So much of the Grateful Dead’s music deals, in one way or another, with death. “Black Peter” quite directly addresses the subject, depicting a man on what could be the last day of his life, and giving a sense of what that means, or doesn’t mean. This is one of those great slow songs that Jerry was so adept at delivering, moving everyone with ears to listen. Jerry sang this at the very first Grateful Dead show I attended. “See here how everything/Lead up to this day/And it’s just like any other day/That’s ever been/Sun going up and then/The sun, it going down.” Jerry Garcia’s voice is the one that dominates the album (there’s not a single Bob Weir song on it), but Pigpen gets a chance to shine on “Easy Wind,” a great song about a working man and his troubles. Pigpen delivers some delicious work on harmonica here too. The album concludes with “Casey Jones,” with that playful snort at the beginning. This song combines the folk topics of trains and cocaine. It’s a fun song, one of the first Dead tunes I ever heard on the radio, but one I never got the chance to see them perform in concert.

Disc 2: 2-21-71 Set I

The second and third discs contain the complete show the Grateful Dead performed on February 21, 1971 at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York. This was part of a six-night run at the venue. The first disc contains the complete first set. “We thank you for your patience,” Bob says as the band tunes. The crowd gets loud with anticipation, and the band begins the show with “Cold Rain And Snow,” always a good choice of openers. It might be a mellower version than some, but listen to the way Jerry delivers the line “And I’m going where those chilly winds don’t blow.” And as the song is reaching its climax, the energy is there, and the crowd is into it. They follow that with “Me And Bobby McGee,” Bobby’s vocals at first soft and gentle. And the line “Feeling good was good enough for me” stands out now, doesn’t it? Someone in the crowd then calls out, asking where Mickey Hart is, and Bobby responds that Mickey has been feeling under the weather. In fact, Mickey had left the band, though maybe not officially at that point. His father had acted as the band’s financial manager, and had made off with their money. The Dead wrote “He’s Gone” about it. Mickey was understandably torn up about it, and feeling guilty, I imagine. He would return toward the end of 1974. Anyway, the band then plays “Loser,” an interesting choice at that moment, with the lines “Last fair deal in the country/Last fair deal in the town.”

Then we get a song from Workingman’s Dead, “Easy Wind,” and as soon as it begins, the audience reacts. Oh, it must have been something to see Pigpen perform. The crowd was always excited to hear him sing. It’s not clear whether he forgets his place, or is just riffing, but it makes for an interesting version, and it’s the first song of the show to really get me dancing, the first real jamming of the show. That’s followed by “Playing In The Band,” which was new at the time, having been introduced at the first of the six shows at the Capitol Theatre. This is just the main structure of the song, no jamming. At less than five minutes, this must be one of the shortest versions they ever did. Things pick up with a fast-paced “Bertha,” and Bobby follows that with “Me And My Uncle.”

My all-time favorite song is “Ripple,” a song from American Beauty, and the band starts to play it, but has to stop after a moment to tune. “Nothing but the best for you folks,” Bobby says. And then they start it again. It is such a beautiful song, and one I never got to see them perform. They stopped playing soon after this show, revisiting it in the early 1980s and then once again in 1988 (my friend Matt was at that 1988 show). I have been able to see Dead & Company perform it a few times, for which I am thankful. Anyway, it’s a good rendition. I love the way Jerry sings the line “Nor wind to blow.” Pigpen then sings “Next Time You See Me,” also delivering some good work on harmonica. Bob follows that with “Sugar Magnolia.” Yes, a first set “Sugar Magnolia.” Well, it was less than a year old at that point. But all the energy is there, and it’s a good version. Oddly, what follows is “Greatest Story Ever Told.” Yup, two Bob songs in a row. Weird. And it leads straight into “Johnny B. Goode.” Three Bob songs in a row to wrap up the first set. Very strange. It’s like Jerry figured he gave the crowd “Ripple,” so didn’t have to do anything else until the next set. Sounds right to me.

Disc 3: 2-21-71 Set II

Before the band starts the second set, someone shouts out a request for “I Know You Rider.” Bob responds by asking the crowd to give its best coyote howl. Anyway, that guy, whoever he might be – and could he also be the best coyote howler? – gets his wish. The band opens with “China Cat Sunflower,” which promises “I Know You Rider” to follow. This is a really good and hopping “China Cat,” a great start to the set, and the transition to “I Know You Rider” is flawless. And the line “Lay down last night, lord, I could not take my rest” speaks to many of us suffering from insomnia during the pandemic. That’s followed by “Bird Song,” which has an unusual beginning. This was another song that was new, having been introduced just a couple of nights before this show. It seems like it was still being developed, feeling just a bit awkward, but Jerry’s vocal performance is magnificent, making it a moving rendition. The band then goes into a song from Workingman’s Dead, an energetic and totally enjoyable version of “Cumberland Blues.” Pigpen follows that with a blues number, a seriously cool version of “I’m A King Bee,” making his harmonica heard even before singing the first lines. And when he does deliver those first lines, it is clear he completely owns the audience. And Jerry gives us some excellent stuff on guitar. The blues are pumping and flowing. “So pull your car up in my driveway/And cut your bright lights way down low.” This track is one of the highlights of this disc.

There is an unusual moment after that when Bob asks the crowd to pick a number. The next song is “Beat It On Down The Line,” and they always start that with a number of beats, varying from performance to performance. I can’t think of another show offhand where Bob left it up to the audience to pick the number. Clearly, they were having a good time at this show. And this is an excellent rendition of “Beat It On Down The Line,” with a ton of energy and more great stuff from Jerry on guitar. Oh, by the way, the number that was chosen was five. That’s followed by one of my favorites, “Wharf Rat.” I love those slow, glorious numbers that Jerry could really sink his teeth into, and “Wharf Rat” is one of the best of that group. This is an excellent version, getting into some interesting territory toward the end. “But I’ll get back on my feet someday/The good lord willing, if he says I may.”

After a brief pause, the band launches into “Truckin’,” a song that is always appreciated. “Sometimes the lights all shining on me/Other times I can barely see/Lately it occurs to me/What a long strange trip it’s been.” Those words always ring true. Jerry then leads the band into a phenomenal version of “Casey Jones,” the energy crackling. Seriously, you’ve got to hear this version. It must be one of the best they ever performed. How do you even follow that? Well, you let Pigpen take over, that’s how. He delivers a great rendition of “Good Lovin’” that features an excellent drum solo and some wonderful vocal riffing the way that only Pigpen could do. That leads straight into a sweet rendition of “Uncle John’s Band” to wrap up the show, bringing things full circle, I suppose, since that is also the song that began this three-disc set.

CD Track List

Disc 1

1. Uncle John’s Band
2. High Time
3. Dire Wolf
4. New Speedway Boogie
5. Cumberland Blues
6. Black Peter
7. Easy Wind
8. Casey Jones

Disc 2

1. Cold Rain And Snow
2. Me And Bobby McGee
3. Loser
4. Easy Wind
5. Playing In The Band
6. Bertha
7. Me And My Uncle
8. Ripple (False Start)
9. Ripple
10. Next Time You See Me
11. Sugar Magnolia
12. Greatest Story Ever Told >
13. Johnny B. Goode

Disc 3

1. China Cat Sunflower >
2. I Know You Rider
3. Bird Song
4. Cumberland Blues
5. I’m A King Bee
6. Beat It On Down The Line
7. Wharf Rat
8. Truckin’
9. Casey Jones
10. Good Lovin’ >
11. Uncle John’s Band 

Workingman’s Dead (50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) was released on July 10, 2020.