Customer Reviews

From The Mars Hotel

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This album was actually quite hard to find for a long time, but not anymore. Now we get the original 8 classic tracks nicely remastered, and with 7 bonus tracks. This is a personal favorite of mine, and sometimes I think even better than "American Beauty". Included are the excellent jams "US Blues" and "Loose Lucy", the softies "China Doll" and "Ship Of Fools", and my favorites "Scarlet Begonias" and the spacey "Unbroken Chain". The extras here are outtakes/demos of "Loose Lucy", "Pride Of Cucamonga", and "Unbroken Chain", plus live versions of "Scarlet Begonias", "Money Money", "Wave That Flag", AND "Let It Rock". In short, with the better sound and added tracks, this classic disc is now twice as nice.

IF YOU LOOK AT IT RIGHT! ... It could be an illusion, but I might as well try. That line from Scarlett Begonias always stood out. When I bought this as a teenager in the 70's, I was just becoming a big Dead fan and had recently been blown away by the trippiest concert I had ever seen. I slowly began moving in (to the MARS HOTEL) and became the guest who never left - the lizard on the wall, just hangin' out with the band. A few other DEAD recordings were earliest favorites, but it didn't take long for this one to become a regular spin, and it always gave me a welcome lift (still does). I wouldn't ever WANT to leave!

This album feels to me like the FAMILY ALBUM, a milestone recording documenting the huge build-up to that point (with the GD, we all began hovering around the warm and sparkling fire they created and became family at some point, at least it feels that way to me). Look how Phil Lesh breaks out on here - Unbroken Chain (one of the best) and Pride of Cucamonga (no, that's not Jerry playing the pedal steel, but John Mcphee) are big classics for me. The extended, multi-part Garcia guitar lead on Chain, combined with the trippy warbling synthesizer (played by Ned Lagin) is a high point for sure and has always made my hairs stand on end. Both songs have unreleased demo versions on here showing the bare bones guitar framework ... interesting for players, even with the "practice" singing.

Can any DEAD fan deny that Scarlett Begonias ROCKS! Now that is a sweet song ... Garcia weaves the most beautiful melodies (the guitar lead is a beauty) and Weir shows-off with his empathic chord work (they sling the energy all over and pull it all back without blinking), the rhythm section is tight as can be. For all of the doubters out there who always say The Dead were too loosey goosey and didn't ever tighten the screws, the 9:09 min live extra is another example that they were ON during this era, as tuned in to eachother as any band around, and it shows - great stuff!

Is it just me, or is China Doll not one of the most pretty little ditties on any DEAD album (and lyrically cool - a Hunter/Garcia creation), with its harmonies, chimes and clavichord? Nice touch of whimsey, I don't get it why some don't like it.

I've heard it said that Weir's Money Money is the worst song on here ... I don't know, it is a little awkward in parts, but it is FUNNY and Jerry plays some nice licks. The live extra is interesting, but not a highlight. It's odd that Weir didn't add more writing on here, but he does contribute nicely in other songs (some live versions pull him out a little more). The other song that gets unfairly lambasted is Loose Lucy. Another funny one, about "relationships" with women: "singin' yeah, yeah, yeah", ... they're just having FUN, don't be insulted! The extra studio outtake might be even better than the original with its slower, funkier approach. I've always liked it, very catchy.

To tie it all up, the mellow but cutting Ship of Fools - with organs blazin' and Phil laying anchor with his bouncy playing, Jerry sprinkling one of the sweetest leads and singing with his best wharf rat persona - doesn't drift away too far, but isn't left there to float either, great song and one of my favorites!

If your feeling those U.S. Blues, just start with that DEAD anthem (wave that flag), pick up your China Doll, wander your way through the Begonias and you will know why this IS THE PRIDE of Cucamonga. This is a FUN ALBUM, LET IT ROCK (an odd little Chuck Berry jam - an extra on here)! THANK YOU ... for a real good time (Loose Lucy).

The evolution was already in progress and the music of The Grateful Dead had come a long, long way from from 1967 when the band released their very first record: "Grateful Dead" to this highwater mark of San Francisco rock exploration entitled: "From The Mars Hotel". First released way back in 1974, this little gem was as close as this fantastic band would come to big-time mainstream success until the big bust through of: "In The Dark" in 1987.

With only eight songs on the original release, this re-issue has an additional seven tracks added on to really increase it's value. For the original eight, six of that bunch are considered 'Classic' Dead songs. For most of us the two diamonds from the pen of Phil Lesh are the stars of this show: "Unbroken Chain" & "Pride Of Cucamonga". But Jerry weighs-in heavy as well on "Mars Hotel" with three stunners of his own: "U.S. Blues", Ship Of Fools" & "Scarlet Begonias" which would be staples of the live shows...{Well, they STILL are included in the live shows}. And then there is: "China Doll", that is about the most beatiful ballad this band ever performed in the 30 Years they existed.

Some of the Grateful Dead's most majestic playing can be found on this record. The arrangements are well thought out, and every note played here is on-the-mark. The piano of Keith Godchaux makes every tune better because of what he plays. Bill Kreutmann, the drummer often sounds like three guys, he really gets to leave his stamp on these great recordings. And Jerry? Some of his finest Solos found on an studio GD record are to be found on this one! He snakes around and dances brightly with this. The melodies are real fine, and with Jerry's help and explorations things head for other star systems often. Jerry reaches and pulls things from spots other players don't know of. But, as space is chanced upon here more than once, he never loses his path or focus, This is controlled fun. Mister Garcia, is sharp and bright in his tones and with the colors he paints here. Jerry, is just plain awesome throughout.

I thought the Dead would have a hit single or two from this record and blunder some booty on the ol' AM Radio...But, alas that was not to be. Still, this is a winner on all other counts. "Mars Hotel" is favorite GD recording from the 1970's. This a grand space exploration not to be missed!

The bonus material does not detract from the glory of the original record. And I'm pleased to see a version of: "Wave That Flag", The early rendition of: "U.S. Blues", included here. Also of note is a Dead version of: "Let It Rock", normally this Chuck Berry gem is featured in Jerry's band at his live shows, but here is, a stompin' live Dead version. The real treat is saved until the end of this CD, with the inclusion of Phil's, acoustic demos of: "Unbroken Chain" & "Pride Of Cucamonga" that show the master bassman at the peak of his powers of creative cool.

A Five Star CD!!! It would be equaled over and over again BUT never bested. The goods are right here on this fantastic CD.

Pro: Sounds a lot like my old LP

Con: My old LP does not sound as crisp as the Rhino remaster. I'm keeping both but the Rhino is what I would recommend for overall better sound quality and MUCH better value.

I love the good ol' Grateful Dead. They got started a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. The editorial review actually says they started creatively expanding their long, strange trip in 1873. Well, okay, I guess maybe they did. Perhaps their music gave them increased longevity. There is definitely something magic about it. Anyway, I really have always absolutely positively LOVED this album, and I consider it the Dead's best studio release ever. One of the greatest albums of all time by the greatest American rock and roll band ever (only possible exception - The Doors). If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would - it's that good. My personal favorites on this album happen to be bassist Phil Lesh's 2 contributions: Unbroken Chain and Pride of Cucamonga. Everything Phil Lesh wrote for the Grateful Dead was super. It's great to have 2 of his coolest songs on the same album. Unbroken Chain is probably my all time favorite Grateful Dead song. I think Garcia's Ship of Fools is, well, amazing. Every other song on this album is great, too. Loose Lucy is incredibly groovy. Scarlet Begonias is one of the Dead's catchiest songs. Money Money is a great song, and how true the message is - thank you Bobby for you eternal wisdom... and China Doll is a lovely heartfelt little number with nice lyrics, sung by the late great Garcia. US Blues is a clever rock and roller that holds up as well today as it did when it was released, considering all the absurdity that's still going on with the US today. I sure have the US Blues - don't we all? Well, that's all I want to say about this album for now. If you don't have it, get it, or else you really are missing out. I would like to write more and describe it in more detail, but I think it's better to let the music speak for itself.

By 1973, the Dead were doing what only a few other bands (the Moody Blues among them) had only idly spoken about or attempted: They were running their own record label, releasing exactly what they wanted to, and answering to nobody but themselves. The upside to this argument is, of course, the high level of personal and artistic freedom it allowed the Dead. However, the downside was the headaches that came with running said label day to day and actually getting the records out there and promoting them. Three albums were released on Grateful Dead Records, all of which have moments of true brilliance on them: Wake of the Flood, From the Mars Hotel, and Blues for Allah. There laid the rub: How was a band which was said to stand for everything anti-Establishment supposed to enter the material world of record sales and promotion and survive? This is most likely why the three GDR albums are much less known to the average listener. They simply weren't promoted as well as they might have been on Warner Brothers or Arista. However, each of these albums bequeathed many a tune to the setlists of years to come, and other songs that fans begged the band to play, but which were simply too unwieldy at the time. From the Mars Hotel was the first of these albums I heard at a friend's house one night, and it has kept a treasured place in my stack of Dead memories to this day. Only one song seems to me to be out of place: "Money Money". I still cannot figure out if Bob Weir was singing tongue-in-cheek or if he was seriously angry at some unnamed female. Otherwise, Mars Hotel is a near-seamless blend of songs that demonstrates that the Dead were still a potent creative force to be reckoned with in the mid-1970s. The satirical "U.S. Blues" manages to showcase the band's patented psychedelic blues boogie while featuring lyrics that can easily stand next to Stevie Wonder's "You Ain't Done Nothin'" for expressing the outrage many felt over the still-unfolding Watergate scandal. "Pride of Cucamonga" (regrettably never played live) is a nod of sorts to the sounds of Workingman's Dead and American Beauty. "China Doll" is the kind of ballad only the Dead could do: A lament over a murder set to a beautiful, lilting accompaniment. "Unbroken Chain" is the album's musical and psychedelic center, and a live version was hoped for for decades until 1995, when it suddenly popped up on a few setlists. This song both looks back to the extreme experimentation of Anthem of the Sun and Aoxomoxa while pointing forward to the more accessible sound the band would adopt in the '80s. The electronic accompaniment and band climax here are not to be missed. "Loose Lucy" again harks back to the country-boogie of American Beauty,as does much of the album in general, but manages to establish its own identity with some red-hot slide guitar licks courtesy, I assume, of Mr. Garica himself. "Scarlet Begonias" is in much the same vein, as is the aforementioned "Pride of Cucamonga". Truth be told, while none of the songs here are "samey" in sound, many of them would have slipped in unnoticed on two or three of the Dead's earlier classic albums. In many ways, "Ship of Fools" is the joker in this deck of songs; it's a slow, sad bluesy number which could apply to any number of subjects lyrically. This is the Dead at their best, making what either Roger McGuinn or Gram Parsons called "Cosmic American Music" that takes touches of any number of genres and creates something new from them.

The album's true revelations are both Keith and Donna Jean Godchaux. While Keith has often been derided as a piano player only brought in to stand as deputy for Pigpen when necessary, here he branches out on organ, harpsichord and synthesizer to provide the necessary auditory colors needed for a particular song. He proves his range here, adding quick synthesizer touches for "U.S. Blues" on the one hand, classically-inspired harpsichord for "China Doll" and his own trademark combination of jazzy and barrelhouse blues piano and organ. As for Donna Jean, she adds just the right amount of sugar, or salt, that any great backing vocalist should. I know that many people welcomed Brent Mydland and his arsenal of synthesizers, but the Godchaux's contribution, especially at this critical point, should never be overlooked or underestimated. If the Dead had been saddled with a merely adequate keyboardist who could only ape Pigpen's and T.C.'s lines, they might very well have created three much lesser albums than what was actually released. Hats off to the late Keith Godchaux, and here's to the occasional appearance of Donna Jean on the Other One's/the Dead's stage.

Hold the CD case face up horizontally facing away from you and butt the top end of it to a mirror. Tilt the end you're holding up a bit and read the alternate title in the mirror. Two of Bobby Petersen's tunes are here - "Unbroken Chain" and "Pride of Cucamonga". "Unbroken Chain" was actually nominated for a Grammy that year. Listen for the bells.

This is a fluid sounding album that can be heard from start to finish w / out much difficulty. Now, with the bonus tracks, it s even funner.

This is an album as the liner notes mention was executed in a time when the Dead were going through slight changes and also about to encounter a big one, which was their hiatus in ' 75.

I ll leave you to purchase this great digi pack cd to tune in to what Joel Selvin tells us in about a 3 or 4 page liner note, detailing the making of this album, and all the other variables that were going on at the time.

It s been 32 years since this album was released; and its as current as any quality timeless recording from that great decade ( 70 s ). I wonder if Phil would ve produced more music; or if ' Pride ' and UBC were his only offerings until Terrapin St ( Passengers ) These two songs weave around US Blues, Ship of Fools. Loose L. Scarlet B. In other words, a plethora of ear candy. I even dig Weir s Money money quite a bit. But after learning of the band s history that year ( astronomical figures in spending ), i can see why it was played only 3 times. And one of those versions is here. The one from a show just before Portland ( to give you a clue ).

I lived in the US for about 16 years. I m 31. So there s a sensitivity to what goes on up there. I live in Chile; country that saw me born on 24.4 75

This is one of the sweetest albums that you could listen to at any given time. Be it in some far away setting, or in the comfort of your living room w / your excellent stereo s.

If I were to compare this album to any other in the Dead s 30 year active career; it d be difficult. I like everything the band put out. Enjoyed every show i saw ( 6 total ). And my personal criticisms to this band come in at times when I think any human would do; as it is the most normal thing to criticize ( approve / disaprove ) everything we have in front of us, be it a book, person or in this case album

As most Dead fans know, the likelihood of any given Grateful Dead studio album sounding good and not disappointing is pretty slim. For whatever reason, the magic that was created onstage never quite made it to the studio. "From the Mars Hotel", while nowhere nearing deserving of the title great or inspired, is nonetheless a solid and listenable affair.
The strength of the material paves way for a lot of this album's success. Songs that would soon become live standards- "Scarlet Begonias", "U.S. Blues", "Ship of Fools"- mixed with instant classics that we wished we heard more of live- "China Doll", "Unbroken Chain", "Loose Lucy"- mixed with two of the strangest songs the Dead ever recorded- "Pride of Cucamonga", "Money Money"- and the whole becomes this enjoyable, never boring little ride. Phil Lesh is represented twice, with his "Unbroken Chain" pushing the Dead's musical boundaries and forcing them to step up their game, with success. Jerry dominates the album, providing a timeless ballad in "China Doll", some loose funk with "Loose Lucy", and a calypso classic in "Scarlet Begonias". Bob is the only one who strikes out, with the horrible but hilariously so, "Money Money".
As with all the recent re-releases, this album also comes with a handful of live and studio outtakes from the same era, and while not as inspired or valuable as other albums' bonus tracks, there are some nice treats here. Live versions of "Scarlet Begonias" and "Let It Rock" are the obvious highlights, along with live curios "Money Money" and "Wave That Flag", which is essentially an early version of this album's "U.S. Blues". The remaining three bonus tracks are studio outtakes, providing an interesting look into how the Dead build upon and re-imagine basic tracks.
The production is clean without being too slick, and at times, the band sounds similar to its stealthier live incarnation. Again, in no way a great album, but by Dead standards, one of the better studio efforts.

It's nice to reflect on a sad time and something good come of it. As a young man, I remember feeling down when I learned of "Pigpen's" death, having just seen him and the Dead in concert the year before. I purchased this album on vinyl when released and was picked up as it were, by the new and improved sound of the Grateful Dead, so much so I went back and bought "Wake of the Flood". Great service and a great experience, thanks!