Customer Reviews

Shakedown Street

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Boy, some Dead Heads are a picky bunch. This CD is very solid from start to finish. Perfect no, but solid yes. I really like their version of Good Lovin' and each of the other songs explore some interesting rhythms and textures that have made the Dead great. Don't let the nay sayers steer you wrong. This recording is A OK with me.

Stop arguing that it's not the greatest GD cd, or that this or that song is better live (no duh),and just get the cd. I was an impressionable teen when this came out is 78 and it made a nice impression on me. I can remeber playing bball with my friends to this (tape) and it propelled the game along. What a start to an album with 'Good Lovin', poppy dead at their best covering a great song,yet making it their own, 'France' is a nice song for Donna G's vocals, 'Shakedown Street' a groovy,smooth song, 'Serengetti' is just an ok instrumental (filler really),'Fire on the Mountain' is a great dead song, 'I need a miracle' everyday (don't we all!), great Weir vocals and crisp guitar work, 'From the Heart of me' again a nice song by Donna G.,'Stagger Lee'is only an ok Jerry song and vocal, 'All new minglewood blues'-play it loud, play it often,and 'If I had the world to give' is a nice mellowending with beautiful vocals by Jerry, just melodically beautiful. Obviously this is not the place for a newbie to the Dead to start with (try Workingmans,Blues for Allah,American Beauty, One From the Vault,etc), but if you did start here, you would be drawn in none the less and continue your exploration of the wonderful music of the Great Grateful Dead...

An album with many different sound but it all sounds great to me. The piano/guitar solo(duo)on Good Lovin', remains one of my favorite streches of music anywhere. The Syncopated beat of "France" is intoxicating. "Fire" speaks for itself. Side two also has many bright spots, my fave... Stagger Lee. Lowell George of Little Feat produced this album, and in my opinion did a great job, the guitars are not as prominant in the mix (perhaps many folks find this disappointing); and Bobby's rhythm is more on the beat (George's influence?).

As a newly appointed 'Deadhead' I have to say that this album was a pleasant suprise. As you can tell from the reviews this is not one of the Dead's most likable albums. Maybe it's the purists that are still praising the material from the 60's and early 70's needlessly maligning this album, but for what ever reason just give it a chance.

This album was produced by Lowell George of Little Feat, and his presence is certainly noted here. It has that funky Little Feat feel to it. If your a fan of island/funk/reggae/rock this is the album for you, even if you don't expect it to come from the Grateful dead....

I gave this album five stars to balance the ridiculous one star ratings that a few people gave. In reality, it is a four star album. Sure, a lot of people trashed this album because it does not sound like the Dead that they were used to, but different does not equal bad. This is a great, visionary album. American Beauty and Workingman's Dead introduced a new sound for the Grateful Dead years earlier and was hailed. Shakedown Street should have done the same. The Grateful Dead survived for over 30 years for a reason. In conjunction with their extremely loyal fans, the band was always willing to improvise and add new styles and facets to their music. Shakedown Street is a perfect example of this.
The album starts with Bob singing a catchy version of Good Lovin' and moves on to a very underrated song, France, which for some reason was never played live. It is really quite catchy. Shakedown Street, a quintessencial Dead song of their latter years is brilliant. Who doesn't get excited when one hears the first few notes of Shakedown starting off a set? Serengetti is a neat little percussion sequence that leads into Fire on the Mountain, another awesome song and the latter of the long, improvisional Scarlet/Fire masterpiece. I was never crazy about I Need A Miracle, but it is still a decent song. Can the Dead ever go wrong? From The Heart Of Me, sung by Donna Jean is a nice, rhythymic song. Also check out the version on the Winterland DVD. Stagger Lee is a quirky, fun version that brings up Minglewood Blues, not the rocking, all-out version that is played live, but good nonetheless. the album ends with Jerry's If I Had The World To Give, a beautiful song played only a few times live. Jerry really sing with a lot of emotion in this song.
Sure, Shakedown Street is not on par with live Grateful Dead performances. It is not supposed to be. The contrast of hearing what the band develops from the raw studio albums into long, live improvisions is the real treat. Each piece (studio and live) has their place in the collective Grateful Dead repertoire.

Let me try and give this record some justice. It s not the favorite Dead in the studio by consensus in the GD community. It is although the fruit of many tunes that came to be monsters and legendary songs in shows. 2nd sets to be exact.

How can you not enjoy the one of 3 (?) versions of World to give the boys did at Winterland in Oct. 78. Well, the original is here, and sometimes the album version has the dedication and care that you don t get live. At least that s in the eyes of European record collectors. The Dead s laboratory was onstage, but these tunes still sound great here. Very disco, but like I said, they became unforgetable numbers to hear live (Fire, MIracle, Stagger lee to name a few).

Plus the whole concept of Shakedown St. was just SO part of our culture, the Deadhead's that made it to as many shows as we could. When we arrived at a show, the Shakedown was in progress, and we could purchase anything from killer t shirts to beers you wouldn t find in Indiana to give an example = )

So aside from the great tunes, I think the art is pretty funky for the album too = ) Get it ! = )

This album has several "must have" tracks on it. Good Lovin', Shakedown Street,Minglewood Blues,Fire on the mountain & more. Whats not to like?

Funky fresh, I believe I have one more shout out left for the Grateful Dead at least. SHAKEDOWN STREET, the bands eclectic offerings from 1978.
This album was recorded near the end of the DONNA JEAN/KEITH GODCHEAUX era. These years closed when Keith Godcheaux died in a severe bike accident. Most will say what he brought to the band was a more funky feel- he also brought his wife- who had sex with everyone in the band on the reg.(Don't quote me on that.)
I'm really no extreme DEAD HEAD, but I can hold my own. Hey, I know what I like and what I don't, ain't that good enough. I play this record at parties all the time. Its great fun times.
GOOD LOVIN' yeah, its that one you are thinking of covered by Bobby Weir on vocals. Of course Pig Pen covered it years earlier with the Dead and was WAY better, this version isn't bad.
FRANCE is a strange worldly track with Donna Jean on vocals. Theres steal drums and stuff going on, you better not leave your seat.
SHAKEDOWN STREET* this song kicks. Very groovy, with a hard steady drum beat and cool lyrics. Don't tell me this town ain't got no heart....
SERENGETTI another worldly tune, still good.
FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN* More funky stuff, this song goes well to accompany a white reggae revolution. bands like SUBLIME took there cues from this song.
I NEED A MIRACLE* A bluesy one by Bobby Weir. Some good lyrics in the Bobby weir fashion. "I need a woman 'bout twice my age..."
FROM THE HEART OF ME a little too much Donna Jean for one album but still, I can dig it here and there.
STAGGER LEE This song makes me picture Jerry pimpin' on a sidewalk. This is a lost time for the DEAD I think and that is why these tracks are so underated. I love this stuff.
NEW NEW MINGLEWOOD BLUES Oh wait, I'm sorry, this is the ALL NEW MINGLEWOOD BLUES, this is a rehashed version of a song they covered way back in the mid sixties. The original was better, but they added more verses on this one that are quite enjoyable.
IF I HAD THE WORLD TO GIVE as is usual, Jerry closes us out with a nice somewhat lengthy inspirational jam. God bless, Jerry.

SO thats it. SHAKEDOWN STREET is a classic studio DEAD.
I would recommend ONE FROM THE VAULT first for anyone trying to break into the DEAD, but if you want a funky, reggae, blues, psychedelic disco album for your next FREAK OUT....you don't gotta poke around, get SHAKEDOWN STREET.

The Dead go disco. Shakedown Street certainly isn't the Dead's best studio album, but it's not terrible either. Their version of the Rascals' classic "Good Lovin" features a cool rhythmic beat, and "I Need a Miracle" is a fun song. Most of the rest is filler. Not recommended for the casual fan, but an interesting look at the Dead's late-70's music.

There are a few bands I love enough to throw in an opinion when a "good work" is unfairly maligned. Shakedown Street is one of the more lively and unique recordings of the Dead in my opinion. Maybe it is because I was a teenager when this was released, but this Dead is fun and unique stuff. France, Fire on the Mountain, Shakedown Street, and others on here all sound very different which is testament to a band at a creative peak. Fun with an envelope filter. A treasure trove of new ideas flying around here. Listen to that guitar work in France! Out of left field, Garcia is swingin' like usual and Weir is on a tear! Fire on the Mountain is one of the best to me. This album grooves throughout!! The drumming on this album, seems to me, is outstanding. Oh, and Donna Godchaux puts some nice vocal touches on this one, better than most! I recorded most (1 or 2 aren't essential) of these songs to take with me on my travels and shared it with Tunisian sheepherders, Algerian teenagers, etc. (and many in Europe)who had never heard it before. I remember one of them picking up some silverware and just going nuts with the cool rhythms. I was begged to trade the tape for a local favorite, I couldn't part with it. Now I wish that I left them that present. Anyway, my take on sampling world opinion and my Western take on it - get it, Charming, GOOD STUFF!