GRATEFUL DEAD Shakedown Street - Sounds Of The Summer (LP, colored Vinyl)

(Rhino Records) 10 tracks, colored vinyl in sea blue

Shakedown Street from 1978 saw the Grateful Dead on a new path. Produced by Lowell George of the Little Feat, the result was a blend of rock, funk, blues, reggae, country and a no-holds-barred jam session. There's perhaps no need to add that the album was less well received by fans, but in retrospect it was a musically very strong album that embraced the disco era and gave a lot of attention to Donna Godchaux's wonderful vocals.

The cover for this album was designed by cartoonist Gilbert Shelton. Although the album itself was not to be a great success, the songs Shakedown Street and Fire on the Mountain became part of the Dead's standard repertoire on their live tours.          

“Limited edition, 1LP on Sea Blue vinyl. Remastered by GRAMMY® Award-winning engineer David Glasser, with Plangent Processes™ tape restoration and speed correction. Produced for release by David Lemieux.

“The Dead's second Arista album, 1978's Shakedown Street, was the follow-up to their excellent and successful album Terrapin Station from the previous year. Shakedown Street is a rock'n'roll album that draws on various influences and inspirations, including disco and world music. At its core, Shakedown Street is an unadulterated rock 'n' roll album filled with exceptional studio performances of some of the Dead's most popular songs, including 'Fire On The Mountain', 'Stagger Lee', 'I Need A Miracle' and the title track. A couple of reworked throwbacks to the Dead's early days, 'Good Lovin' and 'All New Minglewood Blues', emphasize the rock nature of the album. Produced by none other than Lowell George of Little Feat, Shakedown Street is a beautifully produced, nuanced album that still holds up more than 45 years after its release.” (David Lemieux)