In 1970, the Grateful Dead released two special albums — Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty. Together, these records redefined the Grateful Dead as more than just a relic of the Summer of Love. They had matured into a full-bodied unit capable of subtlety and introspection, laid out over crisp, harmonically sound melodies. Various reissues have come out over the years. As for new ways of listening, 5.1 surround sound mixes of both albums came out in 2001. Twenty-five years later, Rhino has reissued Workingman’s Dead on vinyl, reel-to-reel tape (!), and Blu-ray Disc featuring Dolby Atmos, DTS 5.1, and DTS-HD stereo mixes overseen by Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart.
Setting their psychedelic ramblings to the side, the Dead embraced elements of country, blues and folk — all of which inspired them to write some of their most memorable songs, played with extreme precision and care. Workingman’s Dead is the first to unearth this stylistic change. Among the eight, mostly Robert Hunter-Jerry Garcia compositions are the radio-friendly “Uncle John’s Band” and “Casey Jones.” Other such long-lasting concert staples as “Dire Wolf,” “Cumberland Blues,” and “Black Peter” beautifully round out the most realized Grateful Dead album to date.
As a multi-channel recording, the variances between the new mixes is striking. Quite interesting that one of the band’s drummers has mixed an album with very little drums. Percussion of any kind practically drops out just before the bridge of “Uncle John’s Band,” then returns with more rhythm to bring it to a close. Listening back in Atmos, the guitars and bass warmly swarm the room. From the bouncing acoustics of “High Times” and “Dire Wolf” to the sweeping harmonies of “Cumberland Blues” and tight interplay of “Casey Jones,” the Atmos mix is the clear winner of the mixes and best reason to own this disc. The disappointing 5.1 mix is overburdened with reverb and fails short of capturing the essence and nuance that embody the original recording.
No matter how you play it back, Workingman’s Dead stands out as an important step in capturing the Grateful Dead at the beginning of a decade when they evolved into a world-class band with a wealth of material and the chops to keep it together and then some. Once American Beauty arrived five months later, there was no question that the band known for their live performances was capable of making A-league studio albums that contributed to their larger-than-life legacy.
~ Shawn Perry
