Terrapin Station Totally Explained

Everything about Terrapin Station totally explained

Terrapin Station is the ninth studio album by the Grateful Dead, and was originally released on July 27, 1977. This album was the first time since Anthem of the Sun that the Grateful Dead used an outside producer. This is also the first Dead album on the Arista label after releasing other albums (1973-1976) on its own Grateful Dead Records.
According to Dennis McNally,(External Link

) Jerry Garcia conceived the idea for the song "Terrapin Station" while driving across the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge.
   The album was released for the first time on CD in 1990 by Arista Records before being re-released in 2000 by BMG International. It was then remastered, expanded, and released as part of the Beyond Description (1973-1989) box set in October 2004 with studio outtakes and live songs. The remastered version was later released separately on CD on March 7, 2006 by Rhino Records.
   The album incorporates a more symphonic sound bordering on progressive rock styles that were expressed earlier by progressive art rock groups like Yes and Genesis. This was considered by fans to be a major departure from the more jazz-blues and traditional folk styles used by the Dead earlier in their career, although these elements are still present here. The title track seems more like a symphony than anything else, using strings and a choir to evoke a tighter and more complex structure as opposed to their looser improvisational works. Horns are also employed extensively to "funk up" their sound.
   The Grateful Dead played the first two parts of Terrapin Station, and the songs "Estimated Prophet" and "Samson and Delilah" in concert rotation until the end of their career, usually as part of the second set. Reaction to the album was mixed as many fans thought that it was overproduced and not in keeping with the Dead's more unpolished free form style, while others believe it to be their greatest musical achievement.
   The song, Lady with a Fan, was co-written by Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia. Robert Hunter said of the song, "I wrote Terrapin, Part One, at a single sitting in an unfurnished house with a picture window overlooking San Francisco Bay during a flamboyant lightning storm. I typed the first thing that came into my mind at the top of the page, the title: Terrapin Station."
   "On the same day, driving to the city, Garcia was struck by a singular inspiration. He turned his car around and hurried home to set down some music that popped into his head, demanding immediate attention."
   "When we met the next day, I showed him the words and he said, "I've got the music." They dovetailed perfectly and Terrapin edged into this dimension."

Track listing

Side one

"Estimated Prophet" (John Perry Barlow, Bob Weir) – 5:37

"Dancing in the Street" (Marvin Gaye, Hunter, Stevenson) – 3:16

"Passenger" (Phil Lesh, Monk) – 2:48

"Samson and Delilah" (Traditional) – 3:29

"Sunrise" (Donna Godchaux) – 4:03

Side two

"Terrapin Station" – 16:17 ť *"Lady With a Fan" (Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter)

   *"Terrapin Station" (Garcia, Hunter) ť *"Terrapin" (Garcia, Hunter)

   *"Terrapin Transit" (Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann) ť *"At a Siding" (Hart, Hunter)

   *"Terrapin Flyer" (Hart, Kreutzmann) ť *"Refrain" (Garcia, Hunter)

2004 reissue

"Estimated Prophet" (Barlow, Weir) – 5:37

"Dancing In The Street" (Gaye, Hunter, Stevenson) – 3:18

"Passenger" (Lesh, Monk) – 2:48

"Samson and Delilah" (Traditional) – 3:29

"Sunrise" (Godchaux) – 4:08

"Terrapin Station" (Garcia, Hunter, Hart, Kreutzmann) – 16:29

"Peggy-O" (studio track, instrumental) (traditional) – 4:41

"The Ascent" (studio track, instrumental) – 1:59

"Catfish John" (studio outtake) (McDill, Reynolds) – 4:43

"Equinox" (studio outtake) (Lesh) – 5:15

"Fire on the Mountain" (studio outtake) (Hart, Hunter) – 6:26

"Dancing in the Street" (Gaye, Hunter, Stevenson) – 16:17

Personnel

Grateful Dead:

Jerry Garcia - guitar, vocals

Bob Weir - guitar, vocals

Keith Godchaux - keyboards, vocals

Donna Jean Godchaux - vocals

Phil Lesh - bass

Bill Kreutzmann - drums

Mickey Hart - drums Additional performers:

Paul Buckmaster - orchestral arrangements

The Martyn Ford Orchestra

The English Choral

Tom Scott - lyricon, saxophones (on Estimated Prophet) Production:

Keith Olsen - producer, engineer

Rick Collins, Greg Fulginiti - Mastering

Bonus tracks production details

"Peggy-O" - instrumental studio outtake, on November 2, 1976

"The Ascent" - instrumental studio outtake, on November 2, 1976

"Catfish John" - studio outtake, Fall 1976

"Equinox" - instrumental studio outtake, on February 17, 1977

"Fire On The Mountain" - instrumental studio outtake, February 1977

"Dancing In The Street" - live on May 8, 1977

Reissue production credits

David Lemieux, James Austin - reissue producers

Reggie Collins - annotation

David Gans - liner notes

Sheryl Farber - editorial supervision

Cameron Sears - executive producer

Dave Devore - engineer

Tom Flye - mixing

Robert Gatley - mixing assistant

Mary Ann Mayer - art coordinator

Jimmy Edwards, Robin Hurley, Hale Milfgrim, Scott Pascucci - associate producer

Joe Gastwirt - mastering, production consultant

Eileen Law - research

Ed Perlstein, Robert Minkin, Richard McCaffrey, Peter Simon, Cornelius "Snookey" Flowers - photography

Hugh Brown, Steve Vance - design, reissue art directors

Steven Chean, Bill Inglot, Jeffrey Norman, Randy Perry, Mark Pinkus - project assistants

Charts

Album - Billboard

Year	Chart	Position
1977	Pop Albums	28

RIAA Certification

Certification	Date
Gold	September 4, 1987

Further Information

Get more info on 'Terrapin Station'.

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