After 1975's "Blues for Allah," the Dead spent much of the year regrouping, performing a handful of concerts while considering their future as a band. 1976 was spent almost entirely on the road, refining their sound and welcoming back in former drummer Mickey Hart, who had reunited with the band during the "Allah" sessions. In late 1976, the band signed with Arista Records, and released their first album on the label in May 1977.
"Terrapin Station" is one of the Dead's best studio albums. The newfound tightness and professionalism in their playing live translated to the studio here, and there's far more effort and energy put into the production of this album than any of the ones that followed. Lyrically, both Garcia-Hunter and Weir-Barlow hit a zenith here, with some of their most poetic and complex lyrics and melodies gracing it.
The classic opening thwomp of "Estimated Prophet" grabs your attention right away, its sweaty groove immediately conjuring images of mid-1970s' San Francisco. Lyrically, the song is basically about a tripped out zealot who thinks he's about to transcend to a higher spiritual plane, which in the song is of course California. The song is both infectious and eerie, the prominent synth sax line indicating that this trip may not go as planned (this would be expounded upon during the band's many extended jams on the song in concert). While there are many great live versions, this is one of the few studio performances where I think the Dead got it just right, as it captures the vibe of the song perfectly.
At just 36 minutes of run time, "Terrapin Station" is one of the easiest Dead records to sit through, and the songs are mostly high quality. The thunderous take on the traditional "Samson and Delilah" is an iconic Dead classic with the drummers on the attack and Weir spitting hot fire vocally. "Passenger" is one of the band's most unique tracks, as few other tunes go for a straightforward, hard rock sound the way it does; it's a successful attempt at the sound, hard charging with great singing in unison by all. Even Donna Jean's spotlight song, "Sunrise," is quite good. Only the abysmal disco take on "Dancing in the Street" really flops.
Of course, the highlight of "Terrapin Station" is its 16 minute, multi-suite title track. This is one of the Dead's best, a multi-part, endlessly enchanting and fascinating suite that ultimately serves as a love letter to the art of storytelling and the muse that lives within us all. From the majestic opening "Lady with a Fan" segment to the anthemic climax, "Terrapin Station" is a triumph of music and words, and one of the band's shining hours.
While not quite a great album, "Terrapin Station" is definitely a very good effort by the Dead, with very little of the lethargy that permeates much of their studio output. It also contains two of their finest songs ("Estimated Prophet" and the title song), and represents the band's chemistry at its peak. Overall, a very solid effort, and probably the last time the band was this enthused to be in the studio as opposed to the stage.
