Description
The Grateful Dead – Steal Your Face (2LP)
Label: Grateful Dead Records / Line – GDDLP 5.00032 M
Format: 2 × Vinyl, LP, White vinyl
Country: Germany
Released: 1989
Label Code: LC 3213
Rights Society: GEMA
Lettering: Rick Griffin
Tracklist:
1-1 The Promised Land 3:15
1-2 Cold Rain & Snow 5:35
1-3 Around And Around 5:02
1-4 Stella Blue 8:48
2-1 Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo 8:00
2-2 Ship Of Fools 6:59
2-3 Beat It On Down The Line 3:22
3-1 Big River 4:53
3-2 Black-Throated Wind 6:05
3-3 U.S. Blues 5:18
3-4 El Paso 4:15
4-1 Sugaree 7:33
4-2 It Must Have Been The Roses 5:58
4-3 Casey Jones 7:02
Licensed From – Grateful Dead Productions, Inc.
Recorded At – Winterland
Mixed At – The Burbank Studios
Notes:
Recorded October 16th through 20th, 1974 at Winterland, San Francisco
Vinyl and Cover in perfect condition. White Vinyl. See photo’s for details.
Reviews:
+++++++++++ The last album on their own label in 1976, assembled by Phil Lesh and Owsley from the 1974 Winterland concerts. Badley recorded with poor harmonies. Owsley said;”Donna’s tracks were missing…” The album was only released because the DeaD needed money for their film-project. The title was from the song HE’S GONE.+++++++++++
nr. 1 A truly torpid live collection despite containing some of the band’s best songs. While the rhythm section shuffle steadily along and Weir contributes two of his amiable Western covers, Garcia’s lead work is almost uniformly uninspiring. When Garcia fails to shine, the DeaD rarely sound anything other than pedestrian and the package is notable for omitting any of the band’s work-outs. * MARK COOPER, Q no.35, AUGUST 1989
nr. 2 Their fifth live double (or triple) of the decade is the first with the sorry earmarks of the genre – namely, lots of stretched-out remakes. And believe me, the deaD can really stretch ’em out. rating: C- ROBERT CRISTGAU, ROCK ALBUMS OF THE 70’S, 1982
nr. 3 This album has received so much negative criticism already that I almost hesitate to drag it through the mud one more time. But the fact is that it has a great cover (the white lightning man) and what looks like an appealing line-up of songs. But the recording is atrocious, most of the performances mediocre to poor, and the sequencing bears absolutely no relationship to the way the DeaD structure a show. There are a few bright moments, to be sure, but in general this is a shoddy work. Caveat emptor! * BLAIR JACKSON, THE MUSIC NEVER STOPPED, PLEXUS UK 1983
nr. 4 The band’s attempts at pop, rock and country are rendered effortlessly irritating and stodgy by the band’s lack of a crisp rhythm section and/or a single competent vocalist. * (This must be the one and onely, es) DAVE MARSH of R.S. RECORD GUIDE
nr. 5 Not even the brilliant Skull and Thunderbolt emblem on the cover could hide the disappointing live workout inside. No one in the band liked it, but they owed United Artists a record. Famous critic Lester Bangs had this responce; “Steal your face, hah! Steal your Money is more like it!” JAMIE JENSEN, BUILT TO LAST, FANTAIL 1990
nr. 6 Side one opens with two songs to skip; PROMISED LAND and AROUND AND AROUND. COLD RAIN AND SNOW is a nice traditional and STELLA BLUE is a gem! Minimal music with a maximum of emotion. It makes the first side worthsome. MISSISSIPI HALF-STEP opens the second side in an uplifting mood, SHIP OF FOOLS gets a sensitive rendition and BEAT IT ON DOWN THE LINE brings back the energy. On side three I skip U.S. Blues, and an overdrive EL PASO, but the other two songs are nice. A pleasant SUGAREE, followed by a sloppy, slow, but sensitive rendition of IT MUST HAVE BEEN THE ROSES, that ends a bit abrupt. CASEY JONES is pleasant too, but the definite version is on the LAST DAYS OF THE FILLMORE album. A mostly underrated album, concerning the music, and overrated, concerning the cover art design. * * * ERIK SCHOTHANS
nr. 7 Reluctance to slag off a band whose music I have loved down the years, and to give Andy Childs heart failure, leads me to draw a swift screen across the Dead double. Several of the numbers are drawn from WAKE OF THE FLOOD and MARS HOTEL – not definitive Dead, in my humble opinion. Elsewhere you get versions of standards – all of which have been done much better before. The production is erratic – to be kind about it – much of the playing is sloppy and listless, and poor ol’ Jerry sings with approximately as much tunefulness and conviction as my dad warbling along to the Black and White Minstrels. It’s really very hard to imagine what prompted the Dead to release this, especially after BLUES FOR ALLAH had promised so much in terms of rejuvenation. Consummation, consolidation or consternation… you pays yer money, and you takes yer choice. PAUL KENDALL, ZIG ZAG Magazine
