From The Mars Hotel - GRATEFUL DEAD***

US Blues/China Doll/Unbroken Chain/Loose Lucy/Scarlet Begonias/Pride Of Cucamonga/Money Money/Ship Of Fools

Although the Grateful Dead still retained a sizable following during the mid 1970s, their studio releases were uneven. From The Mars Hotel largely consists of forgettable songs. (US:16 UK:47)

“From The Mars Hotel follows the same kind of path as it's predecessor. The material is mostly folk-rock with elements from country and psychedelia. All of these songs are reasonably OK but none of them really stand out.”

“This album plods along slowly. It's not really a long album but after listening you'll feel as though hours have gone by.” “Pointless, artless jamming with not a bit of edge or creativity to be found. This is what hippies listened to as they transformed into yuppies in the mid-70s.”

“While the Dead never really shone quite as brightly in the studio as they did live, they pretty much nail everything here. The crystal clear production is a big asset on this one, allowing the warmth of Unbroken Chain to come through strongly, and also emphasizing the fragile psychedelia of China Doll.”

“Showcasing the band’s fascinating trademark brand of high-pitched improvisational artistry and free-spirited rock and roll, From The Mars Hotel gives us a stylish serendipity listening experience with wonderful solos, as the band members allow themselves to shine.”

“This album captures the band at the end of a brutal period of touring. The contribution of Phil Lesh is exciting and invaluable to the arrangement and feel of many of the songs. Scarlet Begonias and Unbroken Chain are worth the purchase price of this album. The eerie yet calming voice of Garcia on China Doll shows that even in the studio the Dead were artists to be reckoned with.”

“Another great album from a legendary band. You can really hear Robert Hunter's dry sense of humour on US Blues but also his more poetic side on Ship Of Fools. Jerry also shines of course on Scarlet Begonias which is one of my favourites. Phil Lesh is excellent on his spacey Unbroken Chain and Bob Weir hits the nail right on the head on Money Money.”