Grateful Dead 12: Mars Hotel

Throughout 1973 and 1974 the Dead kept busy both on and off stage, and soon enough had a batch of new songs for another studio album. From The Mars Hotel is a step up from the less-than-awesome Wake Of The Flood, helped by the inclusion of some ready-made Garcia/Hunter classics.

“U.S. Blues” kicks off the proceedings, and a good song for a country already excited for its bicentennial. “China Doll” revives some of the gothic mystery not heard since Aoxomoxoa, and Phil Lesh mostly rises to the occasion with the complex “Unbroken Chain”. (We say “mostly” because Donna Godchaux’s prominent vocals are mixed too high, and the synthesizer contributions from occasional auxiliary band member Ned Lagin can be a little distracting.) “Loose Lucy” is a bit of boogie sure to please crowds.

“Scarlet Begonias” is another good one, often mistitled “might as well try” and “rings on her fingers and bells on her shoes” based on the lyrics. (It also predicts an outfit one day called the Heart Of Gold Band.) Phil returns to the microphone for “Pride Of Cucamonga”, with pedal steel guitar from John McFee, then of Clover and later of the Doobie Brothers. Strangely, Bob Weir takes a back seat to Phil, contributing just one track. The lackluster “Money Money” stumbles through changing time signatures and even quotes the riff from Barrett Strong’s oft-covered “Money”. The best is truly saved for last: “Ship Of Fools” provides a wonderful commentary that could relate to the Nixon administration, today’s headlines, or anyone in a take-this-job-and-shove-it situation.

Even though Donna is given way too much room to wail from time to time, Mars Hotel is one of the better ‘70s Dead albums, and worth grabbing if you don’t want to get the entire catalog. The expanded CD is notable for including wonderful solo acoustic demos of both of Phil’s tunes, an early live stab at “U.S. Blues” before the lyrics were settled, as well as the band’s only live performance of “Let It Rock”, which Jerry played often in his solo bands.

When it was expanded for its 50th anniversary, two different demos (“China Doll” and “Wave That Flag”, aka “U.S. Blues”) were added to the main disc, while most of a pitch-challenged May 1974 show with the piano way high in the mix was included on two more discs. Jerry hasn’t learned the words to “U.S. Blues” yet, Bobby mumbles “The Other One”, and Donna isn’t heard until “Greatest Story Ever Told”, but the set covers familiar tunes from the last two live albums, studio albums, solo albums, and some country favorites. (This expansion was preceded by two months by the digital release of From The Mars Hotel: The Angel’s Share, which offered 82 minutes of alternate takes and mixes of the album’s tracks.)

Grateful Dead From The Mars Hotel (1974)—3½
2006 expanded CD: same as 1974, plus 7 extra tracks
2024 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition: same as 1974, plus 24 extra tracks