At Terrapin Station with The Grateful Dead

At some point in my listening I started following a program hosted by Sheridan Morley., who was a “quality” critic on the BBC. This must have been late 1970s early 1980s.

One one of these shows he played “Estimated Prophet” by The Grateful Dead from their 1977 album “Terrapin Station”. I was aware of The Grateful Dead but never really dug into their canon.

“Estimated Prophet” is an almost weird reggae ballad hybrid with some of the most gorgeous words and harmonies that I had ever heard or have ever heard. With this beautiful chorus:

“California, preaching on the burning shore

California, I'll be knocking on the golden door

Like an angel, standing in a shaft of light

Rising up to paradise, I know, I'm gonna shine”

I had to buy the album.

Rhythm guitarist Bob Weir wrote "Estimated Prophet" which was written in septuple time. His lyrics for the song (finished with writing partner John Barlow) examine a character's delusions of grandeur and California's propensity for false prophets. The song also quotes "Ezekiel Saw the Wheel". Drummer Bill Kreutzmann said "It's a great song but when he brought it to us, something was off. It needed a groove. It was in quick 7/4 but it didn't swing. Yet. For my homework that night, I combined two fast sevens and played half-time over it. The two sevens brought the time around to an even number – the phrasing is in two bars of seven, so technically the time signature is in 14/8. But that's getting technical. In layman's terms, 'Estimated Prophet' suddenly grooved."

When I got it I put it on and was not disappointed until the second song, a cover of Martha Reeves and the Vandellas “Dancing In The Street” . It’s not that it is bad but “Estimated Prophet” sets the bar so high that almost anything will be a comedown.

“Passenger” and “Samson and Delilah” continue the side , great songs , and you come to accept that they are not on the same level as the opener.

The side closes with the beautiful “Sunrise” sung beautifully by Donna Godchaux, with the themes and wonderful orchestration almost preparing you for what comes next.

This was still in the days of vinyl and cassette , so the side finished and then you turn the disc over for side two.

Side Two is taken up by the title song, a seven piece composition , heavily orchestrated , sounding like Copeland in some parts, and it is an absolutely amazing musical journey , very complex but amazingly listenable and memorable. Today I have listened to the album about six times and not skipped a song or got bored with it.

A terrapin appears in the lyrics only as a place name, dancing terrapins feature prominently in the artwork and afterward became part of the large iconography associated with the Grateful Dead. The front cover image takes the idea of a "terrapin station" literally. The back cover features a stylized, one-eyed skull with a crossed bone, feathers and roses, in keeping with the imagery that had evolved around the Dead.

Though the heavy sound production was of its time, it was unusual for a Grateful Dead album and a departure from their earlier, edgier psychedelic albums, but showed them breaking new ground, and they had obviously finally gained my attention.

The band were unhappy with a lot about the album, but I am obviously at adds with their opinion, I think it is a work of genius.

I will share the title track and the album opener so you can get an idea of just why I keep playing this and keep it always handy for the player.