2. Dancing in the Streets
Artist: The Grateful Dead Album: Terrapin Station (Arista) . The Dead were one of the greatest live bands ever, tying together long, intricate jams and punchy melodic songs with a skill that resonates even on CD (and without any sort of medicinal enhancement). And their albums, while overlooked by most music buyers, are great. Working Mans Dead, From the Mars Hotel, and, of course, American Beauty are unqualified classics. Then there is Terrapin Station. Some Deadheads arent too into this album. It is overall a bit cheesier than other works, but I find the album side-length title track incredibly powerful. Then there is Dancing in the Streets, a song the Dead had long played in concert but somehow decided needed a disco remake. By the Grateful Dead. That should be enough. I tried, I really tried, but I cannot enjoy this song. Both for the song itself and the fact that the Dead were blatantly trying to have a commercial success in the disco era. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RS9lOH6rIkI