The Psych Ward: Anthem of the Sun by The Grateful Dead
The Psych Ward: Anthem of the Sun by The Grateful Dead
Anthem of the Sun is the Grateful Dead’s sophomore album released in 1968 during the group’s unbounded early era. Devoid of record label confines, the band members gave themselves a studio education at Warner Bros’ expense while beseeching the engineers to contrive implausible sounds.
The album begins elegantly with its mind-bending magnum opus “That’s It For The Other One.” During its floaty introduction “Cryptical Envelopment,” Jerry Garcia pines for an ill-fated character associated with Neal Cassady, with a rotating Leslie speaker modulating Garcia’s voice. Suddenly the album cover’s multi-headed hydra rears its heads, igniting a fierce jam. Bob Weir delves into his adventures on Ken Kesey’s Furthur bus – immortalized in Tom
Suddenly the album cover’s multi-headed hydra rears its heads, igniting a fierce jam.
Wolfe’s The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test – describes “cowboy Neal at the wheel on the bus to Nevereverland.” After reprising its opening theme, the Hydra sets loose a crashing cacophony of studio and live tracks entwined together. Garcia, Weir, and bassist Phil Lesh’s frenetic fretboards and Tom Constanten’s prepared piano surrender to ominous, supernatural sound effects, resulting in the group’s most hallucinogenic moments on record.
“New Potato Caboose” meanders pleasantly with graceful instrumentation including glockenspiel, as Bob Weir croons Dylanesque similes like “her love has become a toothless groan.” While recording the atonal oddball “Born Cross-Eyed,” Weir infamously infuriated the engineers with ludicrous requests for ‘thick air.’
The slithery groove “Alligator” features Ron “Pigpen” McKernan’s cunning vocals, multi-layered asynchronously. The Rhythm Devils – Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann on drums – lay into a slick percussive beat that sets the stage for Garcia’s unique guitar wailing, stretching over eleven minutes in a jubilant rave-up and reprise.
It continues uninterrupted into “Caution (Do Not Step On The Tracks),” a dedication to Cassady reflecting his untimely demise. As Pigpen vamps about a gypsy woman, the septet erupts into a feedback-laden foray of spasmodic psychedelia. The LP concludes chaotically, leaving the impression that the band
As Pigpen vamps about a gypsy woman, the septet erupts into a feedback-laden foray of spasmodic psychedelia.
has abandoned their still-blaring instruments. The denouement recalls their haphazard performances at the berserk ‘Acid Test’ concerts around San Francisco in 1966-67.
Anthem of the Sun is an auditory anomaly and journey in sonic exploration. Radically produced and uneven at times, the album has always had a special meaning to me, serving as my introduction to the Grateful Dead’s early unbridled revelry during my college years. The multi-headed hydra depicted on its iconic album cover is an apt metaphor for the mystical synergy a band experiences while playing psych rock, especially improvisations. The LP is as confounding and mystifying now as when it was originally released fifty-five years ago.
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3 thoughts on “The Psych Ward: Anthem of the Sun by The Grateful Dead”
The 50th anniversary CD version includes two versions of the album. The original Side 1 was a bit more cacophonous. Unfortunately both versions include the kazoos on Side 2.
Correct – “your love’s become a toothless crone”.
“Toothless CRONE”
Do Not STOP On Tracks