Built to Last (Grateful Dead album)

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Built to Last
Studio album by Grateful Dead

Publication
(s)

October 1989

Label (s) Arista Records

Genre (s)

Rock , pop rock

Title (number)

9 (LP), 12 (CD)

running time

49:52 (LP), 79:53 (CD)

occupation

production

chronology
Dylan & The Dead (1989) Built to Last Without a Net (1990)

Built to Last is the thirteenth and final studio album by the band Grateful Dead .

history

The album was recorded between February 1 and 20 October 1989, and on 31 October 1989 on the label Arista Records released. With all other live albums and greatest hits compilation , it is the band's twenty-third album.

As with the album In the Dark , the band was originally supposed to record the songs on the album in the Marin County Veterans Auditorium under simulated live conditions without an audience. However, what led to great success with In the Dark did not work as desired with Built to Last . On the one hand, this may be due to the long break between Reckoning and In the Dark , which the band didn't have to write songs this time. In addition, almost half of the songs are written by Brent Mydland and the rest by the duo Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia or by Bob Weir and John Perry Barlow . Unsatisfied with the first recordings, a basis of rhythm and song structure was then worked out together, while each musician then recorded his parts on his own before everything was finally cut together by Garcia and Cutler. Only then could the songs be heard completely for everyone.

Recordings were made at Club Front and Skywalker Ranch in San Rafael , Marin County , and Studio X in Petaluma , Sonoma County . The Skywalker Ranch already belonged to George Lucas at that time and was the headquarters of Lucasfilm and its subsidiaries.

Garcia later compared the albums with each other and said in an interview that recording albums was mostly like pulling teeth for the band. You just wouldn't find a way to make it more fun. It is particularly difficult for him that he is producer and performer at the same time .

Although the album went gold , it was nowhere near as successful as the previous album and the next few albums were all to be live. The title Build to Last should come true. It was the last studio album since band leader Garcia was about to die in 1995.

Alton Kelly, who is known for his psychedelic art , was again responsible for the cover . It shows the band members how they build an illuminated house of cards out of the dark with playing cards. The house was built by Garcia's daughter Anabelle and her friends. According to his own statements, the idea for the cover came from Garcia for the first time.

Build to Last was the first Dead album to use MIDI technology.

" Foolish Heart " / " We Can Run " was released as a single.

In 2004 a revised version of the seven songs and six others were released by Rhino Records for the box set Beyond Description (1973-1989) , which were then released in 2006 as a single CD.

successes

Album - Billboard Charts

year Chart position
1989 The Billboard 200 27

Singles - Billboard Charts

year single Chart position
1989 "Foolish Heart" Mainstream rock tracks 8th

RIAA

Certification date
gold January 3, 1990

Track list

1989 CD

  1. "Foolish Heart" ( Garcia , Hunter ) - 5:10
  2. "Just a Little Light" ( Barlow , Mydland ) - 4:42
  3. "Built to Last" (Garcia, Hunter) - 5:03
  4. "Blow Away" (Barlow, Mydland) - 6:09
  5. "Victim or the Crime" (Graham, Weir ) - 7:33
  6. "We Can Run" (Barlow, Mydland) - 5:30 am
  7. "Standing on the Moon" (Garcia, Hunter) - 5:20
  8. "Picasso Moon" (Barlow, Bralove, Weir) - 6:40
  9. "I Will Take You Home" (Barlow, Mydland) - 3:45 am

2004 bonus

  1. "Foolish Heart" (live) - 11:30 am
  2. "Blow Away" (live) - 12:02
  3. "California Earthquake (Whole Lotta Shakin 'Goin' On)" (live) ( Rodney Crowell ) - 5:59

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d Deaddisc.com
  2. ↑ a b Album placement according to AMG , accessed on February 19, 2016
  3. ↑ Information according to RIAA

Web links