Garcia (1972 album)

Garcia explained to an interviewer before the record's completion: "What I'm going to do is what I would do if I had 16-track at home, I'm just going to goof around with it. And I don't want anyone to think that it's me being serious or anything like that – it's really me goofing around'." The compositions were written by Garcia with lyricist Robert Hunter. ==Composition==

Andy Childs of ZigZag describes Garcia as a strange mixture of Grateful Dead-style country music and "weird, atmospheric electronic pieces with equally strange titles", such as "Spidergawd" and "Eep Hour". before climaxing with acid rock soloing. "Sugaree" is a spacious song with a pop hook, jangling acoustic guitar and touches of psychedelia in the treated electric guitar lead. In biographer Tony Sclafani's opinion, "Late for Supper" and "Spidergawd" mark Garcia's forays into "atonal avant garde piano music", while on the third, "Eep Hour", he showcases his synthesizer skills. "To Lay Me Down" is a love song in a straightforward gospel/country arrangement, while the psychedelic closer "The Wheel" exhibits Garcia's short-lived infatuation with pedal steel guitar. ==Critical reception==

In their review, Billboard described Garcia as a "expertly wrought, impressive effort". They highlighted the record's mellow mood and Garcia's warm voice, and recommended "Deal" and "the cosmic collage" "Late for Supper". In Melody Maker, Williams wrote that the album contains "several very attractive songs and a couple of tracks which represent the more adventurous side of the guitarist's personality." He believed that it was inferior to Hooteroll? (1971) as a representation of Garcia's guitar work, but added that Garcia contains "a good, honest feeling" which would appeal to the musician's fans. "I'd be happier", he added, "if the singing was better; it does seem a waste, when the songs are so substantial." Reviewing the album retrospectively for AllMusic, Planer dismissed Garcia's description of it as "overindulgent", praising the record as "a full-bodied artistic expression from one of rock & roll's most multi-faceted musicians." He wrote that both Deadheads and "enthusiasts of the burgeoning early-'70s singer/songwriter movement" would enjoy the album, as the musician "redefines his immense talents and seemingly undiluted musical potential." In an article for Rolling Stone, Browne wrote that Garcia "conjures both the singing-gambler and mad-musical-scientist sides of the Dead on what is arguably the best outside-mothership project." In an article for ZigZag, Childs wrote that, although regarded by Garcia as a "goof", the record is "pretty fine", praising the "perfect" production and commenting that it is "a superb showcase for Garcia's ability as an incredibly versatile musician." ==Legacy==

Six songs from the album became live concert staples for the Grateful Dead–"Sugaree", "Deal", "Bird Song", "Loser", "To Lay Me Down" and "The Wheel". "Eep Hour" was once used in an advertisement for Cher's perfume brand, In 2018, Andrew Sacher of Brooklyn Vegan ranked Garcia third in his rankings of the Grateful Dead studio albums; he wrote that it deserved as much attention as ''Workingman's Dead and American Beauty'', praising Garcia's singing and songwriting. He wrote that listeners wanting an entire album like "Ripple" and "Friend of the Devil" (both from American Beauty) would possibly find Garcia to be that album. Musician, DJ, and producer LP Giobbi, at the request of the Garcia Estate, remixed the album to coincide with its 50th anniversary. It was released in 2023 as Garcia (Remixed).. In addition to a CD release, this mix was released on vinyl as a double album, including the eight bonus tracks previously released as part of the All Good Things: Jerry Garcia Studio Sessions box set (noted below) as the second disk. Side one of disk 2 contained tracks 11-13 listed below with tracks 14-18 on side two. ==Track listing==

Side one • "Deal" (Robert Hunter, Jerry Garcia) – 3:14 • "Bird Song" (Hunter, Garcia) – 4:26 • "Sugaree" (Hunter, Garcia) – 5:54 • "Loser" (Hunter, Garcia) – 4:10 Side two • "Late for Supper" (Garcia, Bill Kreutzmann) – 1:37 • "Spidergawd" (Garcia, Kreutzmann) – 3:25 • "Eep Hour" (Garcia, Kreutzmann) – 5:08 • "To Lay Me Down" (Hunter, Garcia) – 6:18 • "An Odd Little Place" (Garcia, Kreutzmann) – 1:38 • "The Wheel" (Hunter, Garcia, Kreutzmann) – 4:12 The album was reissued in the All Good Things: Jerry Garcia Studio Sessions box set with the following bonus tracks: :11. "Sugaree" (Alternate Take) (Hunter, Garcia) – 7:13 :12. "Loser" (Alternate Take) (Hunter, Garcia) – 4:06 :13. "Late For Supper / Spidergawd / Eep Hour" (Alternate Takes) (Garcia, Kreutzmann) :14. "The Wheel" (Alternate Take #1) (Hunter, Garcia) – 4:04 :15. "The Wheel" (Alternate Take #2) (Hunter, Garcia) – 2:53 :16. "Study for EEP Hour" (Garcia, Kreutzmann) – 3:30 :17. "Dealin' from the Bottom" (Studio Jam) (Garcia, Kreutzmann) – 1:25 :18. "Study for the Wheel" (Garcia, Kreutzmann) – 3:22 The album with these same eight bonus tracks was reissued as a double album on vinyl in 2022 in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the album's initial release. The second disk had tracks 11-13 above on one side and tracks 14-18 on the other. Additionally, a vinyl pressing (GDV 4003) was made in West Germany for Grateful Dead Records (48-50 Steele Road, London NW10 7AS) and released in 1988. The tracks are the same as the 1972 original. Inexplicably, the labels on the vinyl record itself read "Grateful Dead - The Wheel" at the top, with "Jerry Garcia" appearing as a subheading at the bottom, below the track lists. ==Personnel==

Musicians • Jerry Garcia – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, pedal steel guitar, bass, piano, organ, samples, vocals, mixing • Bill Kreutzmann – drums Production • Bob Matthews – producer, engineer, mixing • Betty Cantor – producer, engineer, mixing • Ramrod – producer, engineer, mixing, production assistant • Bill Kreutzmann – production assistant • Bob Seidemann – cover photo and album design • Herb Greene – Garcia photo ==References==