Day of the Dead

Various Artists

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4AD

Over the years the Red Hot organization has released a stack of albums to raise awareness about HIV and donate funds to worthy organisations.

The journey began in 1990 with the “Red, Hot and Blue’ collection which saw a range of artists deliver modern takes on Cole Porter classics. Neneh Cherry reworked ‘I’ve Got You Under My Skin’ into a HIV educational experience, while committed HIV advocate Annie Lennox poignantly performed ‘Every Time We Say Goodbye’ – at a time when the gay community was wishing farewell to friends and lovers with devastating frequency.

Over the years there’s been dance compilations, country compilations, and even quite a good Latin American collection. In fact, over the last 25 years over 500 musical artists, producers and video makers have contributed to over 20 compilations.

Now the latest offering is here. A collection of tunes originally recorded by the legendary Californian band The Grateful Dead.

It’s a fitting tribute to the prolific band who released more than 140 albums during their career. this compilation honours them with a 59 track, 5 disc long collection that takes almost six hours to play in full.

The War on Drugs kick things off with the upbeat and slick sounding ‘Touch of Grey’, Rilo Kiley singer Jenny Lewis and Phosphorescence team up for a bluesy rock tune ‘Sugaree’, My Morning Jacket’s Jim Jasmes croons ‘Candyman’, and Australia’s own Courtney Barnett takes on ‘New Speedway Boogie’ with her own distinctive laid back drawl.

‘Mumford and Sons deliver a folky and mesmerizing ‘Friend of the Devil’. In one of the album’s most beautiful moments Anohmi joins forces with ymusic for ‘Black Peter’ – the artist formerly known as Anthony Hegarty just has a stunning voice. Equally captivating is Bill Callahan who sings ‘Easy Wind’.

Ed Droste from Grizzly Bear and Binki Shapiro drop a psychedelic cut ‘Loser’ that’s filled with the sound of ‘60s garage rock. Perfume Genius and Sharon Van Etten have recorded a tender version of ‘Lay Me Down’. It’s amazing how much Perfume Genius sounds like Art Garfunkel – when he visited Perth in 2015 he delivered a rendition of Garfunkel’s most famous solo tune ‘Bright Eyes’ during his PIAF show.

Ambient artist Tim Hecker provides his version of ‘Transitive Refraction Axis for John Oswald’ an odd collection of what sounds like clanging crystals, synthesizers and a muted cocktail party – because that kind of strangeness is what Hecker’s all about.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra provide the album’s funkiest tune with ‘Shakedown Street’, while Hiss Golden Messenger create a mix of gospel and country with ‘Brown Eyed Woman’.

Longtime deadheads Alan and Bryce Dessner from US indie band The National have put this collection together. It’s their second collection for the Red Hot organization following from 2009’s ‘Dark Was The Night’.

The National’s band members act as the backing band on many of the tracks on the album, and they step up to the foreground for ‘Morning Dew’ – a tune filled with guitars and ominous vocals. It’s one of several tracks they take the lead on across the five discs.

Bryce Dessner has a beautiful solo track on the record ‘Garcia Counterpoint’, a sprawling 7 minute long instrumental with layered guitars and warm organs.

Given that the Grateful Dead were known for their love of long songs, it’s surprising that only three of the 59 tunes offered here extend over the ten minute mark.  The longest – over 16 minutes for ‘Terrapin Suite’ which sees Grizzly Bear’s Daniel Rossen and Christopher Bear traversing an number of musical styles.

It doesn’t matter if you love, despise or no nothing of The Grateful Dead, this excellent compilation has so much variety on it, there really is something for everybody. A quality offering.

Graeme Watson