Workingman's Dead vs. American Beauty

Background

Polls and Stats

These two classics from 1970 were the Dead's first platinum releases and first to garner significant FM airplay. However, they produced no charting singles according to Billboard. (Their only hit to do so was Touch of Grey in 1987.) Regardless, the majority of these 18 songs became staples of their live shows.

These are not the Dead's all-time best sellers. That honor goes to Skeletons in the Closet, their "best of" compilation from 1974.


Rolling Stone Magazine Top 500 of all time	262	258	244
Mojo Readers 100 Greatest Albums
Acclaimed Music All Time Top 2500	317	279	332
Digital Dream Door Greatest Rock Albums		130
VH1 Music Channel All Time Top 100
RateYourMusic.com (1-5 score)	4.08	4.14	3.95


Units Sold	1 mil+	2 mil+	1 mil-

Most popular song on Last.fm	Casey Jones	Friend of the Devil	Love Light

Workingman's Dead

RELEASED: June 14, 1970, Warner Bothers

Side one
1. Uncle John's Band (Garcia, Hunter) – 4:42
2. High Time (Garcia, Hunter) – 5:12
3. Dire Wolf (Garcia, Hunter) – 3:11
4. New Speedway Boogie (Garcia, Hunter) – 4:01
Side two
1. Cumberland Blues (Garcia, Hunter, Lesh) – 3:14
2. Black Peter (Garcia, Hunter) – 5:41
3. Easy Wind (Hunter) – 4:57
4. Casey Jones (Garcia, Hunter) – 4:24

American Beauty

RELEASED: November 1970, Warner Bothers

Side one
1. Box of Rain (Hunter, Lesh) – 5:16
2. Friend of the Devil (Garcia, Dawson, Hunter) – 3:20
3. Sugar Magnolia (Weir, Hunter) – 3:15
4. Operator (Ron McKernan) – 2:21
5. Candyman (Garcia, Hunter) – 5:12
Side two
1. Ripple (Garcia, Hunter) – 4:10
2. Brokedown Palace (Garcia, Hunter) – 4:18
3. Till the Morning Comes (Garcia, Hunter) – 3:13
4. Attics of My Life (Garcia, Hunter) – 5:09
5. Truckin' (Garcia, Lesh, Weir, Hunter) – 5:09

Many people who consider the Dead to be mainly a live act don't realize they sold over 17 million albums, putting them in the top 150 biggest sellers of all time. Many of those were best of compilations and live recordings, but still... While the studio recordings may have been uneven (and doesn't that apply to most everyone?), there were definitely other good albums besides the two above.

Wake of the Flood, Mars Hotel, Blues for Allah and even Terrapin Station all had a number of good tracks. I draw the line at Shakedown Street. And their highest charting album - peaking at number 6 - was... anyone care to guess...? In the Dark. Let's not go there...

Since these two albums (along with Workingman's) have 8 cuts, it makes them easy to compare. Lets' start with that for now.

Wake of the Flood

RELEASED: October 15, 1973, Grateful Dead Records

Side One
1. "Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodleloo" (Hunter, Garcia) – 5:42
2. "Let Me Sing Your Blues Away" (Hunter, Godchaux) – 3:25
3. "Row Jimmy" (Hunter, Garcia) – 7:11
4. "Stella Blue" (Hunter, Garcia) – 6:26
Side Two
1. "Here Comes Sunshine" (Hunter, Garcia) – 4:37
2. "Eyes of the World" (Hunter, Garcia) – 5:16
3. "Weather Report Suite"
* "Prelude" (Weir)
* "Part I" (Weir, Andersen) - 5:36
* "Part II (Let It Grow)" (Barlow, Weir) - 7:054

From the Mars Hotel

RELEASED: June 24 1974, Grateful Dead Records

Side one
1. "U.S. Blues" (Hunter, Garcia) – 4:42
2. "China Doll" (Garcia, Hunter) – 4:10
3. "Unbroken Chain" (Lesh, Peterson) – 6:46
4. "Loose Lucy" (Garcia, Hunter) – 3:22
Side two
1. "Scarlet Begonias" (Garcia, Hunter) – 4:19
2. "Pride of Cucamonga" (Lesh, Peterson) – 4:17
3. "Money Money" (Barlow, Weir) – 4:23
4. "Ship of Fools" (Garcia, Hunter) – 5:27