Shakedown Street

For hardcore hippies, SHAKEDOWN STREET was the Dead's nadir, as they moved from the arty jazz-rock epics of WAKE OF THE FLOOD and TERRAPIN STATION to a radio-friendly light-funk sound. While the band seemed to have momentarily abandoned their more experimental leanings, they had shored up their songcraft, and SHAKEDOWN STREET contains several of the Dead's finest tunes, presented with a minimum of fuss for maximum impact. The band even managed to score a semi-hit with their Latin-tinged arrangement of the Rascals' "Good Lovin'".
Bob Weir's bluesy "I Need A Miracle" wound up becoming a staple of the Dead's live shows for years to come, as did the funky the-scene-is-dead plaint that is the title tune. Garcia's hits his stride, both vocally and melodically, on the beautiful devotional ballad "If I Had The World To Give", whose construction bears more than a hint of a Beatles influence. SHAKEDOWN STREET also marked the end of an era for the Dead, as it would be the last album to feature keyboardist Keith Godchaux and his vocalist wife Donna.|