From Reuters Life: THE GRATEFUL DEAD made their name playing improvisational music born anew with every performance, and now an American composer has sought to capture their psychedelic spirit in a classical symphony. 'DEA... more »D SYMPHONY NO. 6' by LEE JOHNSON encompasses some of the band's most familiar melodies and its most otherworldly jams in a work in 12 movements. The symphony is 'a musical embrace of American culture' and a natural outgrowth of the band's spirit. Highlights include movements based on the Dead's psychedelic classic 'St. Stephen' and the rarely played 'Mountains of the Moon.' There is even an improvised portion, in the lament 'Stella Blue.' Johnson chose songs based on their melodic potential and overall fit. A movement based on the song 'Here Comes Sunshine,' for example, stretches the original melody in time so it is almost unrecognizable amid the harmonies. One ambitious movement was based on 'Blues for Allah,' which was played live only three times by the Grateful Dead. In Johnson's version, a clarinet's jaunty refrain evokes American composer George Gershwin, while deep cellos envelop the movement in its powerful Middle Eastern theme. The symphony's overture and finale include strains of 'Funiculi Funicula,' the much-parodied Italian song the Dead used often as a playful tune-up riff.« less
From Reuters Life: THE GRATEFUL DEAD made their name playing improvisational music born anew with every performance, and now an American composer has sought to capture their psychedelic spirit in a classical symphony. 'DEAD SYMPHONY NO. 6' by LEE JOHNSON encompasses some of the band's most familiar melodies and its most otherworldly jams in a work in 12 movements. The symphony is 'a musical embrace of American culture' and a natural outgrowth of the band's spirit. Highlights include movements based on the Dead's psychedelic classic 'St. Stephen' and the rarely played 'Mountains of the Moon.' There is even an improvised portion, in the lament 'Stella Blue.' Johnson chose songs based on their melodic potential and overall fit. A movement based on the song 'Here Comes Sunshine,' for example, stretches the original melody in time so it is almost unrecognizable amid the harmonies. One ambitious movement was based on 'Blues for Allah,' which was played live only three times by the Grateful Dead. In Johnson's version, a clarinet's jaunty refrain evokes American composer George Gershwin, while deep cellos envelop the movement in its powerful Middle Eastern theme. The symphony's overture and finale include strains of 'Funiculi Funicula,' the much-parodied Italian song the Dead used often as a playful tune-up riff.
CD Reviews
Well executed but uncompelling
The Delite Rancher | Phoenix, Arizona | 03/28/2008
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Starting with the release of "Deadicated" (1991), I've picked up just about every Grateful Dead tribute. I have the tributes in bluegrass, rock, reggae, a capella and jazz ("Blues for Allah Project" "Dark Star" "Swingin'"). Being an enthusiast for orchestral music, I was surprised to discover that this is the only philharmonic Dead tribute. In a day when most bands seem to have a string quartet or symphony orchestra tribute, it's odd that it took so long for the Grateful Dead. In any case, here it is and I'm not sure if it was worth the wait. "Dead Symphony" makes the opposite mistake that spoils most of these tributes. Most of these projects are money grubbing schemes that hire mediocre studio musicians to pump out simplistic and soulless renditions. As if conscious of this pitfall, "Dead Symphony" steered too hard in the other direction. It sounds as if Lee Johnson took this project too seriously and overcompensated. The essential melodies are often elusive. As a result, many of the compositions are difficult to recognize. The sound is often too large and busy as a result of over intellectualization. The benefits of this reworking are negligible while it suggests that Johnson thought the music needed help. The upbeat tunes often sound like they belong on the soundtrack to a vintage Western film. This bombastic style has merit, but it doesn't fit the Dead. The slower, softer tunes are the ones that work best. Indeed, highlights include 'Mountains of the Moon' and 'Blues for Allah.' The drawbacks to this project are not from a lack of effort or authentic dedication. As with Amazon reviewer Robin Russell, I can easily understand how some listeners may fully appreciate this project. In the end, I found "Dead Symphony" to be enjoyable background music that probably won't get more than a few additional spins before collecting dust. While "Dead Symphony" makes a meaningful contribution, let's hope that it serves to open the gates for similarly minded Dead tributes."
Classics get classical treatment
Robin Russell | Pembroke, Bermuda | 12/03/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Lee Johnson wrote Dead Symphony No 6 after being approached by Mike Adams in the wake of Jerry Garcia's death. Being new to the music may have been a bonus for Johnson: his fresh ears have gone to the most beguiling melodies and adventurous harmonies from the vast and innovative Grateful Dead repertoire and welded them into a coherent symphony, using a dash of improvisation and playful references to Funiculi Funicula (a favourite Dead throwaway to confirm they were finally in tune at the start of concerts).
This is a far cry from the light weight orchestral treatments of pop that have blighted our ears so often. Rather, this is the real deal: a serious piece of music that succeeds admirably. The songs that have beeen incorporated into the movements of the symphony include some of the finest in the canon: Stella Blue, China Doll, To Lay Me Down, St Stephen, Blues for Allah, Mountains of the Moon, Sugar Magnolia, If I Had the World to Give, Bird Song and Here Comes Sunshine.
Johnson conducts the Russian National Orchestra himself on this fine recording."
Fantastic Re-Imagining
Michael S. Hillman | Calhoun, Ga. USA | 07/27/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Lee Johnson has taken the work of the Dead and re-imagined it as orchestral music. It is remarkably provocative and demands close listening. My wife is a classical musician, and upon hearing Johnson's work, she is now quite interested in listening more closely to the Grateful Dead. I think this CD can work as a bridge for fan's of both The Dead and classical/symphonic work. Entirely compelling."
Some good attention to the material
Mark Mumper | 05/18/2009
(3 out of 5 stars)
"This isn't a symphony, but a suite of (as I hear it) mostly motivic treatments. I like much of it (not the farcical Overture and Finale--but give me the Dead's happy, wobbly renditions of that tune anytime), though there's a sameness of atmosphere/mood to much of the expression. It near-completely leaves out high-energy forte e con moto realms of the Dead's music and performance; the predominant mood seems to be subdued nocturne (maybe that's where Lee Johnson's taste inclines him, I don't know), with a couple of Gershwin and Milhaud/Ellington jazz nods, yet no nods to (apter to Grateful Dead) Noah Lewis or Blind Willie Johnson. Lee Johnson brings out a remarkable Stephen Foster aspect to Sugar Magnolia that I'd never heard from it; it's the only Weir composition he includes, though. For my taste, the best realizations are the musical-emotionally rich, mystic China Doll and the poetic Here Comes Sunshine."
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1