Terrapin Station Songs Ranked

Terrapin Station is the ninth studio album by the Grateful Dead, released July 27, 1977. It was the first Grateful Dead album on Arista Records and the first studio album after the band returned to live touring, following a nearly two-year hiatus. The album reached No. 28 on the Billboard Album Chart and achieved gold album status in 1987, after being released for the first time on CD (by Arista Records) following the release of that year’s In the Dark. Terrapin Station was remastered and expanded for the Beyond Description (1973–1989) box set in October 2004. It was voted number 848 in the third edition of Colin Larkin’s All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000). Here are all of Terrapin Station’s songs ranked.

Don’t miss out on the TIMELESS Grateful Dead music below! Click to experience the eclectic style of songs by these bands.

6. Passenger

“Firefly, Can you see me, Shine on GLOWING, Brief and brightly … PASSENGER, DON’T YOU HEAR ME?” – This song (Passenger, by Lesh) kicks your[…] in a happy, sweet and innocent way, but yes, IT ROCKS (at least briefly – short song at 2:48 min)! Garcia switches between bouncy melodic talkative storylines and slide-guitar exclamations as Weir holds down a pure rock ‘n’ roll structure with Lesh and the high-hat bashing rhythm section – very catchy and fun song that sticks with you, permanently.”

5. Dancing in the Streets

“Dancing in the Streets is a fun little cover song, and the band are clearly grooving here. Lesh is especially noticeable with jazz-fusiony butter runs, spreading a tasty overlay to the what might have been a less than tasty disco-beat foundation (Mickey’s interesting world beat is a shade of things to come for him). Smile big as Garcia and Weir wink at eachother parodying the times with their “brand new beat” jangly pop guitar musings – FUNNY!”

See more: Grateful Dead Albums Ranked

4. Estimated Prophet

“Weir’s punchy Estimated Prophet begins it with a BANG as Garcia’s signature slick (envelope filter) waahhhlll of joyful guitar bliss weaves between Weir’s sharp chordal harmonic permutations and Lesh’s tight ventricle vibrating bass thumpings. Kreutzmann & Hart are “on” here, laying down very interesting beats as if from a single four-armed monster. This was the new “hit” back then and is possibly Weir’s biggest one … “firewheel burnin’ in the air”. Tom Scott provides lyricon and saxophones for soft landing toward the end.”

3. Samson and Delilah

“Samson & Delilah (arranged by Weir) starts out with great drums and Garcia having fun tweaking the intense chord progressions with walking blues finally wailing out with a patented (amongst deadheads) twangy guitar lead. Strangely intense & mellow.Samson, tell me where your strength lies???”

See more: Grateful Dead Songs Ranked

2. Sunrise

“As a lead in to the incredibly beautiful melodic song by Donna “Sunrise” that I believe was created for the funeral of a friend. It is sung so tenderly, even thinking about this siren song can be emotional, as you get lost in the hymnal beauty. It’s darn close to her crowning achievement with the Grateful Dead (although her work on Cat’s Under the Stars is on par and equally gracious). Yes, this sweety did add a few precious things to the Dead continuum, despite the ambivalence of some fans to her live work.”

1. Terrapin Station

“Garcia’s guitar solo in this song is jaw-dropping, and the orchestration continues to be of interest. Highly recommended, unless you’re one of those deadheads who hates the refined “studio” quality of this album.”