Recorded and released in 1970, Workingman’s Dead is the fourth album from American rock band Grateful Dead. With considerable pressures surrounding the band relating to issues with debt and a previous drugs bust in New Orleans, the album provided a much needed paradigm shift for the band, transforming them from “psychedelic upstarts to an American institution”, as described by Pitchfork in their review, in which the album was awarded 9.1/10.
The band incorporated new textures and timbres with this album, adding a new dimension to their output. A steel guitar is featured throughout after Jerry Garcia had purchased one the previous year, whilst on tour in Boulder, Colorado. The album also features expansive harmonies and layered vocal textures that had not previously been present in the Dead’s sound. Garcia has stated that a lot of the inspiration for the album’s sound came from his pairing with Robert Hunter and the band’s relationship with Crosby, Stills and Nash.
The album received widespread critical acclaim upon it’s release, with AllMusic describing it as “heartbreakingly beautiful” and “one of the more important documents of it’s time”. It received 5 star reviews from outlets such Rolling Stone and American Songwriter and is often considered by Dead fans as one of their most essential studio recordings.