For years now THE NATIONAL mastermind siblings Aaron and Bryce Dessner have been talking about a sort of ultimate tribute album for the legendary US rock band GRATEFUL DEAD. Now, the compilation gets an official name and release date. Day Of The Dead arrives on May 20 via 4AD and according to the tracklist the Dessners managed to get pretty much everyone for the triple-album, including THE WAR ON DRUGS, ANOHNI, COURTNEY BARNETT, WILCO, BILL CALLAHAN and, of course, THE NATIONAL themselves. You can find the entire tracklist below.
All profits of the compilation will help fight for AIDS/ HIV and related health issues around the world through the Red Hot Organization. The songs were produced by Aaron Dessner, and co-produced by Bryce Dessner and Josh Kaufman (all of THE NATIONAL). According to the press release a lot of the 59 tracks feature an all-star house band made up of Aaron, Bryce, fellow NATIONAL bandmates and brothers Scott and Bryan Devendorf, Josh Kaufman, and Conrad Doucette along with Sam Cohen and Walter Martin. The record shows the broad reaching impact and legacy of the Grateful Dead both culturally and musically. BILL CALLAHAN explains his participation in the following press statement:
I feel like the Dead managed to show the bridge from the past to the future in a respectful way. Much more so than someone like the Stones who felt like pillagers to me. The Dead breathed life into the old songs, expanded the lungs of the old songs.
4AD also relased a Spotify Playlist with all the original GRATEFUL DEAD songs that get covered on Day Of The Dead. You can listen to it below the tracklist.
‘Day Of The Dead’-Tracklist
‘Thunder’ (Vol.1)
01. ‘Touch of Grey’ – The War on Drugs
02. ‘Sugaree’ – Phosphorescent, Jenny Lewis & Friends
03. ‘Candyman’ – Jim James & Friends
04. ‘Cassidy’ – Moses Sumney, Jenny Lewis & Friends
05. ‘Black Muddy River’ – Bruce Hornsby and DeYarmond Edison
06. ‘Loser’ – Ed Droste, Binki Shapiro & Friends
07. ‘Peggy-O’ – The National
08. ‘Box of Rain’ – Kurt Vile and the Violators (featuring J Mascis)
09. ‘Rubin and Cherise’ – Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy & Friends
10. ‘To Lay Me Down’ – Perfume Genius, Sharon Van Etten & Friends
11. ‘New Speedway Boogie’ – Courtney Barnett
12. ‘Friend of the Devil’ – Mumford & Sons
13. ‘Uncle John’s Band’ – Lucius
14. ‘Me and My Uncle’ – The Lone Bellow & Friends
15. ‘Mountains of the Moon’ – Lee Ranaldo, Lisa Hannigan & Friends
16. ‘Black Peter’ – Anohni and yMusic
17. ‘Garcia Counterpoint’ – Bryce Dessner
18. ‘Terrapin Station (Suite)’ – Daniel Rossen, Christopher Bear and The National (featuring Josh Kaufman, Conrad Doucette, So Percussion and Brooklyn Youth Chorus)
19. ‘Attics of My Life’ – Angel Olsen
20. ‘St. Stephen (live)’ – Wilco with Bob Weir
‘Lightning’ (Vol. 2)
01. ‘If I Had the World to Give’ – Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy
02. ‘Standing on the Moon’ – Phosphorescent & Friends
03. ‘Cumberland Blues’ – Charles Bradley and Menahan Street Band
04. ‘Ship of Fools’ – The Tallest Man On Earth & Friends
05. ‘Bird Song’ – Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy & Friends
06. ‘Morning Dew’ – The National
07. ‘Truckin’’ – Marijuana Deathsquads
08. ‘Dark Star’ – Cass McCombs, Joe Russo & Friends
09. ‘Nightfall of Diamonds’ – Nightfall of Diamonds
10. ‘Transitive Refraction Axis for John Oswald’ – Tim Hecker
11. ‘Going Down The Road Feelin’ Bad’ – Lucinda Williams & Friends
12. ‘Playing in the Band’ – Tunde Adebimpe, Lee Ranaldo & Friends
13. ‘Stella Blue’ – Local Natives
14. ‘Eyes of the World’ – Tal National
15. ‘Help on the Way’ – Bela Fleck
16. ‘Franklin’s Tower’ – Orchestra Baobab
17. ‘Till the Morning Comes’ – Luluc with Xylouris White
18. ‘Ripple’ – The Walkmen
19. ‘Brokedown Palace’ – Richard Reed Parry with Caroline Shaw and Little Scream (featuring Garth Hudson)
‘Sunshine’ (Vol. 3)
01. ‘Here Comes Sunshine’ – Real Estate
02. ‘Shakedown Street’ – Unknown Mortal Orchestra
03. ‘Brown-Eyed Women’ – Hiss Golden Messenger
04. ‘Jack-A-Roe’ – This Is the Kit
05. ‘High Time’ – Daniel Rossen and Christopher Bear
06. ‘Dire Wolf’ – The Lone Bellow & Friends
07. ‘Althea’ – Winston Marshall, Kodiak Blue and Shura
08. ‘Clementine Jam’ – Orchestra Baobab
09. ‘China Cat Sunflower’ -> I Know You Rider – Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks
10. ‘Easy Wind’ – Bill Callahan
11. ‘Wharf Rat’ – Ira Kaplan & Friends
12. ‘Estimated Prophet’ – The Rileys
13. ‘Drums -> Space’ – Man Forever, So Percussion and Oneida
14. ‘Cream Puff War’ – Fucked Up
15. ‘Dark Star’ – The Flaming Lips
16. ‘What’s Become of the Baby’ – s t a r g a z e
17. ‘King Solomon’s Marbles’- Vijay Iyer
18. ‘Rosemary’ – Mina Tindle & Friends
19. ‘And We Bid You Goodnight’ – Sam Amidon
20. ‘I Know You Rider (live)’ – The National with Bob Weir
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