After many years of work, The National are finally set to release their long-in-the-works Grateful Dead tribute album, Day of the Dead. Coming on May 20th from 4AD, the massive 59-track effort features a legion of rock royalty like Wilco, Mumford and Sons,The Flaming Lips, Anhoni, My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, Sharon Van Etten, and Local Natives paying homage to the original great jammers.
A sampling of the covers on the record came last month with the release of tracks by Courtney Barnett, The War on Drugs, and The National, as well as collaborative songs from Bruce Hornsby and Deyarmond Edison (Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon and Megafaun), and Jenny Lewis and Phosphorescent. Today, another such collaboration has been revealed, as The National have joined forces with Daniel Rossen and Christopher Bear of Grizzly Bear to cover the entire “Terrapin Station (Suite)”
“Terrapin Station (Suite)” is a bit of a legend within a legendary band’s catalog. The entire 16-minute second side to the Dead’s ninth LP, Terrapin Station, the whole thing was never performed live by the band’s original members. Since then, Bob Weir and Phil Lesh have performed the entire suite with their other bands, but never quite like this. In addition to the Grizzly Bear and National boys, Josh Kaufman (The Voice), Takka Takka’s Conrad Doucette, Sō Percussion, and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus all feature on the soaring, sailing cover.
Check it out below via a video featuring the musicians in-studio — or, more accurately, in-church — recording the song.
Day of the Dead will be available digitally, as a 5xCD set, and as a limited edition vinyl box set. All proceeds will go to the Red Hot Organization, a nonprofit that fights against AIDS.
Additionally, a handful of the tribute album’s contributors are expected to stage a live performance of Day of the Dead at this year’s Eaux Claires Music Festival, set for August 12th – 13th in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
Day of the Dead Tracklist:
Thunder (Vol. 1)
01. The War on Drugs – “Touch of Grey”
02. Phosphorescent, Jenny Lewis & Friends – “Sugaree”
03. Jim James & Friends – “Candyman”
04. Moses Sumney, Jenny Lewis & Friends – “Cassidy”
05. Bruce Hornsby and DeYarmond Edison – “Black Muddy River”
06. Ed Droste, Binki Shapiro & Friends – “Loser”
07. The National – “Peggy-O”
08. Kurt Vile and the Violators (featuring J Mascis) – “Box of Rain”
09. Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy & Friends – “Rubin and Cherise”
10. Perfume Genius, Sharon Van Etten & Friends – “To Lay Me Down”
11. Courtney Barnett – “New Speedway Boogie”
12. Mumford & Sons – “Friend of the Devil”
13. Lucius – “Uncle John’s Band”
14. The Lone Bellow & Friends – “Me and My Uncle”
15. Lee Ranaldo, Lisa Hannigan & Friends – “Mountains of the Moon”
16. Anohni and yMusic – “Black Peter”
17. Bryce Dessner – “Garcia Counterpoint”
18. Daniel Rossen, Christopher Bear and The National (featuring Josh Kaufman, Conrad Doucette, So Percussion and Brooklyn Youth Chorus) – “Terrapin Station (Suite)”
19. Angel Olsen – “Attics of My Life”
20. Wilco with Bob Weir – “St. Stephen (live)”
Lightning (Vol. 2)
01. Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – “If I Had the World to Give”
02. Phosphorescent & Friends – “Standing on the Moon”
03. Charles Bradley and Menahan Street Band – “Cumberland Blues”
04. The Tallest Man on Earth & Friends – “Ship of Fools”
05. Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy & Friends – “Bird Song ”
06. The National – “Morning Dew”
07. Marijuana Deathsquads – “Truckin’”
08. Cass McCombs, Joe Russo & Friends – “Dark Star”
09. Nightfall of Diamonds – “Nightfall of Diamonds”
10. Tim Hecker – “Transitive Refraction Axis for John Oswald”
11. Lucinda Williams & Friends – “Going Down The Road Feelin’ Bad”
12. Tunde Adebimpe, Lee Ranaldo & Friends – “Playing in the Band”
13. Local Natives – “Stella Blue”
14. Tal National – “Eyes of the World”
15. Bela Fleck ¬– “Help on the Way”
16. Orchestra Baobab – “Franklin’s Tower”
17. Luluc with Xylouris White – “Till the Morning Comes”
18. The Walkmen – “Ripple”
19. Richard Reed Parry with Caroline Shaw and Little Scream (featuring Garth Hudson) – “Brokedown Palace”
Sunshine (Vol. 3)
01. Real Estate – “Here Comes Sunshine”
02. Unknown Mortal Orchestra – “Shakedown Street”
03. Hiss Golden Messenger – “Brown-Eyed Women”
04. This Is the Kit – “Jack-A-Roe”
05. Daniel Rossen and Christopher Bear – “High Time”
06. The Lone Bellow & Friends – “Dire Wolf”
07. Winston Marshall, Kodiak Blue and Shura – “Althea”
08. Orchestra Baobab – “Clementine Jam”
09. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks – “China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider”
10. Bill Callahan – “Easy Wind”
11. Ira Kaplan & Friends – “Wharf Rat”
12. The Rileys – “Estimated Prophet”
13. Man Forever, So Percussion and Oneida – “Drums -> Space”
14. Fucked Up – “Cream Puff War”
15. The Flaming Lips – “Dark Star”
16. s t a r g a z e – “What’s Become of the Baby”
17. Vijay Iyer – “King Solomon’s Marbles”
18. Mina Tindle & Friends – “Rosemary”
19. Sam Amidon – “And We Bid You Goodnight”
20. The National with Bob Weir – “I Know You Rider (live)”
