What A Long Strange Trip It's Been

''What a Long Strange Trip It's Been'' is the second compilation album by American rock band Grateful Dead. It was released August 18, 1977, by Warner Bros. Records, three and a half years after the '' Skeletons from the Closet'' compilation. Both albums are subtitled "The Best of the Grateful Dead". Unlike the previous compilation, ''What a Long Strange Trip It's Been'' is a double album.

Content

After the Grateful Dead had completed their contract with Warner Bros. and begun self-releasing their recordings, the label released ''Skeletons from the Closet''. The compilation of tracks from their back catalog was successful, and when the band moved onto Arista Records in 1977 to record ''Terrapin Station'', Warner Bros. released a second, larger compilation of tracks from the 1967–1972 period.

''What a Long Strange Trip It's Been'' is a two-record set, with mostly studio tracks collected on the first disc and all live tracks on the second. Sixteen of the tracks are taken from previously released albums. Two tracks are single versions previously unavailable on album: the studio version of "Dark Star", and its B-side, the single mix of ''Anthem of the Sun's'' "Born Cross-Eyed". The Grateful Dead's most recognizable song at the time, "Truckin'," is the only track used on both compilations. "St. Stephen" appears again, though this time in a live version (an excerpt of the ''Live/Dead'' track). Of the nine original Warner Bros. albums, the only one unrepresented is ''Anthem of the Sun'' (aside from its associated single).

Release

The title comes from the bridge of "Truckin, which ends with the stanza:

Lately it occurs to me
What a long strange trip it's been.

The cover art is darkly themed, with red, Old English Gothic script and a black skeleton graphic against a black background. The metallized skeleton (less distinct on some printings) is an air-brushed image by Rick Griffin, who had created several previous album covers for the band. The back cover features the rear view of the skeleton, with the text reversed. The inside of the gatefold features the first appearance of the iconic "dancing skeletons" graphic, rendered in white. Also featured are photographs of the band in concert. However, rather than dating from the Warner Bros. era, they are from October 1976 (see '' Dick's Picks Volume 33'').

''What a Long Strange Trip It's Been'' was released as a double CD in 1989, after sales of the band's albums had been revitalized by '' In the Dark''. Like its predecessor compilation, it has achieved Platinum sales certification (in 2001).

Track listing

;Side one
#"New, New Minglewood Blues" (trad.; credited to McGannahan Skjellyfetti) – 2:35
#* from ''The Grateful Dead''
#"Cosmic Charlie" (Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter) – 5:31
#* from ''Aoxomoxoa''
#"Truckin'" (Garcia, Hunter, Phil Lesh, Bob Weir) – 5:06
#* from '' American Beauty''
#"Black Peter" (Garcia, Hunter) – 7:31
#* from '' Bear's Choice''; live, February 13, 1970, Fillmore East, New York City
#"Born Cross-Eyed" (single version) (Weir) – 2:58
#* from " Dark Star" single

;Side two
#

" Ripple" (Garcia, Hunter) – 4:10
#* from '' American Beauty''
#"Doin' That Rag" (Garcia, Hunter) – 4:43
#* from ''Aoxomoxoa''
#" Dark Star" (Garcia, Hunter) – 2:41
#* from " Dark Star" single
#"High Time" (Garcia, Hunter) – 5:14
#* from ''Workingman's Dead''
#"New Speedway Boogie" (Garcia, Hunter) – 4:05
#* from ''Workingman's Dead''

;Side three
#

" St. Stephen" (Garcia, Hunter, Lesh) – 5:24
#* excerpt, from ''Live/Dead''; live, February 27, 1969, Fillmore West, San Francisco
#"Jack Straw" (Weir, Hunter) – 4:53
#* from ''Europe '72''; live, May 3, 1972, Olympia Theatre, Paris
#" Me & My Uncle" ( John Phillips) – 3:04
#* from '' Grateful Dead (untitled)''; live, April 29, 1971, Fillmore East, New York City;
#"Tennessee Jed" (Garcia, Hunter) – 7:12
#* from ''Europe '72''; live, May 3, 1972, Olympia Theatre, Paris

;Side four
#

"Cumberland Blues" (Garcia, Hunter, Lesh) – 5:40
#* from ''Europe '72''; live, April 8, 1972, Empire Pool, London
#"Playing in the Band" (Weir, Hunter, Mickey Hart) – 4:42
#* from '' Grateful Dead (untitled)''; live, April 6, 1971, Hammerstein Ballroom, Manhattan Center, New York City
#"Brown-Eyed Woman" (Garcia, Hunter) – 4:38
#* from ''Europe '72''; live, April 14, 1972, Tivolis Koncertsal, Copenhagen
#"Ramble On Rose" (Garcia, Hunter) – 6:02
#* from ''Europe '72''; live, May 26, 1972, Lyceum Theatre, London

Personnel

;Grateful Dead
*Tom Constanten – keyboards
*Jerry Garcia – guitar, vocals
*Donna Jean Godchaux – vocals
*Keith Godchaux – piano, keyboards
*Mickey Hart – drums
*Bill Kreutzmann – drums
*Phil Lesh – bass guitar, vocals
*Ron "Pigpen" McKernan – organ, vocals
*Bob Weir – guitar, vocals

;Technical personnel
* Betty Cantor, Bob Matthews – production, engineering
*David Hassinger, Owsley Stanley – production
*Paul Wexler – executive production

Certifications

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:What A Long Strange Trip It's Been
1977 greatest hits albums
1977 live albums
Grateful Dead compilation albums
Grateful Dead live albums
Rhino Entertainment compilation albums
Rhino Entertainment live albums
Warner Records compilation albums
Warner Records live albums