The group's second album is pretty much definitive, especially in its remastered version from Columbia's Legacy division (issued in 1996), which has really crisp, loud sound.
Joe Maphis' "Dim Lights, Thick Smoke (And Loud, Loud Music)" is a great opener, a honky tonk-style number featuring
David Nelson's lead vocals and
Nicky Hopkins' piano sharing the spotlight with
Nelson's and
John Dawson's axes. The guitars on
Dawson's "Rainbow" are nearly pretty enough to be a
Flying Burrito Brothers or
Poco number. Most of what follows is as good or better, especially
Dave Torbert's "California Day" and "Contract," and
Dawson's "Sweet Lovin' One." The one letdown is their cover of "Hello Mary Lou," a flat, dullish rendition that could be any bad country-rock bar band, and which isn't going to make anyone forget the numerous versions before and since -- they do somewhat better with
Johnny Otis' "Willie and the Hand Jive."
Powerglide is a fun record and offers one virtue that
the Dead, in particular, sometimes forgot -- they know how to end a song.
Jerry Garcia is present on banjo ("Sweet Lovin' One," "Duncan and Brady") and piano ("Lochinvar") --
Bill Kreutzmann and
Nicky Hopkins also turn up -- but the best lead guitar work here comes courtesy of
David Nelson and
Buddy Cage, who plays the pedal steel. ~ Bruce Eder