Mickey Hart's Mystery Box

Track Listings

1. Where Love Goes [Sito]

2. Full Steam Ahead

3. Down the Road

4. Sandman

5. Next Step

6. Look Away

7. Only the Strange Remain

8. Sangre de Cristo

9. John Cage Is Dead

10. Last Song

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Moving beyond the worldbeat percussion of Planet Drum and At the Edge, the Grateful Dead percussionist makes a pop crossover move in partnership with Sade producer Robin Millar and the English vocal sextet The Juleps. An automatic buy for Deadheads. --Jeff Bateman

From the Label
For Mickey Hart's Mystery Box, Mickey Hart set out to do one thing: to give voice to the drum. Hart crafted songs from the rhythmic foundation up, and that meant not just the beat, but the melody. To find the roots of these melodies, Mickey laid down the basic grooves with Planet Drum partners Zakir Hussain and Giovanni Hidalgo, and then turned to longtime Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter to complete the story with words.

The voices, the last fundamental element of Hart's vision appeared in the form of the Mint Juleps, a remarkable a cappella group from Great Britain. Over the next two years, in between Grateful Dead tours, Mickey continued to refine the grooves, bringing in at various times such players as Airto, former Tower Of Power drummer David Garibaldi, Sikiru, and Youssou N'Dour's bass player, Habib Faye.

While Hunter's words melded perfectly with Mickey's grooves, they really took flight when given voice by the Mint Juleps on songs that run the gamut from the soulful ("Where Love Goes (Sito)") to the surreal ("John Cage Is Dead"). Hart contributed the spoken vocals to several tracks, including the aptly titled "Only The Strange Remain" (a revised version of a semi-legendary Hunter/Hart tune that's been kicking around for years), "The Sandman" (an infectious piece featuring guitar work by Bob Weir), and what may be the album's emotional high point, "Down The Road," a beautiful evocation of departed heroes from Joe Hill to Jerry Garcia that also features Bruce Hornsby contributing impassioned vocals and some lilting accordion.

To help achieve the album's distinctive sound, Hart enlisted the services of co-producer Robin Millar, who has crafted worldwide hits for the likes of Sade, Fine Young Cannibals and Kate Bush. The collaboration was a fortunate one, resulting in the perfect marriage of ancient and modern, earthy and cosmopolitan — irresistible dance grooves wedded to soaring voices and profoundly affecting words.

Mickey Hart's Mystery Box,Mickey Hart,Rykodisc,Ethnic Fusion,Experimental Rock,Int'l & World Music,Pan-Global,Pop,Pop/Rock,Popular Music,United States of America,Worldbeat

Mickey Hart's Mystery Box

Tracks:

Where Love Goes (Sito)
Full Steam Ahead
Down The Road
TheSandman
The Next Step
Look Away
Only The Strange Remain
Sangre De Cristo
John Cage Is Dead
The Last Song

Amazon.com

Moving beyond the worldbeat percussion of Planet Drum and At the Edge, the Grateful Dead percussionist makes a pop crossover move in partnership with Sade producer Robin Millar and the English vocal sextet The Juleps. An automatic buy for Deadheads. --Jeff Bateman

Customer Reviews:

Mickey Hart's weakest album.......2006-07-06

There is indeed a mystery that surrounds this project: what was Mickey thinking?!?!?! I first want to establish that Mickey Hart is one of my heroes; I've seen him live in various incarnations and I have all of his recorded releases. Now that I've set down my credentials, I can write that this is Hart's worst album. Beyond weak songwriting, the Mystery Box sound is sickeningly conventional. I would only expect this recording to appeal to 16 year girls on Long Island circa 1994. This misadventure occurred despite good ingredients and a decent recipe. The project included Robert Hunter, Zakir Hussain and conguero Giovanni Hidalgo. The Mint Juleps sing well. Beyond these qualities, the Mystery Box was a genuinely unique project for Hart. Moreover, the idea of a pop crossover in itself wasn't a bad idea -it just didn't work in this situation. So what went wrong? That's the mystery! Now if I could only find that darn box, the answer to this enigma may be inside.

Before me, all other critiques gave this outcast of the Rykodisc family five stars. It's laughable that listeners put this on the same level with the Grateful Dead's "American Beauty," and the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's." These reviewers are either teenyboppers (you guessed it, from Long Island, NY) or they're being way too generous, awarding five stars just because it's Mickey. At the time of review, about a dozen copies of this potential beverage coaster could be purchased for less a buck through Amazon's marketplace sellers. Why? The answer to that is no mystery.

World beat indeed.......2006-05-04

Being a long-time Deadhead, knowing Mickey's a bit "vocally-challenged" and being a big fan of great drumming, I wasn't sure what I was getting into when I bought this. After dozens of listens over the past several years, it's clear this is one of my best purchasing decisions ever of GD or GD-related music.

Mickey gets the groove on from start to finish and manages to prove his mastery of the art of world music and the feel of the day.

If you're looking for something that resembles the Grateful Dead's sound, look elsewhere. For me, though, this is a good thing. There's enough of the "GD sound" everywhere you turn. Mystery Box is a thoroughly refreshing move away from that jam-band sound. Every song is well crafted, arranged and performed.

One last comment... For anybody who was ever a Jerry Garcia fan, I dare you to listen to "Down The Road" and not be utterly moved. What an incredible farewell to the master.

A Classic, Great Variety........2005-09-26

This is really awesome! World master drumming, amazing lyrics, singing and plenty of different vibes here. You'll have a hard time not loving this. I wish Mickey would do another album like this.

A Visionary Funk Machine.......2004-03-22

When I bought this I had real buyers remorse, thinking I was gona have to endure a CD of Mickey Hart vocals in lieu of his world percussion CD's.

What shocking surprise. A Shuckadelic Soul Motion! A gem, a Masterpiece and a Gift from a revolutionary artist with heart, passion and intellegence. The Mint Julips' vocals are off the chart divine. The band is a collaboration of perfection. Mickey aint bad either.

Rag Bag Willey and Bam-Alam!!!!!

An awesome album with a great world beat sound.......2004-03-01

When I got this CD, I was expecting something like the classic "Grateful Dead" sound that I like so much. But the music on this disc sounds nothing like the "Dead". What you will find here are wonderfully complex rhythms wrapped in beautiful harmonies with more of a "World Music" sound than the folksy/rock sound that I was expecting - sort of an americanized version of Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

"Where Love Goes" has a new-agey sound. "Full Steam Ahead" has great rolling beat. "Down the Road" is mostly spoken word with beautiful background vocals. "Sandman" is another upbeat song with some spoken word bits. "Next Step" is a haunting tune with more beautiful vocals. "Look Away" has a similar new-agey sound to "Where Love Goes", but with a more positive feel. "Only the Strange Remain" is another spoken word piece, where Mickey sounds an awful lot like Robbie Robertson. "Sangre de Cristo" is another fun foray into beat and harmony. "John Cage is Dead" is surprisingly upbeat and fun. The amusingly titled "Last Song" is a obviously having fun with the last track on the album.

Perhaps the best vote for this album is the fact that my wife likes it - she does not care for the Dead, and our tastes in music are quite divergent.

RFM - Radio Free Music - Volume 2
Average customer rating:
RFM - Radio Free Music - Volume 2
Gipsy Kings , Jeb Loy Nichols , Wild Colonials , Lowen And Navarro , Zucchero , The Iguanas , Mickey Hart's Mystery Box , Ottmar Liebert , The Mavericks , and Rosanne Cash
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Country | Styles | Music
General | International | Styles | Music
General | New Age | Styles | Music
General | Rock | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000FKLSW4

Product Description

RFM - Radio Free Music - Volume 2 // 1. Montana - Gipsy Kings 2. As The Rain - Jeb Loy Nichols 3. Spark - Wild Colonials 4. Avalanche - Lowen And Navarro (Previously unreleased) 5. No More Regrets - Zucchero 6. Boom Boom Boom - The Iguanas 7. Where Love Goes (Sito) - Mickey Hart's Mystery Box 8. Santa Fe - Ottmar Liebert 9. My Secret Flame - The Mavericks 10. Dance With The Tiger - Rosanne Cash 11. Follow Your Bliss - B-52's 12. The Road - Everthing But The Girl

Average customer rating:

Furthur (HDCD)
Bruce Hornsby , Los Lobos , Mickey Hart's Mystery Box , Ratdog , Hot Tuna , John Wesley Harding , Alvin Youngblood Hart , and Rob Wasserman
Manufacturer: Metropolitan Entertainment
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000CCXHOW

Product Description

Furthur //(HDCD) High Definition 1. Spider Fingers - Bruce Hornsby 2. Bertha - Los Lobos 3. Fire On The Mountain - Mickey Hart's Mystery Box 4. I Need A Miracle - Ratdog 5. Keep On Truckin' - Hot Tuna 6. When The Beatles Hit America - John Wesley Harding 7. Big Mama's Door - Alvin Youngblood Hart 8. Jack Straw - Bruce Hornsby 9. Knockin' On Heaven's Door - Ratdog 10. Amazing Grace - Rob Wasserman

Average customer rating:

Summer Caravan Summer '96 Sampler

Manufacturer: Rykodisc/Hannibal/Gramavision
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Hannibal Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000EHL8BE

Product Description

1. Look Away- Mickey Hart's Mystery Box 2. The Devil Went Down to Newport- Mono Puff 3. Pa Que Gozen- Jesus Alemany's Cubanismo 4. Fort Knox, King Solomon- Bob Mould 5. Barbados- Jazz Jamaica 6. Crooked Frame- Alejandro Escovedo 7. Black Muddy River- Norma Waterson 8. Won't Be Coming Home- Golden Smog 9. Tak Your Clothes When You Dance- Frank Zappa 10. Where Love Goes (Sito)- Mickey Hart's Mystery Box 11. Phoenix Hill- Peter Apfelbaum 12. I Want To See the Bright Lights Tonight- Linda Thompson 13. Next Time That You Leave- Bob Mould 14. Sharks Ate My Wahine- Amos Garrett

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