From The Mars Hotel 1974 Album

Grateful Dead

I don't think this is any better than the previous studio record, but does have a different feel. The album title references an actual flophouse, and sounds like it. The opening "U.S. Blues" comes off like a bargain-basement version of "Truckin". Also, Phil Lesh gets in a couple of songwriting credits, and they are guilty pleasures at best. But they are not nearly as bad as Weir's "Money Money". This is the Dead gone over to the novelty side of the fence, which is surface fun, but not much else going for it.