The Arista Years is a compilation album

Compilation album

A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...

 that chronicles the Grateful Dead

Grateful Dead

The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...

's studio

Studio album

A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...

 and live album

Live album

A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...

s during their time with Arista Records

Arista Records

Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...

. The album was released on two-CD

Compact Disc

The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...

 and two cassette tapes on October 15, 1996. It contains tracks from Terrapin Station

Terrapin Station

Terrapin Station is the ninth studio album by the Grateful Dead, and was originally released on July 27, 1977.This album was the first time since Anthem of the Sun that the Grateful Dead used an outside producer...

, Shakedown Street

Shakedown Street

Shakedown Street is the tenth studio album by the Grateful Dead. It was released on November 15, 1978 by Arista.The album was released for the first time on CD in 1990 by Arista Records before being re-released in 2000 by BMG International. It was then remastered, expanded, and released as part of...

, Go to Heaven

Go to Heaven

Go to Heaven is the eleventh studio album by the Grateful Dead. It was released on April 28, 1980.The album was released for the first time on CD in 1990 by Arista Records before being re-released in 2000 by BMG International. It was then remastered, expanded, and released as part of the Beyond...

, Reckoning

Reckoning (Grateful Dead album)

Reckoning is a 1981 live double album by the Grateful Dead.It consists of acoustic material recorded live in September and October 1980. Some of the tracks are shortened versions of the live performances....

, Dead Set, In the Dark, Built to Last

Built to Last

Built to Last is the thirteenth and final studio album by the Grateful Dead. It was recorded between February 1 and October 20, 1989 and originally released on October 31, 1989....

, and Without a Net

Without a Net

Without a Net is a recording of the Grateful Dead performing live in concert. It was released in 1990. The album is dedicated to Clifton Hanger, a name keyboardist Brent Mydland used to sign in hotel guestbooks. Mydland died during this album's post-production of a drug overdose...

. The set does not contain any new or expanded recordings. A media outlet sampler, Selections from the Arista Years

Selections from the Arista Years

Selections from the Arista Years is a compilation album that chronicles the Grateful Dead's studio and live albums during their time with Arista Records. This is a one-CD sampler sent to radio stations, record stores, and print media outlets by Arista to promote The Arista Years, which had come out...

, was released by Arista in January 1997.

Disc one

1. "Estimated Prophet" (Barlow
   John Perry Barlow
   John Perry Barlow is an American poet and essayist, a retired Wyoming cattle rancher, and a cyberlibertarian political activist who has been associated with both the Democratic and Republican parties. He is also a former lyricist for the Grateful Dead and a founding member of the Electronic...
   
   , Weir
   Bob Weir
   Bob Weir is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist, most recognized as a founding member of the Grateful Dead. After the Grateful Dead disbanded in 1995, Weir performed with The Other Ones, later known as The Dead, together with other former members of the Grateful Dead...
   
   ) – 5:37
2. "Passenger" (Lesh
   Phil Lesh
   Phillip Chapman Lesh is a musician and a founding member of the Grateful Dead, with whom he played bass guitar throughout their 30-year career....
   
   , Monk) – 2:49
3. "Samson and Delilah
   Samson and Delilah (song)
   "Samson and Delilah" is a traditional song based on the Biblical tale of Samson and his betrayal by Delilah. Its best known performer is perhaps the Grateful Dead, who first performed the song live in 1976, with guitarist Bob Weir singing lead vocals. It was frequently played live by the Dead. The...
   
   " (traditional) – 3:27
4. "Terrapin Station [medley]" (Garcia
   Jerry Garcia
   Jerome John "Jerry" Garcia was an American musician best known for his lead guitar work, singing and songwriting with the band the Grateful Dead...
   
   , Hunter
   Robert Hunter (lyricist)
   Robert C. Hunter is an American lyricist, singer-songwriter, translator, and poet, best known for his association with Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead.-Biography:He was born Robert Burns in San Luis Obispo, California...
   
   ) – 16:20
   • Tracks 1-4 originally released on the album Terrapin Station
     Terrapin Station
     Terrapin Station is the ninth studio album by the Grateful Dead, and was originally released on July 27, 1977.This album was the first time since Anthem of the Sun that the Grateful Dead used an outside producer...
     
     .
5. "Good Lovin'" (Resnick, Clark
   Rudy Clark
   Rudy Clark is an American songwriter about whom little biographical information seems to be known. Supposedly a former mail carrier hailing from New York City, he was most active from the early 1960s through the early 1970s...
   
   ) – 4:48
6. "Shakedown Street
   Shakedown Street (song)
   "Shakedown Street" is a song by the Grateful Dead. It was written by lyricist Robert Hunter and composed by guitarist Jerry Garcia. It was released as the title track on the album Shakedown Street in November of 1978.The song was first performed live on August 31, 1978 at the Red Rocks...
   
   " (Garcia, Hunter) – 4:59
7. "Fire on the Mountain
   Fire on the Mountain (Grateful Dead song)
   "Fire on the Mountain" is a song by the Grateful Dead. It was written by lyricist Robert Hunter and composed by drummer Mickey Hart. It was commercially released on the album Shakedown Street in November 1978. An earlier instrumental version of this song titled "Happiness is Drumming" appeared in...
   
   " (Hart
   Mickey Hart
   Mickey Hart is an American percussionist and musicologist. He is best known as one of the two drummers of the rock band the Grateful Dead. He was a member of the Grateful Dead from September 1967 to February 1971, and from October 1974 to August 1995...
   
   , Hunter) – 3:46
8. "I Need a Miracle" (Barlow, Weir) – 3:33
   • Tracks 5-8 originally released on the album Shakedown Street
     Shakedown Street
     Shakedown Street is the tenth studio album by the Grateful Dead. It was released on November 15, 1978 by Arista.The album was released for the first time on CD in 1990 by Arista Records before being re-released in 2000 by BMG International. It was then remastered, expanded, and released as part of...
     
     .
9. "Alabama Getaway" (Garcia, Hunter) – 3:35
10. "Far From Me" (Mydland
    Brent Mydland
    Brent Mydland was the fourth keyboardist to play for the American rock band the Grateful Dead. He was with the band for eleven years, longer than any other keyboardist.- Early life :...
    
    ) – 3:39
11. "Saint of Circumstance" (Barlow, Weir) – 5:40
    • Tracks 9-11 originally released on the album Go to Heaven
      Go to Heaven
      Go to Heaven is the eleventh studio album by the Grateful Dead. It was released on April 28, 1980.The album was released for the first time on CD in 1990 by Arista Records before being re-released in 2000 by BMG International. It was then remastered, expanded, and released as part of the Beyond...
      
      .
12. "Dire Wolf" (Garcia, Hunter) – 3:21
13. "Cassidy" (Barlow, Weir) – 4:33
    • Tracks 12-13 originally released on the album Reckoning
      Reckoning (Grateful Dead album)
      Reckoning is a 1981 live double album by the Grateful Dead.It consists of acoustic material recorded live in September and October 1980. Some of the tracks are shortened versions of the live performances....
      
      .
14. "Feel Like a Stranger" (Barlow, Weir) – 5:47
15. "Franklin's Tower" (Garcia, Hunter, Kreutzmann
    Bill Kreutzmann
    Bill Kreutzmann is an American drummer who played with the rock band the Grateful Dead for their entire thirty-year career...
    
    ) – 5:37
    • Tracks 14-15 originally released on the album Dead Set.

Disc two

1. "Touch of Grey
   Touch of Grey
   "Touch of Grey" is a 1987 single by the Grateful Dead, and is the band's biggest commercial hit. The song is known for its refrain "I will get by / I will survive". It combines non sequitur lyrics with a pop tempo. The music was written by Jerry Garcia, and the words are by Robert Hunter...
   
   " (Garcia, Hunter) – 5:48
2. "Hell in a Bucket" (Barlow, Weir) – 5:36
3. "West L.A. Fadeaway" (Garcia, Hunter) – 6:37
4. "Throwing Stones" (Barlow, Weir) – 7:19
5. "Black Muddy River" (Garcia, Hunter) – 5:57
   • Tracks 1-5 originally released on the album In the Dark.
6. "Foolish Heart" (Garcia, Hunter) – 5:10
7. "Built to Last" (Garcia, Hunter) – 5:03
8. "Just a Little Light" (Barlow, Mydland) – 4:41
9. "Picasso Moon" (Barlow, Bralove
   Bob Bralove
   Bob Bralove was an auxiliary keyboard–synthesizer player for the Grateful Dead in the 1990s. His more notable works included such songs as "Picasso Moon", "Way to Go Home", "Easy Answers", the rare tunes "Parallelogram", "Little Nemo in Nightland", and other works on the albums Infrared Roses and...
   
   , Weir) – 6:40
10. "Standing on the Moon" (Garcia, Hunter) – 5:20
    • Tracks 6-10 originally released on the album Built to Last
      Built to Last
      Built to Last is the thirteenth and final studio album by the Grateful Dead. It was recorded between February 1 and October 20, 1989 and originally released on October 31, 1989....
      
      .
11. "Eyes of the World" (Garcia, Hunter) – 16:25
    • Track 11 originally released on the album Without a Net
      Without a Net
      Without a Net is a recording of the Grateful Dead performing live in concert. It was released in 1990. The album is dedicated to Clifton Hanger, a name keyboardist Brent Mydland used to sign in hotel guestbooks. Mydland died during this album's post-production of a drug overdose...
      
      .

Personnel

Grateful Dead

Grateful Dead

The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...

:

• Jerry Garcia
  Jerry Garcia
  Jerome John "Jerry" Garcia was an American musician best known for his lead guitar work, singing and songwriting with the band the Grateful Dead...
  
   - guitar, vocals
• Bob Weir
  Bob Weir
  Bob Weir is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist, most recognized as a founding member of the Grateful Dead. After the Grateful Dead disbanded in 1995, Weir performed with The Other Ones, later known as The Dead, together with other former members of the Grateful Dead...
  
   - guitar, vocals
• Brent Mydland
  Brent Mydland
  Brent Mydland was the fourth keyboardist to play for the American rock band the Grateful Dead. He was with the band for eleven years, longer than any other keyboardist.- Early life :...
  
   - keyboards, vocals
• Keith Godchaux
  Keith Godchaux
  Keith Richard Godchaux was a musician best known for his tenure in the rock group the Grateful Dead.-Biography:Keith Godchaux was born in Seattle, Washington and grew up in Concord, California...
  
   - keyboards, vocals
• Donna Jean Godchaux - vocals
• Phil Lesh
  Phil Lesh
  Phillip Chapman Lesh is a musician and a founding member of the Grateful Dead, with whom he played bass guitar throughout their 30-year career....
  
   - bass
• Bill Kreutzmann
  Bill Kreutzmann
  Bill Kreutzmann is an American drummer who played with the rock band the Grateful Dead for their entire thirty-year career...
  
   - drums
• Mickey Hart
  Mickey Hart
  Mickey Hart is an American percussionist and musicologist. He is best known as one of the two drummers of the rock band the Grateful Dead. He was a member of the Grateful Dead from September 1967 to February 1971, and from October 1974 to August 1995...
  
   - drums

Additional performers:

• Jordan Amarantha - percussion
• Branford Marsalis
  Branford Marsalis
  Branford Marsalis is an American saxophonist, composer and bandleader. While primarily known for his work in jazz as the leader of the Branford Marsalis Quartet, he also performs frequently as a soloist with classical ensembles and has led the group Buckshot LeFonque.-Biography:Marsalis was born...
  
   - saxophone (soprano, tenor)
• Matthew Kelly - harmonica, harp
• Tom Scott
  Tom Scott (musician)
  Tom Scott is an American saxophonist, composer, arranger, conductor and bandleader of the west coast jazz/jazz fusion ensemble The L.A. Express.-Biography:Scott was born in Los Angeles, California...
  
   - saxophone, lyricon

Production:

• Jerry Garcia, Lowell George - producers
• Bob Bralove - programming, associate producer
• Betty Cantor-Jackson, John Cutler, Dan Healy, Gary Lyons, Keith Olsen
  Keith Olsen
  Keith Olsen is one of the most prolific and successful music producers in the industry.-Career:With over 120 albums produced netting a 1 in 4 Gold or better ratio, of which more than 24 are Platinum or better, and more than 14 are multi-Platinum, sales from Keith Olsen’s work exceeds 110 million...
  
   - producers, engineers
• Guy Charbonneau, David DeVore, Tom Flye, Justin Kreutzmann, Bob Matthews, Peter Miller, Jeffrey Norman, David Roberts, Jeff Sterling, Pete Thea, Chris Wiskes - engineers
• Amy Finkle, Stanley Mouse, Gilbert Shelton
  Gilbert Shelton
  Gilbert Shelton is an American cartoonist and underground comix artist. He is the creator of The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, Fat Freddy's Cat, Wonder Wart-Hog, Philbert Desanex, Not Quite Dead, and the cover art to The Grateful Dead's 1978 album Shakedown Street.He graduated from Lamar High...
  
  , Jim Welch - art directors
• Joe Gastwirt - remastering, digital remastering
• Rick Griffin
  Rick Griffin
  Richard Alden Griffin was an American artist and one of the leading designers of psychedelic posters in the 1960s. As a contributor to the underground comix movement, his work appeared regularly in Zap Comix. Griffin was closely identified with the Grateful Dead, designing some of their best known...
  
   - illustrations
• John Kahn
  John Kahn
  John Kahn was an American rock bass player. For a period of about twenty five years Kahn was Jerry Garcia's principal collaborator outside of the Grateful Dead.-Biography:...
  
   - associate producer, horn arrangements
• Cameron Sears - coordination
• Bob Seidemann - photography
• Christopher Stern - design
• Robbie Taylor - production manager

Charts

Album - Billboard

Year	Chart	Position
1996	Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...	95