Built to Last
{{short description|1989 album by the Grateful Dead}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Built to Last
| type = Album
| artist = The Grateful Dead
| cover = Grateful Dead - Built to Last.jpg
| alt = The Grateful Dead build a house of cards.
| released = October 31, 1989
| recorded = February 1 – October 20, 1989
| venue =
| studio = Club Front (San Rafael, CA)
Skywalker Ranch (San Rafael, CA)
Studio X (Petaluma, CA)
| genre = {{hlist|Pop rock|roots rock}}
| length = {{Duration|m=49|s=52}}
| label = Arista
| producer = {{hlist|John Cutler|Jerry Garcia}}
| prev_title = Dylan & The Dead
| prev_year = 1989
| next_title = Without a Net
| next_year = 1990
}}
{{Music ratings
|rev1 = Allmusic
|rev1score = {{Rating|2|5}}{{cite web |first=William |last=Ruhlman |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/built-to-last-mw0000198496 |title=Built to Last |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=September 30, 2018}}
|rev2 = Robert Christgau
}}
Built to Last is the thirteenth and final studio album by the Grateful Dead (their twentieth album overall). It was recorded between February 1 and October 20, 1989, and originally released on October 31, 1989.
The album was released on CD in 1989 by Arista Records before being rereleased in 2000 by BMG International. It was then remastered, expanded, and released as part of the Beyond Description (1973–1989) 12-CD box set in October 2004. The remastered version was later released separately on CD on April 11, 2006, by Rhino Records.
This album features the most songs by keyboard player Brent Mydland, who has four song credits, all of which are in collaboration with Dead lyricist John Perry Barlow. This mirrored accurately Mydland's increasing vocal presence in the band over the decade he spent with the Dead. This album was Mydland's last album to be released during his lifetime, before his death a year later.
Track listing
{{Track listing
| all_writing =
| headline = CD track listing
| extra_column = Lead Singer
| title1 = Foolish Heart
| length1 = 5:10
| writer1 = {{flatlist|
| extra1 = Garcia
| title2 = Just a Little Light
| length2 = 4:42
| writer2 = {{flatlist|
| extra2 = Mydland
| title3 = Built to Last
| length3 = 5:03
| writer3 = {{flatlist|
- Garcia
- Hunter}}
| extra3 = Garcia
| title4 = Blow Away
| length4 = 6:09
| writer4 = {{flatlist|
- Mydland
- Barlow}}
| extra4 = Mydland
| title5 = Victim or the Crime
| length5 = 7:33
| writer5 = {{flatlist|
| extra5 = Weir
| title6 = We Can Run
| length6 = 5:30
| writer6 = {{flatlist|
- Mydland
- Barlow}}
| extra6 = Mydland
| title7 = Standing on the Moon
| length7 = 5:20
| writer7 = {{flatlist|
- Garcia
- Hunter}}
| extra7 = Garcia
| title8 = Picasso Moon
| length8 = 6:40
| writer8 = {{flatlist|
- Weir
- Bob Bralove
- Barlow}}
| extra8 = Weir
| title9 = I Will Take You Home
| length9 = 3:45
| writer9 = {{flatlist|
- Mydland
- Barlow}}
| extra9 = Mydland
| total_length = 49:52
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = LP track listing – side one
| extra_column = Lead Singer
| title1 = Foolish Heart
| length1 = 5:10
| title2 = Just a Little Light
| length2 = 4:42
| title3 = Victim or the Crime
| length3 = 7:33
| title4 = Standing on the Moon
| length4 = 5:20
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = LP track listing – side two
| extra_column = Lead vocals
| title1 = Blow Away
| length1 = 6:09
| title2 = Picasso Moon
| length2 = 6:40
| title3 = Built to Last
| length3 = 5:03
| title4 = I Will Take You Home
| length4 = 3:45
}}{{Track listing
| all_writing =
| headline = 2004 reissue bonus tracks
| extra_column = Lead vocals
| title10 = Foolish Heart
| note10 = live 7/19/89
| length10 = 11:30
| title11 = Blow Away
| note11 = live 7/7/89
| length11 = 12:02
| title12 = California Earthquake (Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On)
| note12 = live 10/20/89
| length12 = 5:59
| writer12 = Rodney Crowell
| extra12 = Garcia
}}
Personnel
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
- Jerry Garcia – guitar, vocals
- Bob Weir – guitar, vocals
- Brent Mydland – keyboards, vocals
- Phil Lesh – bass
- Bill Kreutzmann – drums
- Mickey Hart – drums, percussion
Production:
- John Cutler – producer, engineer
- Tom Flye – engineer
- Justin Kreutzmann – engineer
- Peter Miller – engineer
- David Roberts – engineer
- Jeff Sterling – engineer
- Chris Wiskes – engineer
{{col-2}}
= Bonus tracks production =
- "Foolish Heart" – recorded live at Alpine Valley Music Theater in East Troy, WI on July 19, 1989 (see also Fallout from the Phil Zone & Downhill from Here for more from this date)
- "Blow Away" – recorded live at John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia on July 7, 1989 (later released with full concert on Crimson White & Indigo)
- "California Earthquake (Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On)" – recorded live at The Spectrum in Philadelphia on October 20, 1989
{{col-end}}
= Reissue production =
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
- David Lemieux – reissue producers
- James Austin – reissue producers
- Reggie Collins – liner notes
- Blair Jackson – liner notes
- Sheryl Farber – editorial supervision
- Cameron Sears – executive producer
- Joe Gastwirt – mastering, production consultant
- Tom Flye – mixing
- Robert Gatley – mixing assistant
- Hugh Brown, Steve Vance – art coordinator
- Jimmy Edwards – associate producer
- Robin Hurley – associate producer
- Hale Milgrim – associate producer
- Scott Pascucci – associate producer
- Eileen Law – research
- Vanessa Atkins – project assistant
- Steven Chean – project assistant
- Bill Inglot – project assistant
- Jeffrey Norman – project assistant
- Randy Perry – project assistant
- John McEntire – coordination
- Ken Friedman – photography
- Herbert Greene – photography
- Maude Gilman – artwork
- Greg Gyuricsko – artwork
- Dan Healy – concert sound
- Alton Kelley – direction, cover art
- John McEntire – coordination
- Billy Candelario – crew
- Steve Parish – crew
- Harry Popick – crew
- Robbie Taylor – crew
{{div col end}}
Charts
Album – Billboard
| class="wikitable"
!Year !Chart !Position |
| 1989
|The Billboard 200 |align="center"|27{{cite web|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=grateful dead|chart=all}}|title=Billboard album chart history-Grateful Dead|access-date=March 1, 2009}} |
Singles – Billboard
| class="wikitable"
!Year !Single !Chart !Position |
| 1989
|"Foolish Heart" |Mainstream Rock Tracks |align="center"|8{{cite web|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=grateful dead|chart=all}}|title=Billboard singles chart history-Grateful Dead|access-date=March 1, 2009}} |
References
{{GratefulDead}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Built To Last}}
Category:Arista Records albums