Customer Rating: 
Summary: Mickey Hart's weakest album
Comment: 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.
Customer Rating:
Summary: World beat indeed
Comment: 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.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A Classic, Great Variety.
Comment: 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.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A Visionary Funk Machine
Comment: 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!!!!!
Customer Rating:
Summary: An awesome album with a great world beat sound
Comment: 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.
