dancingbear Posted January 28, 2004 Report Share Posted January 28, 2004 Hi there all, was wondering if anyone could recommend one of the better gd reads. never been that into finding out stories about the band or anything but all of a sudden got the bug to do so. the only books i have are 'garcia'- the interviews by rolling stone...good book,....and ' the official book of the deadheads'an excellent, touching composition of letters to the dead. anyhow any suggestions of whats good or bad cause there are several out there, would be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CyberHippie Posted January 28, 2004 Report Share Posted January 28, 2004 I have the book below. It's a bunch of short little stories from the community. It's a fun book that you can leave and come back to, read a story here and there. Deadheads : Stories from Fellow Artists, Friends and Followers of the Grateful Dead by Linda Kelly [New York, Citadel 10/95, 243pp.] "Storytelling from the people who experienced first-hand the wonderful, wild ride of The Grateful Dead. This honest, straightforward collection of anecdotes helps preserve the ever-fading culture of this remarkable band." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamH Posted January 28, 2004 Report Share Posted January 28, 2004 Dennis Mcnally's book is pretty good but it might be more detail than you're looking for. Rock Scully's book is a great story even if only one tenth of it is actually true. You could also pick up the Tibetan Book of the Dead and check out what the Tibetans thought of the dead, although I dare say it has nothing to do with Scarlet>Fire and nitrous balloons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradm Posted January 28, 2004 Report Share Posted January 28, 2004 A Long Strange Trip: The Inside History of the Grateful Dead by Dennis McNally is pretty good (albeit a little long; there's excrutiating detail on the early years, and less and less as it goes forward in time). Aloha, Brad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bONES Posted January 28, 2004 Report Share Posted January 28, 2004 Home Before Daylight: My Life On the Road with the Grateful Dead - Steve Parish w/ Joe Layden Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palms Posted January 28, 2004 Report Share Posted January 28, 2004 I've been buying these things for about 17 years now and have managed to build up quite a collection of them. My favourite is still Grateful Dead: The Music Never Stopped by Blair Jackson (Plexus Publishing, 1983). It really only covers from the band's beginning through to about the fall of 1982, but jackson does a swell job. Plus it comes with a critical discography and a mini-tapers guide in the back highlighting some of his fave shows. Another good one is David Gans' Playing In The Band (St. Martin Press, 1985). There isn't as much substance, but there are some great stories and good photos in it. There's also Sweet Chaos: The Grateful Dead's American Adventure (Pocket Books, 1999), which I have only read once. It was good, but maybe a little too high brow for the subject it is covering. The McNally book is good, lots of more juicy stuff, the Rock Scully book is grossly fantastic and I haven't read the new Steve Parrish book yet. Of course, you can't go wrong with The Book Of The Deadheads too, but that's more of a picture book with fan memoires than anything else. Just avoid Wendy Weir's book where she tries to channel the spirit of Jerry Garcia, unless you can find it for under $3.00 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bONES Posted January 29, 2004 Report Share Posted January 29, 2004 quote: Just avoid Wendy Weir's book where she tries to channel the spirit of Jerry Garcia, unless you can find it for under $3.00 haha...ya, that's one book that was given to me and i haven't been able to get past the first dozen pages The Grateful Dead Family Album by Jerilyn Lee-Brandelius has some good pics and stories Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ggrtrhhrtgg Posted January 29, 2004 Report Share Posted January 29, 2004 got one here..."Goin Down The Road"-- a Grateful Dead travel companion.. by Blair Jackson.. very, informative in that is what you want... great section on the roots of their music selections... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mulvee Posted January 29, 2004 Report Share Posted January 29, 2004 If your hungry , check out "Cooking With the Dead" Not much on the members, but great recipes and stories from fans on the road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bONES Posted January 30, 2004 Report Share Posted January 30, 2004 quote: Originally posted by MarcO: I'm still waiting on my library to find the Parish book. They say it's in their system and I have a hold on it but so far, nada. I'm looking forward to reading that one. or you could order it here The life of rock band roadie would hardly inspire the likes of say, Emile Zola. But Steve Parish's 30+ year tenure with the Grateful Dead, the Jerry Garcia Band, and its survivors makes for compelling reading, even if his low-key, often self-deprecating reportorial style can't hope to begin to unravel the complex psychology that drove the symptomatic excesses---and all too many tragedies--of the 60's most enduringly emblematic American band. There's more here than sex, drugs, and rock and roll, even if Parish's writing struggles to encompass the meaning of it all. And make no mistake; The Dead and their coterie were, in the estimation of unlikely Deadhead Joseph Campbell, nothing short of potent modern mythology evolving before his very eyes. In the fallout of one memorable backstage incident, the author even found himself parodied by John Belushi in an SNL skit written by Deadheads Al Franken and Tom Davis. Parish casts little judgment on the oft-debauched actions of his cohorts here, though he often stops to note the brightness of their humanity. A paradoxical marriage of unrestrained hedonism and radical Christian social conscience, The Dead's world seems to still baffle Parish. His continued wonderment at it all is one of the book's charms; his tortured sense of helplessness in the addiction-fueled decline and death of Jerry Garcia, its spiritual and musical leader, its most tragic mystery. --Jerry McCulley Customer Reviews of the Day Reviewer: terrygordon This is easily the best book on the Grateful Dead that I've read--and I've read 'em all. There is so much cool stuff about the band that I've not read anywhere else. Also, Parish provides a look behind the scenes at what it's like on tour with a major rock band. It's wild, it's funny, it's nuts, and it's kind of heartbreaking at times too. I definitely recommend this book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tovi Posted January 30, 2004 Report Share Posted January 30, 2004 Don't forget Dark Star, by Robert Greenfield. It's an oral biography on Garcia, meaning, he went around intervewing just about everybody relevant to his life story and he pieces Jerry's life together as told by those who knew him best. Quite a fascinating read, IMHO. I read this one a few years back; I believe it was published in the mid 90's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irie. Posted January 30, 2004 Report Share Posted January 30, 2004 quote: Originally posted by bones: Home Before Daylight: My Life On the Road with the Grateful Dead - Steve Parish w/ Joe Layden i'm halfway through this one and it's good so far. i'd totally recommend it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Not Bob Posted January 30, 2004 Report Share Posted January 30, 2004 While it's not exactly light reading, I do enjoy the various Dead Heads Taping Compendia ... I also dig Oliver Trager's American Book Of The Dead, a pretty decent Deadclopedia . RnB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcO Posted January 30, 2004 Report Share Posted January 30, 2004 I think a well-rounded Dead librrary should include at least McNally's book, Blair Jackson's "Garcia: An American Life", a copy of Deadbase or the Tapers Compendium series (you may find these at discount prices) and maybe Jerilyn Brandelius's "Family Album" book. I'd say avoid the Wendy Weir book AND the Scully book. I'm still waiting on my library to find the Parish book. They say it's in their system and I have a hold on it but so far, nada. I'm looking forward to reading that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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