On a perfect Friday afternoon such as today, all I want to do is round up my compatriots, soak up some rays — perhaps fire up the grill — and knock back a few beers.
That’s America, and we at The Daily Caller know there’s no better soundtrack for enjoying summertime than the Grateful Dead. This year marks the band’s 50th anniversary, and Deadheads across the nation rejoiced at the announcement of, “two sets of major concerts–at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. (June 27-28), and Soldier Field in Chicago (July 3-5) — billed as the band’s final performances together.”
If you’re like me, you won’t be able to make the trek to Santa Clara or Chicago, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take part in the celebration.
There have been many books chronicling the Dead’s five decade career, but David Browne’s “So Many Roads: The Life and Times of the Grateful Dead” — released back in April — might be the most ambitious effort yet. (Amazon Has “So Many Roads” Available In Hardback, Paperback, Kindle & Audiobook)
Drawing on new interviews with surviving members and people in their inner circle—along with the group’s extensive archives and his own research from years of covering the group — David Browne, longtime music journalist and contributing editor at Rolling Stone, does more than merely delve into the Dead’s saga. By way of an altogether unique structure — each chapter centered around a significant or pivotal day in their story — he lends this epic musical and cultural story a you-are-there feel unlike any other book written about the band.
So Many Roads takes us deep into the world of the Dead in ways that will be eye-opening even to the most rabid Deadheads. Readers will find themselves inside their communal home in Haight-Ashbury during the band’s notorious 1967 bust; behind the scenes in the studio, watching the Dead at work (and play); backstage at the taping of the legendary “Touch of Grey” video and at their final shows; and in the midst of the Dead’s legendary band meetings. Along the way, readers will hear not only from the Dead but also from friends, colleagues, lovers, and crew members, including some who’ve never spoken to the press before.
The result is a remarkably detailed and cinematic book that paints a strikingly fresh portrait of one of rock’s greatest and most enduring institutions and sheds new light—for fans and newcomers alike—on the band’s music, dynamics, and internal struggles. “There is nothing like a Grateful Dead concert,” read the legendary bumper stickers. Similarly, there’s nothing like So Many Roads, which explores all-new routes on the band’s long, strange trip.
Amazon Has “So Many Roads” Available In Hardback, Paperback, Kindle & Audiobook
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