Life lessons on two wheels to the tunes of the
Grateful Dead
This Week in Grateful Dead History
Week 1
I wish I was a headlight on a northbound train.
Even the most cursory examination of the lyrics of Grateful Dead songs quickly uncovers one of the most fundamental aspects of the band’s identity: This is an American band, rooted in American culture, and built around easily recognizable locales and deeply American principles and history.
Other Posts
This Week in Grateful Dead History: Week 17 - April 23, 1977
Without love in the dream
Ask any Deadhead what period represents the apex of the band’s touring career and the Spring, 1977 tour will inevitably be cited. Much like references to the “seventh member” of the six-piece band being present during a particularly outstanding show, there was a seventh member quality to the magic of the 30 shows the Grateful Dead played in the spring of 1977.
This Week in Grateful Dead History: Week 45 – November 7, 1987
Maybe you’ll find direction
Flying surprisingly under the radar, the Grateful Dead released a wonderful video in ’87, called So Far. In addition to the exceptional sound quality, what is so unique about this film is the way in which realtime onstage recordings, sans audience, are interwoven with actual concert footage, in seamless transitions that are goosebump inducing at the pivotal moments. Given that the Dead’s identity was far more connected to the live concert experience than the traditional studio recording model, it is fitting that the band employed this technique of simulating a live experience, while maintaining the kind of quality control that is possible only in a studio setting.
This Week in Grateful Dead History: Week 46 – November 11, 1973
How does the song go?
One of the most unique aspects of the Grateful Dead experience is the existence and ready availability of thousands upon thousands of recordings of concerts, studio sessions and other archival material. The band’s willingness – whether intentional or accidental – to allow their fans to freely record and share what virtually any other band would protect as copyrighted music, was either the luckiest or the most brilliant marketing strategy in the history of modern music. What the Dead may have lost in revenue from the sale of live concert material was easily eclipsed by the increase in ticket sales resulting from turning their devotees into promotional agents, replete with product samples that were self-produced and widely disseminated.
All Material Copyright 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 by Stewart Sallo