This book started out as a unique inside look at life on the road with the Grateful Dead, told from the perspective of the crew. I found it interesting and fun to read. But near the end of the book, it takes an incredibly sad turn, as Parish describes the helplessness of the Dead "family" as they watch Jerry Garcia slowly unravel into the depths of a heroin addiction that eventually kills him. Poignant and touching.

A very quick read focused on the social history of Steve's time with the Dead

Insider telling of Grateful Dead story

Very interesting insights not history and relationships of Grateful Dead. Gives a good account of life within the Grateful Dead band and family:

If you’ve listened to Steve Parish’s radio show the book is like a chronologue of Steve’s stories recorded in print.

Though the book is not really worth a five star rating in a literary sense, the historical significance takes precedence over any flaws in the writing of it. Steve Parish has proven to be an adept chronicler of The Grateful Dead witnessed by his entertaining and informative weekly program on SiriusXM Radio featuring Big Steve Parish. I thoroughly loved reading this book about one of my favorite bands, perhaps my esteemed favorite if not for having to compete with The Beatles, The Allman Brothers, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and so many others I have cherished as well.

autobiographical history of Grateful Dead roadie Steve Parish. Glimpse into that world. Cool.

What a great window into the life of Steve Parish on the road with the Grateful Dead. A wonderful read I could barely put it down.

I loved this book but would only recommend it to fans of Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead. It made me appreciate the band even more than I already did. I think I cried about three different times during the story. Wonderful stories.

What surprised me about this book is that I thought it was going to be another book about the Grateful Dead. But Steve’s life is fascinating and his connection to the Grateful Dead is just one part of that. Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot of Dead and Jerry in the book. But it really is a look back at the crazy stories from this guy’s life.
It was a nice change of pace from many of the bio’s in this genre.

I've been wanting to read this for awhile and I'm glad I finally did. Due to Parish not being one of the guys out front, I had hoped his take on things would be different, mostly because he had to no ego to protect. Though I was mostly correct, in the end there was any dirt being dished, rather I felt Parish is still doing his job as being one of the protectors of Jerry and the rest of the band. He told things raw, just stating facts. I don't know if he didn't overly spotlight anyone, or if everyone had their own fair share of bad habits. He never painted anyone as a choir boy, especially himself.

For Deadheads, this is a must read, and I honestly don't know how much this wil entertain the casual even rock n roll reader. Though I enjoyed that the story wasn't told completely linear, and he seemed to touch upon every aspect of rock n roll life, this is by no means a bio of himself or the band. If you're looking for dates and figures and facts, there are better sources.

As a Deadhead, I throughly enjoyed a glimpse into behind, behind the band. The most interesting stories being those of moving gear around the country so other people could be famous.

In the end though, it was a story of a guy who found a home. And a life long friendship, in the midst of the hurricane of The Grateful Dead and ultimately became an inseparable part of the family who accepted all. It was the story of a misfit finally fitting in. In Jerry's own words to Parish "It was ok to enjoy whatever weird things life brought my way. It was ok to have something in common with the Bowery Boys and the waterfront drunks because that connection made you more human, more complete. It made you a better person."

Home Before Daylight: My Life on the Road with the Grateful Dead by Steve Parish (St. Martin's Press 2003)(780). This perspective on the Grateful Dead was written by a long-time roadie for the band who also served as the manager for the Jerry Garcia Band. Steve Parish may have been Jerry Garcia's best friend. He served as the best man when Garcia got married. He was in the trenches from 1969 onward, and his information will become part of accepted Grateful Dead lore. I believe that this is the best of the "Life with the Dead" books written by friends and family. My rating; 7/10, finished 6/5/14.

Steve Parish was a teenage New Yorker that was headed for trouble in the late 1960s. As fate would have it, he wound up as a roadie in the amazing circus of the Grateful Dead. To say that he has a few stories to tell would be a huge understatement. Ultimately, Parish became much more than hired backstage muscle. By the end, he was perhaps closer to Jerry Garcia than anyone else. The best parts of this book are the beginning and the end. His description of the communal, free loving lifestyle in Northern California circa 1968-69 and the inner sanctum of the Dead and their followers is fascinating. In later years, as Parish became Garcia's right hand man, he helplessly watched Jerry's painful decent into drug addiction and self-destruction, and the writing is very personal. The middle of the book gets a little tedious with the debauchery of life on tour, but there are some good stories.

What comes across throughout is the close-knit, family nature of the Dead and their entourage. This book is a must read for any Deadhead.