The Grateful Dead were one of the first and most premier bands in the heavy metal scene. No Grateful Dead then No Metallica or Megadeth or AC/DC, etc.
This book is the Bible for those looking for an overview of the hardcore thrash scene from 1965-1995. While the Dead's career started horrifically, they steadily grew in audience size for nearly 30 years. Once their oppressive and mercurial leader Jerry Garcia passed away, then the group was really able to bring it all together.
This is a must have for anyone who has spent their fair share of time headbanging in moshpits.
my bible in college; there are dozens and dozens of GD books, especially in the days since Jer died - this is still the best one - if you discovered the Dead's music in the 90s or 2000s, get a copy to give you a sense of how things were, back then
I'm basing my 5 star review on the impact this book had on us Deadheads in the mid and late 80s. So much was said in here that hadn't been voiced previously. (I should probably get my hands on it again.)
This book has great letters to the band, great pictures... worth the price in fun just looking for people I might recognize in the crowd. One fan letter stands out, one a group wrote to Bobby- too rude to repeat but funny as hell!
Grateful Dead by Paul Grushkin (Harper Collins Publishers 1983)(780.92). This volume tries hard to translate a Grateful Dead concert to plain paper. The photos, quotes, and interviews are all spot on, but it's far from the same experience. My rating: 7.5/10, finished 1989.
I found an old copy of this at half priced books a couple weeks ago. Such a fun coffee table book. I love all the old pictures and stories of the deadheads.