Even the NYT knew!

[cozmik_cowboy]

Having been gifted a surplus copy of Dennis McNally's A Long Strange Trip: The Inside History Of The Grateful Dead (thanks, Bill!), I am now rereading it, and just came across some excerpts from the New York Times review of Europe '72; I quote:


"....perhaps the most technically proficient and musically integrated band in the world...They will still be playing together when their contemporaries have long gone their separate ways."


Peter

[David Houck]

If you care to, post a review when you finish it.  I don't think I've read that one yet.

[cozmik_cowboy]

I had read it once a few years back; this time (I'm on page 465 of 620 - not counting footnotes, bibliography, and index; McNally does have a PhD in history, after all.....) is reaffirming my earlier opinion that it's well worth the read.  But don't take my word; here's Robt. Hunter's blurb from the back of the dustjacket:

"This is McNally's view of what went down.  It's more often right than wrong and done with love, not a grudge, which goes a long way toward excusing another damn book about the Grateful dead.  Any view of us is necessarily a limited interpretation, like an aerial photo of Ground Zero.  What Dennis loves and hates about us bears more weight than most interpretations because he took twenty years to get his facts straight.  I'll miss him when we kill him."

I presume that the "grudge" remark is a dig at Rock Scully's pathetic screed Living With The Dead; Twenty Years On The Bus With Garcia And The Grateful Dead; I cannot recommend that one at all, but I cannot recommend this one highly enough.

Peter (who also advises not wasting time on Cindy Brightman's Sweet Chaos: The Grateful dead's American Adventure)

[lbpesq]

Agreed.  And, personally, I can't recommend Phil's "Searching for the Sound" highly enough.  Along with Levon Helm's "This Wheel's on Fire", the two most well written rock autobiographies I've read.

Bill, tgo

[cozmik_cowboy]

That's big 10-4 on Phil & Levon!

Peter

[jacko]

You must read McNally's book David, it is very good. I think it was the first I read about the Grateful Dead, probably sometime around 2004/5. It took me some time to realise 'Scrib' referred to himself   It's a superb history of the band but I feel it has to be read alongside Phil's book and also Bill's 'Deal', both of which add perspectives from band members.  I also have Steve Parrish's book 'home before daylight' but that's more a book about Steve than it is about the band.

Graeme

[cozmik_cowboy]

I enjoyed both Bill's & Steve's books.

Peter