The Grateful Dead - American Beauty
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When the Grateful Dead decided to simplify their studio process after the expense of their complicated last studio effort Aoxomoxoa, the result was a return to the band’s roots with simple, country and folk inspired tunes. Their next LP, Workingman’s Dead, was heavily influenced by the country music coming out of California (i.e. the Bakersfield sound), and set the stage for the release of arguably the band’s studio masterpiece just a scant five months later, American Beauty.
On this episode, we give a brief history of how the band got here, what other bands were rubbing off on them, and the genius of Robert Hunter. Along the way, we discuss what makes American Beauty so enduring and so, endearing, and why we believe it holds a special place in Americana music specifically, and in 20th-century American music overall.
THINGS WE DISCUSSED ON THIS EPISODE
Jerry Garcia picked up the steel guitar in 1969, a year before the Dead would embrace a more rootsy sound on Workingman’s Dead.
He would often break it out on stage to play along with those Dead songs that had a more country feel. The instrument would be a prominent part of the sound on American Beauty.
“Friend of the Devil” was originally offered by Robert Hunter to the New Riders of the Purple Sage, a band the Jerry Garcia was playing steel with on the side. They recorded a very rough demo of the tune to help them work it out. Hunter, who was living with Garcia at the time, brought the song home and legend has it, Jerry stayed up all night reworking it and making it his own. You can listen to that rough demo below.
Watch Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, and the longtime Dead manager Rock Scully discuss American Beauty.
Playing For Change (PFC) is a multimedia music project, featuring musicians and singers from across the globe, created to inspire and connect the world through music.
Watch the PFC version of “Ripple" that was recorded as part of their "Songs Of Their Own" series to dedicated to building music and art schools for children around the world .
Famously chronicled in “Truckin’,” most of the Grateful Dead and their entourage were busted for possession in New Orleans in January of 1970 after a show at the Warehouse.
Jerry Garcia’s mug show from his arrest in New Orleans.
Here’s an interesting 1970s radio spot for American Beauty.
The video quality isn’t the best, but watch the Grateful Dead perform “Brokedown Palace” live on KQED, a Bay Area public television station, in August of 1970 (two months before the release of American Beauty). This performance was part of a much longer live set performed in the station’s studio
