false 279410 4 Right in time for the Grateful Dead's 40th anniversary, eccentric bass player extraordinaire Phil Lesh has delivered fans a most welcome gift: his autobiography. There are many books out there about the Dead told from the perspective of roadies, journalists, third party observers, and fans. However, with the exceptions of Jerry Garcia's ramblings in <I>Garcia: A Signpost to New Space</I> and <I>Conversations With the Dead</I>, Lesh's <I>Searching for the Sound</I> is the first time a founding member of America's favorite band tells their own story of what it was like inside the Grateful Dead. And what a wonderful, strange tale it is. <p> Phil Lesh, considered the most academic of the group due to his avant-garde classical composition training, literate mind, and passion for the arts, decided to write his story himself. Written without the crutch of a ghostwriter, <I>Searching for the Sound</I> might be considered disjointed in places, but overall it comes across as conversational, intimate, informative, and candid (particularly regarding topics of drug use and death). If you are familiar with the band and their extended family, their history, the sixties' musical milestones and influences and all the band's famous tales (the Garcia/ Lesh "silent" confrontation, being busted on Bourbon Street, the Wall of Sound), you may be a little disgruntled there is not much new here in the way of content. However, what is "new" and totally satisfying is Phil's warm, optimistic perspective on the many events that helped shape his life. As described by Lesh, his life's journey, much like the Dead's music, is "a [series] of recurring themes, transpositions, repetitions, unexpected developments, all converging to define <I>form</I> that is not necessarily apparent until it's ending has come and gone." For the many fans who enjoyed the fruits of his life pursuit of sonic explorations, <I>Searching for the Sound</I> is a welcome addition to their Dead library. <I>--Rob Bracco</I> 271018 18 4 2005 Searching for the Sound: My Life with the Grateful Dead total:264|5:75|4:91|3:83|2:15|1:0| 264 1018 364 41 4 0 false false Mon Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Wed Dec 31 11:55:49 -0800 2008 Thu Jan 08 20:18:34 -0800 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Mon Mar 23 09:21:18 -0700 2009 Mon Mar 23 09:25:23 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Wed Jul 30 16:15:48 -0700 2008 Mon Sep 24 12:05:02 -0700 2007 Wed Jul 30 16:15:48 -0700 2008
Still I respect very much what the Grateful Dead brought to music a...more...]]> 3 0 false false Tue Jul 15 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sat Oct 31 08:44:09 -0700 2009 Sat Oct 31 08:45:54 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Fri Aug 15 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Mon Feb 23 16:50:54 -0800 2009 Sun Mar 01 07:30:02 -0800 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Mon Jul 09 18:44:38 -0700 2007 Mon Jul 09 18:53:24 -0700 2007 more...]]> 5 0 false false Thu Oct 15 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri Oct 23 12:40:21 -0700 2009 Fri Oct 23 12:42:53 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Sun Aug 19 17:56:22 -0700 2007 Sun Aug 19 18:03:50 -0700 2007
The book? If...more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Oct 04 10:19:03 -0700 2009 Sun Oct 04 10:20:58 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Mon Nov 24 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Wed Mar 11 07:39:19 -0700 2009 Wed Mar 11 07:53:50 -0700 2009 Phil Lesh is a pisces!]]> 4 0 false false Fri Feb 29 07:51:45 -0800 2008 Fri Feb 29 08:05:24 -0800 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Wed Jan 14 19:30:53 -0800 2009 Wed Jan 14 19:33:43 -0800 2009 3 0 false false Wed Jan 14 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Mon Jan 12 18:24:00 -0800 2009 Wed Jan 14 18:06:26 -0800 2009 5 0 false false Mon Aug 03 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri Mar 13 15:29:49 -0700 2009 Mon Aug 03 14:15:36 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Tue Jul 22 13:34:36 -0700 2008 Tue Jul 22 13:38:51 -0700 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Fri Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2005 Sat Apr 12 21:17:00 -0700 2008 Sat Apr 12 21:47:08 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 0 true false Wed Oct 29 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Thu Feb 07 04:21:47 -0800 2008 Fri Jan 16 08:49:51 -0800 2009
Probably the best book about the real journey of the Dead from the perspective of a band member. Starts in Phil's childhood and ends Phil & Friends and the Dead Reunion at Alpine Valley.]]> 4 0 false false Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2000 Wed Feb 27 16:22:50 -0800 2008 Wed Feb 27 16:25:18 -0800 2008 4 0 false false Thu Sep 13 17:55:01 -0700 2007 Fri Sep 21 20:34:23 -0700 2007 4 0 false false Thu Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Thu Nov 15 07:20:19 -0800 2007 Thu Nov 15 07:24:46 -0800 2007 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=279410