The Grateful Dead are a unique phenomenon. One of the most successful live touring bands in the world, their longevity is founded on their desire to play music their way, coupled with an extraordinarily close relationship to their huge following. From Anthem to Beauty tells the story of the band and their journey from the experimental "Anthem of the Sun" (recorded in 1967/1968) to the accessible, countryish "American Beauty." It is told in the band's own words and includes a rare interview with lyricist Robert Hunter. The film also features a wealth of rare vintage film footage of the Grateful Dead in their prime, including television appearances, home videos, and classic recordings like "Ripple," "Box of Rain," "Truckin'," and "Mountains of the Moon," and it all adds up to a riveting portrait of one of the rock world's most controversial bands. 75 minutes.

Average Customer Review: ( 17 customer reviews )
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Anthem of the Sun is an explorative work that attempts to emulate the essence of a live Dead show. The studio sessions were somewhat chaotic and offered the Dead more of an education on how to make an album than a relaxed setting in which to focus on songwriting.

American Beauty is centered on the art of songwriting, lyricism, solid vocals and harmonies. Less emphasis is given to soloing. They abandon the psychedelic explorations of the studio in favor of returning to their roots and drawing upon the country and bluegrass influences that run so deep.

A beautiful picture is drawn of the band's creative process through old footage shot in the studio during the recording of both albums, on the road while on tour, and rare footage from their early days in San Francisco. Interviews with Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Robert Hunter and others fill-in the gaps of a unique period in the band's history. Produced after Garcia's death, some interviews become emotional. Jerry does appear many times through earlier interview footage.

This is a must have for any Dead fan and a wonderful introduction for budding fans.

9 of 9 found the following review helpful:

From an old Dead FanJan 28, 2005
By Richard Federici
I laughed out loud quite a few times while watching this superb DVD; nearly cried once or twice. The music, of course, is excellent, and my foot was tapping throughout. Great footage & storytelling of the Grateful Dead's earlier years.

I was pleasantly surpised by this disc!

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