The Grateful Dead taught me a life lesson, and that is not to be judgemental or to judge a book by its cover!
I presumed The Grateful Dead were a loud, jamming, experimental band of misfits who's music sounded like the dirge. How wrong I was. Dirge was a word my father used to describe most of the music which my sister and I adored, bands like Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin.
AMERICAN BEAUTY is one of my most treasured possessions and one of my most played records. The album is delicate, refined, poetic and as the title states- beautiful.
I get the impression that The Grateful Dead were intent on creating a classic album as they enrolled additional musicians and lyricists who add to the layers of lush sound. These beautifully constructed folk rock/country style songs have been crafted with the utmost care, but it is the vocal work that makes this album so special. Think CSN(Y), but more honest, more personal, more real. Each member of the band sings in a very conversational vocal style, while the rest of the group add their harmonies.
Songs such as "Box of Rain", "Candyman" and "Ripple" are just delightful. AMERICAN BEAUTY showcases the Grateful Dead as a cohesive unit who are not in a rush to play these beautiful creations, the resulting sound is enchanting!
AMERICAN BEAUTY is a great example of art for art's sake ~ it's all about the song, the lyric, the music and not the ego.
SINGLES:
- "Truckin'"
- "Ripple"
NOTE: During this period Gerry Garcia contributed steel guitar to the CSN(Y) track "Treat Your Mother Well" from their DEJA VU album (1970).
Robert Hunter is a lyricist, singer-songwriter, and poet who contributed to all but one of the songs on this album.