The Complete Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics
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Book Summary Information
Commentary: David DoddEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2005-10-11
ISBN: 0743277473
Number of pages: 512
Publisher: Free Press
Book Reviews of The Complete Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics
Book Review: No, this is not "complete"...
Summary: 3 Stars
Don't be fooled by the title. It is the complete lyrics for songs written by the Dead, or members of the band, but not all the songs they performed; far from it. It contains a selection of covers, but you'll probably find that many of the covers you are interested in are not included. It's a shame, really; another hundred pages would probably have allowed the book to include at least all the early covers, and us Deadheads would have bought it anyway.
As for the annotations, many of them are superfluous and seem to be filler. But having all the lyrics (for Dead-written songs) in one place makes it worth buying. Just make sure to be aware that it is not complete.
[One week later...]
Since David Dodd judged it necessary to respond to my comments by posting more information about the book - a good thing - allow me to edit my review and add a comment to his comments. I'll note that David contacted me by email, very politely, adressing my comments. I responded the following:
I'm well aware of the issues. However, there are a whole group of key songs that are missing - I'd not worry about the Beatles and Dylan tunes, partly because there were a lot, but also because most Deadheads know that they are Beatles and Dylan tunes. But there are a lot of key covers, especially from the early days, which are very strongly identified with the band. The Promised Land is not essential, nor are, say, Johhny B Goode and Around and Around, but I would have expected, say, They Love Each Other and Sing Me Back Home, Big Boss Man and The Rub. Songs that I don't know the lyrics to, which I'd like to see.
I don't want to get into a polemic with David Dodd, who has done a great job; I merely wanted to point out, to potential purchasers of the book, that it is indeed not complete. However, I think it's important to understand that, while this book contains lyrics to all Dead-composed songs, the word "complete" is still, well, not totally accurate.
There is no need to include every song they every played - sure, there were over 400 songs, but many of them were played just a few times. What disappoints me, however, are the staples, especially those from the early years when the band played lots of songs they didn't write.
Summary of The Complete Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics
No other band has ever surpassed the enduring popularity of The Grateful Dead. No other group has regularly scheduled radio shows devoted solely to it, or such an extensive fan base stretching over several generations. And, with the surviving members still touring and the official website receiving more that 100,000 hits a week, no other fan base has proved itself more dedicated or more diverse, from professionals to vagabonds to politicians. From David Dodd, who has spent the last ten years building the Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics website, comes this unique compilation that offers literary, historical and cultural references to all the band's lyrics. Building a better understanding of both the songs and the musical tradition they arose from, this essential guide includes the words to every original song from both recorded and live repertoire. Notes on performance statistics, a series of thematic essays, copious illustrations and a full-colour insert all contribute to an edition worthy of a special place in every Deadhead's collection.Do you know the way to Fennario? Or wonder where the Nuthatch winters? What is the "Buck Dancer's Choice?" And where do the four winds dwell? If these are questions that leave you wondering then David Dodd's The Complete Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics may just be the skeleton key you've been looking for. Every Deadhead knows there is something profound hidden within their lyrics, even if most of the nuances go by unnoticed. Why are the obscure tales of their characters' (Jack Straw, Black Peter, August West, et al) trials and tribulations on the psychedelic Americana landscape so intriguing? What is the deal with the reoccurring imagery that popped in and out of their songs for decades (the crows, light and darkness, rolling rivers, gambling, playing cards, space, and, of course, roses)? It is clear the Grateful Dead's lyricists Robert Hunter and John Barlow tapped into the well of the collective subconscious for material, but rarely were any explanations provided. Fans were basically on their own to put the pieces together themselves, until now.
The Complete Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics began as a research project for David Dodd while he was working at the University of Colorado. Like many fans before him, Dodd spent hours passionately trying to find the deeper meanings in the Dead's songs. In 1994 the Internet may have been in its infancy, but Dodd knew the Web was the perfect to tool to help him annotate the entire Dead catalog. So began the building of his incredibly popular Web site. The fruits of his labors lie within the pages of this encyclopedic book. Where Robert Hunter's A Box of Rain only includes his lyrical contributions to the Dead's catalog, Dodd's book is expanded to include John Barlow's songs, as well as tunes the Dead covered so many times they became their own. It is worth mentioning, this book should not be viewed as a cheat sheet, but a tool giving lots of background and cross-references. The interpretations are still up to you. Be forewarned, this book can be extremely habit forming. --Rob Bracco
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