The Grateful Dead FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Greatest Jam Band in History

Ever wondered why the Grateful Dead once added a modernclassical composer to the ranks? Or how they pioneered the "double live" rockalbum concept? Or what a final studio album by the Dead would have been like?These questions and more are answered in TheGrateful Dead FAQ. Subtitled "All That's Left to Know About the GreatestJam Band in History," the book explores subjects that Deadheads have longdiscussed on message boards and blogs. In all, it's comprised of 130,000 wordsand 39 chapters in which author Tony Sclafani investigates unexplored terrainbut also includes basics for beginners. The Grateful Dead rose out of San Francisco's 1960s underground rock scene blendingstrains of rock folk, classical, and blues, and boldly advocating the use ofdrugs for the purposes of mind expansion. The book takes a look at the band'srise to prominence, their studio albums, bootleg recordings, and sociologicalsignificance. Chapters are also included about the Dick's Pick's series, David Lemieux's archiving activities, and theband's appearances at the Monterey Pop and Woodstockfestivals. Sclafani thoroughly examines the band's impact on rock music and popculture, explaining how the Dead influenced and drew from outside sources. The Grateful Dead FAQ is a roadmap intothe magical, sometimes bumpy, yet always exhilarating world of one of the mostunique groups that rock music ever produced. Read more