David G. DoddThe Complete Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics

THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE 2015 EDITION OF THE COMPLETE ANNOTATED GRATEFUL DEAD LYRICS.BEWARE! THIS IS NOTHING BUT A REPRINT OF THE 2005 EDITION WITH A NEW DUST JACKET.There's absolutely nothing new in this latest edition of this book. So if you already own the 2005 edition there's no need to purchase this unless you want the new dust jacket with the cool graphic, or you're a collector. The five "stars" is for the content--NOT because there's anything new or different in the contents. If you check the Amazon page for this book the publishing info says "Reissue Edition".But if you don't own this book and are thinking of buying it--it's a very good book with informative annotations which add insight into many of the tunes. The illustrations add to the overall "coolness" of the book. And Amazon's price is very good. But everything--from Hunter's long Foreward to Alan Trist's Preface, to David Dodd's Introduction, to Barlow's Afterword is exactly the same.

Without the damage in transit, It's a great book. It's not a first edition, and damage was only a large group of pages that were severely wrinkled. I guess I'll live with it.Black and white, so you can color it while listening to their music! I may even do watercolors or even better, a combination of mediums! The possibilities are endless!

Much like their music, and the “chemistry” that surrounds the band, this was enlightening. Totally recommend for any deadhead (or anybody that wishes to be more knowledgeable about their deadhead friends). Dance on, rave on, twirl on; it must’ve been the roses…or perhaps the ribbons.

It’s lovely to find out stories behind some of the songs from these amazing musicians. Take note that there is not a story behind every song in this book. However, this IS a great addition to any collection. A book with all the lyrics for any Grateful Dead fan. I am very happy with my purchase !

Walk into splintered sunlightInch your way through dead dreams to another landMaybe you're tired and brokenYour tongue is twisted with words half spoken and thoughts unclear

A REALLY 'GRATEFUL' FORWARD BY R. HUNTER - starts this 'must' for all of us whom have been 'furthur' and transcended the artistic realm that still occurres in all 'the [jams] between'. For it's one thing to know that special place where heart and mind meld into soul, and the processes of this group of individual artists coalesce, forming something far more profound "...than word's can tell..." !!!With that being said, the word's between the bindings of this book bring us all, once again, to 'all the year's combined' and complete the story in a uniquely gifted format. It becomes it's own show, to be added to any "taper's" collection. Another one of those that are as "unlike any other", as all the other's before it ...★★★★★Garrick III (c) -2016

I bought The Complete Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics book for my husband for Christmas and I was more pleased than I thought I would be! The cover is bright and vivid. The book is heavy. It is the perfect size and weight for a coffee table book. The interior of the book is full of anazing information! This is definitely a great purchase, and one I would make again.

Hours and hours of entertainment and full of amazing details. Highly recommend!

I bought this sight unseen and - knowing its origin in a web page - wasn't necessarily expecting that much in terms of quality. In fact, though, this is a lavish publication which contains everything that you could ask for and a little bit more.In addition to the lyrics written by The Dead's poet-in-residence, Robert Hunter, there are also those to all the other Grateful Dead songs, including a handful of songs that they often recorded but didn't write, such as "Not Fade Away". Each song appears in chronological order with details of first recording & performance, making this a useful reference tome from the get-go.Next up: you get copious B&W illustrations (effectively cartoons) by Jim Carpenter, set sympathetically into the page, plus a handful of full-page colour illustrations by various hands. To be honest, the Carpenter illustrations don't do much for me, but they do add browsing interest.Finally, the annotations. Not every song is annotated, but some (e.g. "Stagger Lee") get several pages of notes. Some songs get a full essay of explanation (e.g. John Barlow's note on "Cassidy") while others make do with curious or irrelevant details. For example, we are told the population of Mexicali in 2005 and in 1993, but not in the year that "Mexicali Blues" was written.Picking on these details only reminds us, though, that this work is the result of a long process involving many contributors bound together solely by a shared love of the subject. It isn't an academic treatise, and doesn't pretend to be.In production terms, the volume has been expertly typeset in order to keep all the information clear and distinct. The square page means that lyrics and annotation can be closely interrelated, and the binding and paper used are of coffee-table quality.This is a book that fans will find frequent reasons to revisit, and casual listeners will admire for its clarity and completeness. Lyrics books are a fairly nerdy thing, and this one is more so than many, but its outstanding quality and lack of pretentiousness make this one a model that others would do well to emulate.

Every deadhead should really read this before listening to the studio albums. The music makes so much more sense, provides soul and meaning to some of the finest progressive rock music from the last 50 years, Do not hesitate , lovely book with artwork ,lyrics ,essays about the band and with members of the band and more, lots more, in fact you will probably not stop reading it until you are thoroughly DEAD!!

This book is a "must buy" for all fans of the Grateful Dead. Comprehensive, well-written, with some fascinating and illuminating background notes on some of the band's most well-known songs. Some cool artwork too!

A beautiful book. The kind I'll keep on my coffee table for years. Well over an inch thick and beautifully packaged, from the layouts to the illustrations and cover. Spent many nights with this on my lap. If you don't already have the previous editions, buy this one. If you do, you might want to buy this one too, it's worth it.

Oh a book you can just dip into or read from cover to cover. Don't always agree with the David about the meanings of some of the lyrics, but hey, that's the beauty of any form of poetry. The book is a labour of love and it shows. Well worth adding to your library.