My thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an advance copy of this new biography about Jerry Garcia, for my Honest Review.

What started out as a typical biography of the iconic heart and soul of one of the greatest bands of all time, the author Jim Newton took on the massive undertaking of trying to find Jerry's place within the counter culture that grew out of the Haight Ashbury/Summer of Love in San Francisco in the turbulent mid-sixties. Touching upon life altering events such as the the rise of Ronald Reagan, the Watts Riots, the Vietnam War, the Assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr and Robert Kennedy, the Democratic Convention in 1968, Watkins Glen, Woodstock, the Tate/Lobianco Murders and even Altamont, Newton tries to tie Garcia and the Grateful Dead into the context of the changing society with some hits and to a lesser extent misses. As influential a musician Garcia was, he was famously apolitical and therefor some of the effort to tie him into all the countercultural events was a stretch.

Leaving these issues aside, the remainder of the book was fascinating not only about Jerry's life, and the rise of the Grateful Dead as a cultural phenomena, but also te historical context of their long strange trip as the counter culture grew and ultimately faded away.

From my first Dead show at Englishtown, NJ in 1977 through shows at the Spectrum, the Meadowlands, and ultimately the Greek Theatre in Berkely, CA in 1982 as well as numerous Jerry Garcia Band shows at the Tower Theatre in Upper Darby, PA no one could play guitar or hypnotize the crowd like Jerry. As I drifted away from their music ( self exiled as I reasoned it could never be better than seeing the Dead in their backyard ) it was sad to "relive" the sorrowful decline caused by Jerry's addiction to heroin.

As Jerry's journey feels like being at a Dead Show, I highly recommend truckin' along with Jim Newtown's tome and looking past the effort to place Jerry in the middle of every important event in our lifetime and just enjoy the ride that is the Grateful Dead. . Otherwise this is 4.5 stars with a bullet.

Though I came late to The Grateful Dead I have read a whole lot of memoirs and biographies regarding the band and its individual players. And being no expert I am loath to offer any insights and opinions regarding the accuracy of their texts. But I do know what I like and this book fits the bill. Well-written and intelligent writing helps. I simply hated to put the book down, though I already knew much of what was written. It's a sad tale really. But its importance is unparalleled in the world of music. Not to mention the cultural impact the band made for necessary change.

Rarely you find a band that strikes a chord with your heart, that moves your soul, and unites a group of people as a community. The Dead was not just a band but a way of life for many. In this history of the band and the torrential wave of the 60s and 70s, the author shows how counterculture and historical events shaped the band’s progression.

I recommend this book for history fans wanting to know the real stories of The Grateful Dead and what was happening in the world during their conception and evolution. I was mesmerized by how much detail about the band and history that I did not know though I have been a Dead fan for over 30 years. Extensive research and work went into this tome of The Grateful Dead, what a long strange trip it’s been.

Thank you Random House and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an advance copy of this new biography about a man who became the face of everything that was cool about the counterculture, a face for the people who hated the counterculture, a face on an ice cream carton, a musician, an artist, and so much more.

I first starting listening to the Grateful Dead late in my musical awakening, when music was more than trying to fit in with others, or something my parents played on long car trips. I found jazz, weird music, punk, classical and soundtracks not in that order, but hippie music was not my thing. Mainly it was the fans, the Dead Heads, who just seemed insufferable and annoying. This changed of course as I listened and heard so much in the music that I could lose myself even when surrounded by thousands of people. Scarlet>Fire from Cornell '77 is my favorite jam, one that helps my mood immensely. There are lots of others songs, too that make my day seem brighter when I want it, sadder when I want it. To the world Jerry Garcia was an avuncular character, making people dance, making them smile, smile smile, all while the world around us was buring, a Captain Trips to a pleasant tomorrow. That and the fact he looked like my Dad, big beard, big glasses, big body, made me listen with a particular closeness. There was something else my father and he shared, and that was a pain, my father's physical, Jerry's emotional and familial. Jerry Garcia was a great musician, but as a person he was lacking in many ways. And yet the world could use him today. Here Beside the Rising Tide: Jerry Garcia, the Grateful Dead, and an American Awakening by journalist, editor and writer Jim Newton is a look at the man, the myth and the times that he lived in the politics, the art, and way everything changed.

Jerome John Garcia was born in the year 1942, in San Francisco and Garcia's heart never left it. Garcia's childhood was one of constant sorrows, losing the tip of his middle finger to his brother on vacation. Losing his father to a drowning accident a year later. Garcia never got over the loss of his father which affected his life and health in different ways, along with many relationships. Jerry did love music, and after the gift of an accordion was returned, received a guitar that he taught himself to play. Garcia loved to practice, sometimes for twelve hours a day, learning chords, and learning to play with others. A brief stint in the Army left Garcia, homeless, jobless and clueless to the future. However there was always music. Garcia began to learn bango, and later pedal steel guitar, teaching others and making contacts in the music scene, which lead to more jobs, and slowly a band. Garcia married, but lived a bachelor lifestyle hitting the road to catch bluegrass shows across the country, while his wife stayed home with their child. A band began to come together at the same time change, and revolution was filling the air. The band name needed to be changed, a look in a dictionary showed the Grateful Dead, and a band, a legacy and history was made.

I have read most of the books on the Grateful Dead, all of the biographies, Skeleton Key, many of the looks at the band, both professional and fan based. I will say this is one of the best, if not the best. The writing is very good, not written as a fan, nor as someone trying to figure out why the Band hit the way the did, but as an observer, to the man, the music, and the world around them. There is a good look at the changing politics in America, the darkness of Nixon, the blackness of Reagan, the grey of Clinton, all while Garcia was playing in the band. Newton has a very good grasp of the politics of the time, as well as what was happening in the streets. Plus the way Newton writes, one can tell he enjoys the music, the asides, the deep cut comments. I leaned much about Garcia, Reagan America, the counterculture and much more.

I can't praise this book enough, not just for the way Newton writes about Garcia, neither hero or villain, just a man with demons and a large musical gift, but the world around them. A book I enjoyed far more than I expected, and one I can't wait to recommend. For readers of history, music, culture, and for those who enjoy well written tomes.

I enjoyed this newest biography of Jerry Garcia for the new insights the author presented and his dovetailing the evolution of the Grateful Dead with the political climate of the US. While much has been written of Garcia and the Dead, this book had contributions from people involved in his life and involved with the Dead that haven't been made public before. Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.