Grateful Dead

The Soundwaves Vinyl of the Week is American Beauty by the Grateful Dead.

 

Formed in the mid-1960’s as part of the hippie culture, this band had been known to create beautiful music and promoted peace and harmony wherever they went. And as for me, I started listening to the Grateful Dead in 1989 and went to my first Dead show in 1990. 

 

Last week, many in the music industry were saddened at the passing of their singer/guitar player Bob Weir, who has been carrying the torch for the band since other founding members Phil Lesh and Jerry Garcia had passed. This momentous occasion made people like myself go back through their archive of vinyl albums to reminisce.

 

American Beauty has so many great songs on it, from “Box of Rain” to “Friend of the Devil”, “Sugar Magnolia” to “Candyman”, the beautiful track “Ripple” to the last track, which happens to be one of their most well-known, “Truckin’”.

 

Let me leave you with these heart-warming lyrics from “Brokedown Palace”, one of my personal favorites on this album.

 

Fare you well, fare you well,

I love you more than words can tell

Listen to the river sing sweet songs

To rock my soul.