Product Description

The Grateful Dead are a unique phenomenon. One of the most successful live touring bands in the world, their longevity is founded on their desire to play music their way, coupled with an extraordinarily close relationship to their huge following. From Anthem to Beauty tells the story of the band and their journey from the experimental "Anthem of the Sun" (recorded in 1967/1968) to the accessible, countryish "American Beauty." It is told in the band's own words and includes a rare interview with lyricist Robert Hunter. The film also features a wealth of rare vintage film footage of the Grateful Dead in their prime, including television appearances, home videos, and classic recordings like "Ripple," "Box of Rain," "Truckin'," and "Mountains of the Moon," and it all adds up to a riveting portrait of one of the rock world's most controversial bands. 75 minutes.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #63809 in DVD
• Released on: 1999-05-18
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 75 minutes

Amazon.com
This installment of the Classic Albums series follows the making of two Grateful Dead albums, the fiercely experimental Anthem of the Sun and the understated masterwork American Beauty, which spawned melodic gems like "Sugar Magnolia" and "Ripple." Between the archival scenes and contemporary interviews with band members, the DVD shows a band making seismic inroads in pop music--and five young guys coming to terms with artistry, mortality, and, yes, the pursuit of happiness. There is priceless footage of Neal Cassady driving Ken Kesey's bus and of the Dead, surrounded by martini-sipping hipsters, on Playboy After Dark. The best scenes involve band members talking about specific songs (you will never hear Phil Lesh's "Box of Rain" again without thinking of it as a gift to his dying father) or deconstructing a tune by playing each track separately. Intimate and surprisingly cohesive, Anthem to Beauty is a rare glimpse into how the Dead's magic was made. --Anne Hurley

Customer Reviews

Note to Deadheads:
This is not a concert video, nor does it contain any complete songs. It is a documentary of the studio process of creating these albums and interviews with the band on the inpiration for these songs. For me, this was wonderful (especially the interviews with Hunter and Lesh), just dont expect any playin'.

Documentary of a band evolving
This video details the Grateful Dead's evolution in the studio from experimenting and learning (at Warner Brother's expense) about the recording process to applying that knowledge to American Beauty, in my opinion their best studio album ever. Phil Lesh takes the viewer on a tour through 16-track cuts of both the albums. David Grisman demonstrates mandolin parts he would have liked to played on the rest of Ripple. Robert Hunter talks about writing the lyrics for the songs on American Beauty. Video include rare footage from Hugh Hefner1s television show of Jerry and T.C. playing Mountains of the Moon and the band performing Saint Stephen. The down side is the songs are not complete. I like documentaries and the Dead so I loved this video. If you are looking for Concert footage better choices would by Downhill From Here or View From The Vault.

Terrific overview of Early Dead
This tape combines archival stills and film footage of the early years of the Dead (1967-1971) and great video soundbites from most of the members of the Dead, as well as Dennis McNally. Best scene is with Phil Lesh sitting at the console with the original 16-track tapes of "Anthem of the Sun" and "American Beauty" playing individual tracks, and commenting on the experiences during the recordings. Deadhead GOLD!