JamBands.Com - January '99 -

GRATEFUL ELEPHANTS:
BOOK REVIEWS OF THE DEADHEADS TAPING COMPENDIUM &
SWEET CHAOS: THE GRATEFUL DEAD'S AMERICAN ADVENTURE
by Guy Stevens
There is an old parable about five blind men who encounter an elephant. Trying to determine what kind of beast they are facing, each man begins feeling a different part of the elephant, one the trunk, one a leg, one the tail and so on. Each man describes the elephant in a different way, and while each knows a part, they have no way of describing the whole. In a way, the Grateful Dead could be this elephant. There are so many ways of looking at the phenomenon that was the Grateful Dead - musicallly, poetically, socially, philosophically, and on and on - that it is unlikely that anyone will ever write the definitive book on it. Luckily, there is a growing canon of books about the Dead, each looking at them from a different angle. Two of the newest additions to the canon, "Sweet Chaos: The Grateful Dead's American Adventure" by Carol Brightman and "The Deadhead's Taping Compendium Volume 1" edited by Michael M. Getz and John R. Dwork, look the this elephant from distinctly different angles.
"The Deadhead's Taping Compendium" is an exhaustive guide to Grateful Dead tapes in existence. While Deadbase has long tracked the setlists of every Dead show, the Compendium tackles the much more ambitious task of reviewing each show. This first volume begins in 1954, chronicling various pre-Dead performances by members of the band, and continues through their semi-retirement in 1974. Future volumes will cover the twenty years which followed.
For each show there is a setlist, list of sources (concert taping was nowhere near as common then as it is now, and for many shows there is only one source), the length and quality of the tape, comments on the tape quality , a list of highlights, and a review. The reviews tend to be relatively concise, usually a half page per entry. For significant shows or events, however, there are extended entries, some (such as the sections on the Acid Tests and the 8/27/72 Veneta OR) run as many as eight or ten pages. The reviews are well written, and, on the basis of my collection, relatively accurate. The reviewers are not afraid to say when a show is a total dud or if the sound quality is abysmal, though there do seem to be abundance of shows identified as "the greatest" or that you "must have." As well as being a fine source for tape collectors, the Compendium is useful as a historical analysis of the Dead's music. The sections at the beginning of each year, charting the bands musical progress and changes in sound, personnel, and repertoire are particularly interesting. While the show reviews are the meat of the Compendium, an informative history of Grateful Dead concert taping and trading (including extensive interviews with Bear and Dick Latvala), a recommended listening section, film and video guide, and guide to tape trading are all included.
In my eyes, the Compendium is a vital (and somewhat overdue) resource. The sheer number of shows the Dead played (literally thousands) can be overwhelming for tape collectors, particularly newbies. When I first began collecting tapes, I was almost afraid to begin collecting Dead shows, because there were so many that I had no idea which to get (luckily I quickly overcame this fear). With the Compendium, it will be much easier to identify which shows you want, whether because they contain prime versions of your favorite songs, particular types of jams, or just because the show is hot. In addition, the quality ratings can help you decide whether you want a certain show so badly that you'll put up with poor quality or not. Furthermore, the Compendium just makes fun reading. I fail to see how any serious collector of Dead tapes would want to be without this book.
"Sweet Chaos," by Carol Brightman (sister of the Dead's longtime lighting designer Candace Brightman), could not be more different from the Compendium. Where the Compendium is concerned with musical details, "Sweet Chaos" focuses on social generalities. Brightman is not a Deadhead. While her sister was consorting with hippies in the 1960s, Brightman was a dedicated political radical, too wrapped up in the political struggles of the day to spend time following a band. Brightman's primary goal in "Sweet Chaos," is to examine why the Dead progressed from being a counterculture band to an American institution while so many other elements of the 1960s (particularly the political movements to which she was tied) faded away.
In Brightman's eyes, the Grateful Dead are inextricably tied to the 1960s. To understand what made the Dead tick, she reasons, you must also understand the world in which they were born. To this end she spends a good deal of time writing about the 1960s in general, and particularly the influence of LSD on the period (which the Dead are also inextricably tied to). While this discussion is certainly stimulating, it quickly becomes apparent that the book is as much about the 1960s as it is the Dead. This tension is further exacerbated by Brightman's tendency to take extended detours into subjects which are only marginally connected to her primary subject. One region into which she detours frequently is her own experience with the politics of the time. While these detours are often quite interesting (the one concerning sister Candace's experiences is particularly so), they occur so frequently that "Sweet Chaos" seems less a title than a description.
To some extent, Brightman should be forgiven her excesses. After all, as was already noted, the Dead are a huge, complex subject, and any discussion of them invariably veers into tenuously related subjects. At least one other critic has also pointed out that Brightman's meandering narrative is somewhat similar to an acid trip, which also serves as a unifying metaphor throughout the book and a crucial element in her conclusions.
Whether her unfocused writing style is intentional or not, Brightman is a capable writer with a charming voice, so her meanderings are generally a fun read. It is important to note, however, that "Sweet Chaos" is a socio-philosophical meditation on the Dead, their times (or at least early times) and longevity. It is not a history of the band or an analysis of their music or lyrics. The elements of musical and literary analysis that appear in places are interesting, but do not generally originate with Brightman and appear only in service of her musings. Those who are looking for hard factual information about the Dead or analysis of their work would be well advised to look elsewhere. But if you're already familiar with that material, and you just want some assistance thinking it over, "Sweet Chaos" gives you plenty to think about.
Guy Stevens is a political activist and musician living at Conjunction Junction. He is unaware of his function.