Garcia : An American Life

Rating:
Summary: An above average biography
Review: Recycled from when I was just a"reader":
For anyone who has been to a Grateful Dead show, the phrase, "there's nothing quite like a Dead concert" was as much a truism as "chances are pretty good that the sun will in fact rise tomorrow." Jackson's biography of the band leader (as this book makes clear, Jerry Garcia was the leader of the Group, as he was the leader of all of his side projects) explains clearly and insightfully the tremendous amount of energy that was put into their shows to ensure the uniqueness of each concert. Jackson also describes (but can't really explain) the almost bipolar nature of Jerry Garcia's personal life that led him to a life of drug abuse and heartless infidelity while at the same time being very lucid about his ideals. He was always clear about what he saw the band doing but was unable to envision a happy life for himself. The historical references are often interesting but there is an exhaustive discussion of his funeral at the end of the book and there's a lot of gossip that perhaps could have been deleted. I suppose there are people that like that kind of stuff.

Rating:
Summary: An above average biography
Review: Recycled from when I was just a"reader":
For anyone who has been to a Grateful Dead show, the phrase, "there's nothing quite like a Dead concert" was as much a truism as "chances are pretty good that the sun will in fact rise tomorrow." Jackson's biography of the band leader (as this book makes clear, Jerry Garcia was the leader of the Group, as he was the leader of all of his side projects) explains clearly and insightfully the tremendous amount of energy that was put into their shows to ensure the uniqueness of each concert. Jackson also describes (but can't really explain) the almost bipolar nature of Jerry Garcia's personal life that led him to a life of drug abuse and heartless infidelity while at the same time being very lucid about his ideals. He was always clear about what he saw the band doing but was unable to envision a happy life for himself. The historical references are often interesting but there is an exhaustive discussion of his funeral at the end of the book and there's a lot of gossip that perhaps could have been deleted. I suppose there are people that like that kind of stuff.

Rating:
Summary: The one True American Band
Review: The Dead were Garcia and Garcia was The Dead. They are inseparatable. Jackson's book digs deeper into Garcia's life and that of the band than any other book on the same topic. Reaction to the dead was binary -- you either loved them or you hated them. This book is clearly for the former. The latter won't care and won't get it. We all still miss Jerry and The Dead. Jackson has forged an earnest and winning attempt so that we can remember him, and them outside their music -- which will live forever.

Rating:
Summary: What A long Strange Trip It's Been
Review: The Grateful Dead have meant a lot to a small but fanatically loyal group, and this book documents their heart and soul, Jerry Garcia. The author is a big fan, so this isn't one of those "Expose all" bio's that have become the rage of late in the music business -- but rather a serious look at Garcia and the band. If the Dead are your thing, you can't go wrong here, and Jackson's insider knowledge is inciteful.

Rating:
Summary: The Legendary Life of Jerry Garcia
Review: This biography of Jerry Garcia, called Garcia: An American Life, by Blair Jackson, is a great accountment of Jerry Garcia's life and death. His life mainly took place in California in the 60's and 70's and on tour with the Grateful Dead (and his various other bands) until 1995. The Grateful Dead with Jerry as lead guitarist, made Garcia legendary along with the band. The Dead's following in the hippie era, led to many problems and addictions, ones that cost him his life. Jerry received his first electric guitar for his birthday at the age of 13. This was the same year that he was also introduced to pot. He felt that drugs was a way to "leave all his troubles behind." Soon after Jerry turned 16, he ran away from home and moved to Palo Alto, which is just south of San Francisco (where he grew up). Apparently Jerry was unhappy with his life and Jerry seemed to only express himself through his music. Later on, Jerry got into bluegrass music and bought a banjo. Although Jerry soon realized that bluegrass wouldn't get him anywhere, so he turned back to the electric and acoustic guitar and formed a band, the Grateful Dead. With the Dead, Jerry began using phsycidellics such as LSD, shrooms, and other acids. With "no troubles" and the ability to express himself, Jerry's life went easy. The author, Blair Jackson, informed, persuaded, and entertained his readers throughout the whole book. He focused on Jerry Garcia's interesting life which was expressed through the music of Jerry and the Grateful Dead. Unfortunately, he died from a heart attack (due to his diabetes) in 1995 at the age of 53 (although it is said that he ate too much pizza!). It is a shame that he had to die so young, but his legend lives on. This biography is "A wonderfully balanced, insightful life story of one of rock's most enigmatic heroes" (~Robert Santelli) and I deeply recommend this book to anyone that is interested in the 60's or the Grateful Dead. I give this insightful book a 10/10.

Rating:
Summary: Good book for the Gr.Dead fanatic
Review: This is a good book for the Dead Head or heavy-duty Garcia fan, but anyone else will find it to be a labored read. To be honest, I only made it about half way through the book. I purchased this book as I prefer true stories, and am a fan of the Dead, (although I have never considered myself a "Dead Head"). The book started off well, detailing Garcia's early life. Then the author went off into excruciating detail of each song, each album, each show...until I was so bored that I put the book down and couldn't summon the desire to pick it up again. Although I didn't enjoy this book too much, I gave it to a friend of mine who is a Dead fanatic, and he is enjoying it. So, I guess you enjoyment of this book will depend on just how much of a fan you are of Jerry Garcia.

Rating:
Summary: A comprehensive bio of Jerome Garcia
Review: This isn't just for so-called "Deadheads". Mr. Jackson has very accuratly subtitled this book "An American Life". In this regard this is also a well documented tour of the '60's ( and the counter-revolution which follows to this day) with the agonizing theme of a wonderfully rich and exquisite life that ended all too soon. The scenery is wonderfully rich and evokes numerous memories to this reader. A description of a Dead concert near the end of their amazing run I found compelling: Phil Lesh describes riotous "fans" breaching the wall of a concert. It brought to mind the last days of the Alamo. Truly, the Dead were our last bastion against the current corporate oppression and anti-intellectualism which we now take for granted. The Grateful Dead was, for many of us, the garage band for the "movement" such as it existed in those wonderful days. As a final note: I had extreme difficulty reading the last 50 pages. I would put the book down to take very long walks on the beach, reflecting on all our lives as we evolved from the '60's. As it was, I could not read the final few pages dealing with Mr. Garcia's estate matters. It was just all too much. Thank you kindly Mr. Blair Jackson. You have provided us with a sentimental yet honest portrait of an artist and a man, truly of his times. And finally, thank you Jerry. I feel like we all just used you up.

Rating:
Summary: Another tired summation of the Grateful Dead experience
Review: This well written, but ultimately disappointing book, is less a biography of Jerry Garcia and more of a chronicle of the Dead's history with Jerry as its focus. There is not much new here that the veteran fan has not read or heard before. As an introductory primer, it is a success. But for those of us who have digested just about everything in the print media, it is a long read with a few eyebrow raising facts heretofore undocumented. For a more in depth look at Garcia, Robert Greenfield's fine oral history "Dark Star" is the choice. Somewhere between Rock Scully's sour grapes "Living With The Dead" the Jackson's work, lies a book that will admit the reader to the creative, charismatic, self destructive person that was Jerry Garcia. Perhaps, Dennis McNally's long rumoured tome on the band will fit in that space

Rating:
Summary: Poorly done biography
Review: What a disappointment this book is. For one is very poorly written. Blair Jackson is simply too much of a fanboy and too little of a writer with this particular book. Its presents itself as a biography of Garcia and far too many times it drifts off into a simplistic Deadhead's review of Garcias various tunes. Way too many pretentious references to Hunters lyrics and really his put downs on Weir and other members (thinly veiled but non the less put downs) reek of Garcia worship. He finds no faults in any Garcia tunes and plays up his ballads (which were often low points of Dead shows) like they were the shimmering representation of all that is the Grateful Dead.

He also glosses over many aspects of Garcias personal life, which is silly for a biography. There are more reviews of Hunter and Garcia tunes then there are facts presented about the man the book is about. If its something that can be said without bringing up anything critical then Jackson carries on about it, but if its a low point then he will place a sentence or at most a paragraph. Garcia is a complex man and his biography should have been more complex. I dont want to read another book chiming in with English 101 poetry reviews, I wanted to read a book that chronicled Garcias life in an unobstructed manner. Jackson turned out to be way too much of a fanboy of Garcia to make an effective book.