Reckoning: Conversations With the Grateful Dead

by Alan Paul

This story begins at the moment when it seemed that it was August 9, 1995, the day Jerry Garcia left the mortal coil and many assumed the Grateful Dead's music died with him. Best-selling author Alan Paul conducted dozens of interviews with the surviving members of the band as they found their footing and made peace with the Dead's incredible musical legacy. Reckoning gathers the best of these conversations and abounds with depth and insight. It includes the only interview with Phish/Fare Thee Well guitarist Trey Anasatasio and a member of the Dead (Phil Lesh); extensive, never-published interviews with songwriter Robert Hunter and drummer Bill Kreutzmann; a deep dive with Bob Weir; an insightful talk with Dick Latvala of Dick's Picks fame; and interviews with the guitarists brave enough to stare down the ghost of Warren Haynes, Jimmy Herring, John Kadlecik, Steve Kimock and Mark Karan, in addition to Anastasio. "From how songs were written to how disagreements were settled, Alan Paul asks the type of questions every Deadhead wishes he or she could ask of their favorite band. And even better, Alan elicits the honest answers every fan wants to hear from the Dead." -David Browne, author, So Many The Life and Times of the Grateful Dead "Alan Paul is the rarest kind of music journalist....one who hears beyond the supposed barriers of tradition, style, era, and genre, and perceives the connections and archetypes at the root of all great and innovative music. And then he succinctly lays his discoveries at our feet, so that we may hear beyond the illusions too." -Reed Mathis, bassist, Billy and the Kids, Tea Leaf Green Alan Paul. Reckoning (Kindle Location 37). Alan Paul is the author of the Top Ten New York Times bestseller One Way The Inside History of the Allman Brothers Band and of Big in My Unlikely Adventure Raising a Family, Playing the Blues, and Reinventing Myself in Beijing. He is a senior writer for Guitar World and lives in Maplewood, NJ, with his wife and three children. Visit him at www.alanpaul.net or www.facebook.com/ alanpaulauthor. Cover design by Evan Twohy

Genres: Music

117 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 24, 2015

About the author

Alan Paul's last two books have been instant New York Times bestsellers: One Way Out: The Inside History of the Allman Brothers Band, and Texas Flood: the Inside Story of Stevie Ray Vaughan. The latter has been optioned and is being developed for both documentary and feature films. His first book, Big in China: My Unlikely Adventures Raising a Family, Playing the Blues, and Becoming a Star in Beijing, is about his experiences raising an American family, forming a band and becoming an unlikely rock star in Beijing.

He also founded Friends of the Brothers, the premier celebration of the music of the Allman Brothers Band, featuring members of the Dickey Betts, Jaimoe and Gregg Allman bands. He is a regular guest on radio shows and a frequent contributor to The Wall Street Journal, Guitar World, and other publications. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, Rebecca Blumenstein. They have three children.

Please visit www.alanpaul.net or www.facebook.com/alanpaulauthor.

Reviews

[Mark Moxley-Knapp · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great but short collection of interviews with members of the Dead and family. Dick Latvala, Phil, Bobby, members of their bands, and more. Most are expanded versions of things that appeared in print or online, but it's great to have this kind of background and insight.

[Russell Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insight into post Garcia Dead

This is a series of interviews with the players involved in the various projects which came out of the Dead family after Garcia's death. Includes Warren Haynes, John Kadlicek and Duck Latvala. Very insightful.