Dead to the Core: An Almanack of the Grateful Dead [Paperback]

Eric Wybenga (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 7, 1997

The Grateful Dead have left us a musical bounty of thirty years and thousands of shows.  Now Dead to the Core: An Almanack of the Grateful Dead takes Deadheads through the seasons and years of the Dead's dazzling array of music, with lavish treatment of those "bumper crop" eras from which their most succulent songs and shows and shows can be harvested.  It is part reference, part critical companion to the best the Dead have to offer, a work liberally stocked with trivia, lore, humor, and arcana.  No Head "farmer" wanting to reap the dankest of the Dead kind will want to be without this essential resource.

Includes...

Show-a-day seasonal calendars
Detailed show reviews from key years
Musical and lyrical analyses of the Dead's core tunes
Annotated lists of hot versions of key tunes
Capsule reviews of shows from throughout the Dead's career
Personal anecdotes and observations from Deadheads
A guide to the best Dead-related sites on the Internet
In-depth essays on the Dead's prime eras

...And much, much more, including the Dead-Dylan connection, the Dead and Garcia's place in the musical universe, the Deadhead pantheon, tour lore...

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In a sometimes awkward format inspired by old-fashioned almanacs, former book editor and devoted Deadhead Wybenga divides this unauthorized collection of Grateful Dead miscellanea into four main sections: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, with each representing a period of the band's history. After providing an annotated calendar for each month in that "season," he then breaks it down into one- or two-year segments introduced by a brief overview. Following each overview is the backbone of the book: commentary on dozens of tapes recorded by fellow Deadheads of what Wybenga considers the band's finest performances. Sidebars add short articles and trivia to the mix. Wybenga is selective, and fans will undoubtedly quibble over his decision to exclude performances from 1976, 1982, 1988, and most of 1992-95. He also relies heavily on undefined slang and abbreviations, clearly intending this book for advanced Deadheads who actively collect and swap tapes of the band's shows. Optional unless demand for all things Dead is high.?Lloyd Jansen, Stockton-San Joaquin Cty. P.L., Cal.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Publisher

The ultimate collection of trivia, obscure facts, essays, show reviews and much more that no self-respecting Deadhead should be without, Dead to the Core is a virtual treasure trove of arcana, lore, reviews, amusing trivia questions, lyrical scavenger hunts, song analyses and essays--all equipped with a uniquely Deadhead perspective.

Copyright 1997 by Eric F. Wybenga

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 324 pages
• Publisher: Delta (July 7, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385316836
• ISBN-13: 978-0385316835
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.6 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #673,674 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An incomplete masterpiece, July 24, 2001

By 

K. Schultheis "kb" (baltimore, md United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dead to the Core: An Almanack of the Grateful Dead (Paperback)

The book provides some very useful and insightful information. As a veteran of some 50+ shows I learned more than I thought I would I read the book. However, it is almost like it was written in a hurry. The author should have had more friends and heads contribute to the book.

For instance, how could the writer completely overlook some of those great 1988 shows (e.g., when the Boys broke Ripple at the Cap Centre). Also, he rambled on and on about how great he thought the Maine shows were that summer. Obviously, he was there and had a great time, but those shows were just plain average at best. There was just too much subjective content and not enough input from other heads.

I also disagree with the fact that he skipped over whole periods of Dead evolution. To skip over the years 1982-84 is ludicrous. Remember this is when we heard St. Stephen again and Brent came into his own.

Also, he should have had more fact checkers. He referred to a Cap Center show in 1991 as a great one in which the Boys broke out a Stir it Up Jam for the first time, but he overlooked the Stir it Up Jam in Hampton in 1988. (Again, his review of this show baffles, because he does not even mention the Ruben & Cherise show from two nights before, which was the highlight of the four-night run at the Cap Centre that year. Obviously, he went to the show he reviewed and not the Ruben & Cherise show).

That said, if you want to read one head's subjective ramblings of his own experience mixed with some very insightful information, this is a good book. Plus, if you are building a collection, he gives some excellent suggestions for additions.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars so many roads, December 15, 2004

By 

Cornell1977 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dead to the Core: An Almanack of the Grateful Dead (Paperback)

This book sneaks up on you. Is it definitive? No. Is it all-encompassing? No. Is it authoritative. No.

It is, however, a unique love letter to a unique organization. I fell in love with this book little by little, often while having a beer or ten. A feeling of old friends reminiscing about shows gone by creeps over me until I can stand no more, put the book down, and head for the tapes.

And ultimately that is the reason I recommend this book so highly. It'll make you want to taste the dead again for the first time. Or something like that...

Cheers

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An in depth exploration of the Dead and Head psyche, June 16, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Dead to the Core: An Almanack of the Grateful Dead (Paperback)

One of the best GD books I have had the opportunity to read. Eric Wybenga is deadhead 1st and foremost, then a writer. Writes from a familiar perspective and delves beneath the surface of Dead original and cover tunes. He successfully captures the true exhilaration and excitement experienced by "heads" about the meaning/magic that comes accross through the music and atmosphere of a Dead Show. Not merely history, Eric's work inspires the reader to rediscover some great music and memories hidden in his/her personal "vault". A very unique and well executed deviation from the "norm" established by most other books about the Dead.