- Amazon Business: Make the most of your Amazon Business account with exclusive tools and savings. Login now
- Amazon Business : For business-only pricing, quantity discounts and FREE Shipping. Register a free business account
Have one to sell?
Add to book club
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club?
Learn more
Join or create book clubs
Choose books together
Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Flip to back
Flip to front
Follow the Author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.
OK
Fare Thee Well: The Final Chapter of the Grateful Dead's Long, Strange Trip Hardcover – Illustrated, June 19, 2018
by
Joel Selvin
(Author),
Pamela Turley
|
Joel Selvin
(Author)
Find all the books, read about the author, and more.
See search results for this author
Are you an author?
Learn about Author Central
|
See all formats and editions
Hide other formats and editions
|
Price
|
New from | Used from |
|
Audible Audiobook, Unabridged
"Please retry"
|
$0.00
|
Free with your Audible trial | |
|
Paperback, Illustrated
"Please retry"
|
$12.58 | $5.56 |
Enhance your purchase
-
Print length288 pages
-
LanguageEnglish
-
PublisherDa Capo Press
-
Publication dateJune 19, 2018
-
Dimensions6.5 x 1.13 x 9.5 inches
-
ISBN-100306903059
-
ISBN-13978-0306903052
Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
-
Apple
-
Android
-
Windows Phone
-
Android
|
Download to your computer
|
Kindle Cloud Reader
|
Frequently bought together
Customers who viewed this item also viewed
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
Deal: My Three Decades of Drumming, Dreams, and Drugs with the Grateful DeadHardcover
Home Before Daylight: My Life on the Road with the Grateful DeadPaperback
The Complete Annotated Grateful Dead LyricsHardcover
A Long Strange Trip: The Inside History of the Grateful DeadPaperback
This Is All a Dream We Dreamed: An Oral History of the Grateful DeadHardcover
So Many Roads: The Life and Times of the Grateful DeadPaperback
Customers who bought this item also bought
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
Home Before Daylight: My Life on the Road with the Grateful DeadPaperback
A Long Strange Trip: The Inside History of the Grateful DeadPaperback
Deal: My Three Decades of Drumming, Dreams, and Drugs with the Grateful DeadHardcover
The Complete Annotated Grateful Dead LyricsHardcover
Deal: My Three Decades of Drumming, Dreams, and Drugs with the Grateful DeadPaperback
This Is All a Dream We Dreamed: An Oral History of the Grateful DeadHardcover
Special offers and product promotions
Editorial Reviews
Review
"This phenomenon after its leader dies and how and what it became is a great and inspiring story."--Marty Balin, founder of Jefferson Airplane―-
"A deep--and deeply reported--dive into the highs and lows of the Grateful Dead world post-1995, Fare Thee Well is the in-depth postscript we need on life after Garcia. As the surviving members navigate their jarring new world, you'll be shocked, surprised, and unexpectedly moved."--David Browne, author of So Many Roads: The Life and Times of the Grateful Dead―-
"Fare Thee Well is a masterful summation of the agonies, trials, and tribulations that beset the Grateful Dead after Jerry Garcia passed away. It made me sigh with sorrow AND give thanks (virtually simultaneously) for such a gifted group of musicians. This book will appeal to every Deadhead on the planet. I loved it."--Sam Cutler, author of You Can't Always Get What You Want: My Life with the Rolling Stones, the Grateful Dead, and Other Wonderful Reprobates―-
"As always, Joel Selvin boldly goes where others fear to tread. Fare Thee Well is essential reading for all those who have followed the saga of the good old Grateful Dead to this point in time."--Robert Greenfield, author of Dark Star: An Oral Biography of Jerry Garcia and Bear: The Life and Times of Augustus Owsley Stanley III―-
"Fare Thee Well tells the tale of how the Deadheads rescued the Grateful Dead from themselves. Bereft of their heart leader after Jerry Garcia died in 1995, the love of Deadheads kept the music alive so that the phenomena is not merely enduring but growing--long, strange, and still a trip."--Dennis McNally, author of A Long, Strange Trip: The Inside History of the Grateful Dead―-
"I felt like the child of a divorce, but this book showed me I never needed to worry, not when I was under the power of something as great as the Grateful Dead."--Steve Parish, author of Home Before Daylight: My Life on the Road with the Grateful Dead―-
"A hundred years from now, Jerry Garcia may be remembered as a prophet and Bob, Mickey, Phil, and Billy as his disciples. Illuminating, astounding, and accurate, Fare Thee Well is a remarkable account of the successes and failures by the talented, individualist remaining members of the Grateful Dead since the death of their leader Jerry Garcia. I read it in one sitting."--Steve Miller, founder of the Steve Miller Band―-
"Most [Grateful Dead] books end with the 1995 death of Jerry Garcia. Fare Thee Well...takes the opposite approach...[it] examines every sad twist, turn, and betrayal involved in the Dead's various offshoot groups leading up to their 2015 Fare Thee Well reunion."
―Rolling Stone
"A deep--and deeply reported--dive into the highs and lows of the Grateful Dead world post-1995, Fare Thee Well is the in-depth postscript we need on life after Garcia. As the surviving members navigate their jarring new world, you'll be shocked, surprised, and unexpectedly moved."--David Browne, author of So Many Roads: The Life and Times of the Grateful Dead―-
"Fare Thee Well is a masterful summation of the agonies, trials, and tribulations that beset the Grateful Dead after Jerry Garcia passed away. It made me sigh with sorrow AND give thanks (virtually simultaneously) for such a gifted group of musicians. This book will appeal to every Deadhead on the planet. I loved it."--Sam Cutler, author of You Can't Always Get What You Want: My Life with the Rolling Stones, the Grateful Dead, and Other Wonderful Reprobates―-
"As always, Joel Selvin boldly goes where others fear to tread. Fare Thee Well is essential reading for all those who have followed the saga of the good old Grateful Dead to this point in time."--Robert Greenfield, author of Dark Star: An Oral Biography of Jerry Garcia and Bear: The Life and Times of Augustus Owsley Stanley III―-
"Fare Thee Well tells the tale of how the Deadheads rescued the Grateful Dead from themselves. Bereft of their heart leader after Jerry Garcia died in 1995, the love of Deadheads kept the music alive so that the phenomena is not merely enduring but growing--long, strange, and still a trip."--Dennis McNally, author of A Long, Strange Trip: The Inside History of the Grateful Dead―-
"I felt like the child of a divorce, but this book showed me I never needed to worry, not when I was under the power of something as great as the Grateful Dead."--Steve Parish, author of Home Before Daylight: My Life on the Road with the Grateful Dead―-
"A hundred years from now, Jerry Garcia may be remembered as a prophet and Bob, Mickey, Phil, and Billy as his disciples. Illuminating, astounding, and accurate, Fare Thee Well is a remarkable account of the successes and failures by the talented, individualist remaining members of the Grateful Dead since the death of their leader Jerry Garcia. I read it in one sitting."--Steve Miller, founder of the Steve Miller Band―-
"Most [Grateful Dead] books end with the 1995 death of Jerry Garcia. Fare Thee Well...takes the opposite approach...[it] examines every sad twist, turn, and betrayal involved in the Dead's various offshoot groups leading up to their 2015 Fare Thee Well reunion."
―Rolling Stone
"An unblinking and balanced look at the infighting, backbiting, rancor and resentments among the surviving 'core four' band members."
―Paul Liberatore, Marin Independent Journal"An enthusiastic but clear-eyed and enjoyably gossipy piece of modern rock history."
―Publishers Weekly
About the Author
Joel Selvin is an award-winning journalist who has covered pop music for the San Francisco Chronicle since 1970. Selvin is the author of the bestselling Summer of Love and coauthor, with Sammy Hagar, of the #1 New York Times bestseller Red. He has written sixteen other books about pop music. Selvin lives in San Francisco, California.
Pamela Turley is an Atlanta-based freelance writer and editor.
Pamela Turley is an Atlanta-based freelance writer and editor.
Start reading Fare Thee Well on your Kindle in under a minute.
Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.
Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.
Product details
- Publisher : Da Capo Press; Illustrated edition (June 19, 2018)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 288 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0306903059
- ISBN-13 : 978-0306903052
- Item Weight : 1.1 pounds
- Dimensions : 6.5 x 1.13 x 9.5 inches
-
Best Sellers Rank:
#343,502 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #890 in Music History & Criticism (Books)
- #1,096 in Rock Band Biographies
- #1,209 in Rock Music (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
Customer reviews
4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
188 global ratings
How are ratings calculated?
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2018
Verified Purchase
Perfect for the times... lots of inaccuracies and speculation, focused on the divisive and negative. There was one line- not a spoiler here - where the author says Phil was the only guy in the Dead who graduated college and he likely looked down on the rest for not having a degree. Phil did not graduate college or come close, and the rest of that sentence is, like, his guess man.... The whole book is like that, literally right from page one getting relatively well-known facts wrong. It's ironic how much of the book focuses on the greed and arrogance of the Lesh's while the rest of the Core Four are out touring the country in stadiums with pop star John Mayer in the Jerry seat. Nothing against him or them, but it is a very one-sided book and comes off like the author has an ax to grind. He conveniently leaves out drama around the 2 guys in the band that gave him interviews, like how Weir and Hart are both members of the creepy Bohemian Grove, or Mickey's alleged assault against a tour bus driver in 2012. For all the talk of greed, this comes off like a well-timed cash grab from someone who admits to not being a deadhead. Fun to be reminded of the good times there have been since Garcia passed, but that's about it. There are so many times the author gets basic facts wrong it's hard to have any faith that the interesting bits that seem like new info are even accurate.
90 people found this helpful
Report abuse
Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2018
Verified Purchase
By now, most people vaguely aware of 60's music know generally the story of this long lasting , iconic band. Probably no other musicians symbolized the 60's counter culture more so than the Grateful Dead. It was a movement of hedonism, anti-war protest, alternate reality brought on by mind altering substances, and normal rebellion against the button downed society of America in the 50's. Their ability to find the right groove was almost mystical. However, after the death of unofficial spokesman and leader Jerry Garcia, the other members were in disarray and the band was in danger of losing what had become, in reality, a major capitalist enterprise. The pettiness of band members, their greed, and subsequent open embracing of traditional politics represented to me, the antithesis of everything I had always liked about the band. I still enjoy the spirit of the old music, the willingness of that group to experiment and embrace as many musical genres as possible, and finding a perfect groove somewhere in the show. But after reading this book, my opinion of the remaining band members has plummeted as has my interest in their continuing commercial efforts. For me, the book underscored the fact it is time to move on and assign the Grateful Dead to its place as a wonderful musical memory.
16 people found this helpful
Report abuse
2.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing, Unfair, and Petty. Based on a very weak understanding of Dead music.
Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2018Verified Purchase
Ugh. A slog. Undoubtedly well researched, this book comes across like a tell-all, tabloid drama rather than an even-hand, journalistic addition to the band’s history.
The treatment if the Lesh’s is borderline ridiculous. News flash: in-laws are difficult to deal with! What exactly would a veteran of the rock world expect in the wake of Jerry’s death? Continuos harmony? Slevin plays the drama around the Lesh’s up into some horrible, primary narrative that dominates the history of the band, post-Jerry. That narrative simply doesn’t match the reality that we have watched unfold.
Slevin does not understand the music or the respective roles played by various band members. I suggest anyone who reads this catty account of backstage griping also seek out New Yorker “Deadhead: The afterlife” by Nick Paumgarten November 18, 2012. This is perhaps the most insightful examination of the band and Phil’s role in it. All lost on the author of this book.
In the 20+ years since Garcia’s passing, fans have had the opportunity to see the core four plan in various permutations: solos, duos, trios, and all four together. We’ve seen younger, hotshot musicians pulled into the fold. We’ve seen the Dead’s repertoire get reggafied, bluegrassed, alt.countried, and alt.rocked. The Dead legacy has only grown in the last few decades and they have truly become their own idiom and genre. Witness New Orleans Jazz Fest this past May 2018. Multiple Dead tribute bands every night, even without a member of the core four in town.
Any FAIR evaluation of the band members’ activities during the post-Jerry years would credit Phil Lesh above the others as preserving and extending that legacy. What has Billy (a personal hero of mine and the Dead’s unsung hero) really done to serve as a steward? He was on his own, isolated trip for years. Micky Hart was busy listening to planets collide and studying neuroscience. More power to him, but it wasn’t Grateful Dead music. Bob Weir, the ostensible hero of Slevin’s book, has spent two decades gigging constantly, exploring fairly selfish re-interpretations of Dead songs with weird vocal phrasings you can’t sing along to, through a fog of booze and sedatives.
Meanwhile, Phil, fighting through serious physical hardships pushed the music forward. Through his various bands he has played with energy and immense creativity. You could actually dance, or be surprised, at Phil shows.
But to Slevin, anything Phil or Jill Lesh does is driven by greed. No instance is too small to hold up as evidence of the Lesh’s malfeasance. Phil had a party for himself on his 60th birthday!!! The arrogance!!! Jill got into a spat with Mickey Hart’s wife!!! Stunning!!! Has this author never been to large family thanksgiving before?
His animous towards the Lesh’s spills into his review of the concerts. Totally off base about Fare Thee Well. Read his comments about “Terrapin Station” and Phil singing. Fans long ago made piece with Phil’s weak voice. At least the man sings the tune. Listen when Bobby comes in with a weirdly phrased, off beat “Inspiration” and throws the band off its rhythm. Many attending thought “Mountains of the Moon” was a poignant hey point. Slevin has no ability to access that.
The bottomline for me is that since Jerry’s passing, the core four have played A LOT! The have experimented and done their thing. They haven’t all agreed, but when it has counted, they have come together and made it work. Slevin’s harsh telling of this story - especially the Lesh’s involvement - just doesn’t jibe with the results we’ve seen onstage. What super-functional aging rock band is Slevin comparing these guys to? Does anyone think the Stones could do any better after Keith or Mick dies? Hell no. The core four have done the best they can with the circumstances they were given. Amd they’ve kept trying. God bless ‘em.
Saw Dead and Co. a few weeks back and it was,....slow. All respect for those guys, but I have to say that the proof is in the pudding and and pudding has shown me that Phil did have a better, deeper approach to Dead’s music. I can’t fault him for not wanting to tour with these guys forever. The Other Ones sounded the same,...half asleep.
The man gave his life to the Dead. Has he not earned the right to play with whomever he wants to play with? (Especially when his choices lead to great results!?) To open a bar if he wants to? As for the sefish conditions he reportedly set on his involvement with the others, I would argue that they probably improved the product that eventually got to the audience.
Leadership is a double-edged sword. You get some power and control when you lead, but you also get a lot of accountability. When you step up and take the lead, you are going to be criticized and second-guessed. Doing that within a dysfunctional family with many millions at stake? All the harder. This book tries to frame Phil Lesh as an opportunisitic, manipulative, domineering band member,...without ever exploring what alternatives may have existed. In the chaos and shock that followed Jerry’s death, this family needed an adult to step forward and make some hard decisions. This book is Phil’s punishment for taking that role.
The treatment if the Lesh’s is borderline ridiculous. News flash: in-laws are difficult to deal with! What exactly would a veteran of the rock world expect in the wake of Jerry’s death? Continuos harmony? Slevin plays the drama around the Lesh’s up into some horrible, primary narrative that dominates the history of the band, post-Jerry. That narrative simply doesn’t match the reality that we have watched unfold.
Slevin does not understand the music or the respective roles played by various band members. I suggest anyone who reads this catty account of backstage griping also seek out New Yorker “Deadhead: The afterlife” by Nick Paumgarten November 18, 2012. This is perhaps the most insightful examination of the band and Phil’s role in it. All lost on the author of this book.
In the 20+ years since Garcia’s passing, fans have had the opportunity to see the core four plan in various permutations: solos, duos, trios, and all four together. We’ve seen younger, hotshot musicians pulled into the fold. We’ve seen the Dead’s repertoire get reggafied, bluegrassed, alt.countried, and alt.rocked. The Dead legacy has only grown in the last few decades and they have truly become their own idiom and genre. Witness New Orleans Jazz Fest this past May 2018. Multiple Dead tribute bands every night, even without a member of the core four in town.
Any FAIR evaluation of the band members’ activities during the post-Jerry years would credit Phil Lesh above the others as preserving and extending that legacy. What has Billy (a personal hero of mine and the Dead’s unsung hero) really done to serve as a steward? He was on his own, isolated trip for years. Micky Hart was busy listening to planets collide and studying neuroscience. More power to him, but it wasn’t Grateful Dead music. Bob Weir, the ostensible hero of Slevin’s book, has spent two decades gigging constantly, exploring fairly selfish re-interpretations of Dead songs with weird vocal phrasings you can’t sing along to, through a fog of booze and sedatives.
Meanwhile, Phil, fighting through serious physical hardships pushed the music forward. Through his various bands he has played with energy and immense creativity. You could actually dance, or be surprised, at Phil shows.
But to Slevin, anything Phil or Jill Lesh does is driven by greed. No instance is too small to hold up as evidence of the Lesh’s malfeasance. Phil had a party for himself on his 60th birthday!!! The arrogance!!! Jill got into a spat with Mickey Hart’s wife!!! Stunning!!! Has this author never been to large family thanksgiving before?
His animous towards the Lesh’s spills into his review of the concerts. Totally off base about Fare Thee Well. Read his comments about “Terrapin Station” and Phil singing. Fans long ago made piece with Phil’s weak voice. At least the man sings the tune. Listen when Bobby comes in with a weirdly phrased, off beat “Inspiration” and throws the band off its rhythm. Many attending thought “Mountains of the Moon” was a poignant hey point. Slevin has no ability to access that.
The bottomline for me is that since Jerry’s passing, the core four have played A LOT! The have experimented and done their thing. They haven’t all agreed, but when it has counted, they have come together and made it work. Slevin’s harsh telling of this story - especially the Lesh’s involvement - just doesn’t jibe with the results we’ve seen onstage. What super-functional aging rock band is Slevin comparing these guys to? Does anyone think the Stones could do any better after Keith or Mick dies? Hell no. The core four have done the best they can with the circumstances they were given. Amd they’ve kept trying. God bless ‘em.
Saw Dead and Co. a few weeks back and it was,....slow. All respect for those guys, but I have to say that the proof is in the pudding and and pudding has shown me that Phil did have a better, deeper approach to Dead’s music. I can’t fault him for not wanting to tour with these guys forever. The Other Ones sounded the same,...half asleep.
The man gave his life to the Dead. Has he not earned the right to play with whomever he wants to play with? (Especially when his choices lead to great results!?) To open a bar if he wants to? As for the sefish conditions he reportedly set on his involvement with the others, I would argue that they probably improved the product that eventually got to the audience.
Leadership is a double-edged sword. You get some power and control when you lead, but you also get a lot of accountability. When you step up and take the lead, you are going to be criticized and second-guessed. Doing that within a dysfunctional family with many millions at stake? All the harder. This book tries to frame Phil Lesh as an opportunisitic, manipulative, domineering band member,...without ever exploring what alternatives may have existed. In the chaos and shock that followed Jerry’s death, this family needed an adult to step forward and make some hard decisions. This book is Phil’s punishment for taking that role.
79 people found this helpful
Report abuse
Top reviews from other countries
eddy
5.0 out of 5 stars
Well I never
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 19, 2018Verified Purchase
What an eventful read.the inner workings of the grateful dead main players.my god the lesh egos inflated is an understatement.yee gods.i had them on a pedestal and an old friend said if you really knew them you probably wouldn't like them.so true but hey now the music never stopped.
One person found this helpful
Report abuse
Amazon Customer
3.0 out of 5 stars
good musicians behaving badly
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 1, 2018Verified Purchase
The sort of journalism that makes you feel you've washed your hands in a basin of snot. But with a dreadful fascination for lovers of the music.
advocaat
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Best
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 27, 2018Verified Purchase
Great book about a great band
One person found this helpful
Report abuse
Mr A J. Robertson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellentnvalue
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 18, 2020Verified Purchase
Great book which was in brilliant condition on receipt
Mr Joel E Swadliing
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Sad and Unworthy Postscript
Reviewed in Australia on August 6, 2020Verified Purchase
Jerry Garcia didn’t like to see himself in a leadership role in relation to the Grateful Dead. But once he was gone, so too was any group unity. Author Joel Selvin portrays a fascinating depiction of the post-Garcia factions which emerged in the GD world. It is, by turns, saddening and promising - and always suspenseful - as the remaining Core Four orbit each other in alternating moods of recrimination and reconciliation. The saving grace of Fare Thee Well - and perhaps the Dead scene itself - is that it remains centred on the will of the Deadheads to honour the past and future of the music. Dead & Company prove that there can be an ongoing forum for the music, and online Deadhead communities prove that interpersonal bickering is but a minor element of the Dead’s ongoing legacy.
What other items do customers buy after viewing this item?
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
