Loud and Clear: The Grateful Dead's Wall of Sound and the Quest for Audio Perfection
by Brian Anderson
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THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
The first book to tell the full story of the Grateful Dead's "Wall of Sound," an unprecedented and since unparalleled speaker system. Loud and Clear is the first book to tell the full story of the Grateful Dead's "Wall of Sound," an unprecedented and since unparalleled speaker system that was as tall as a school bus is long and more than a hundred feet wide. The band's quest for roaring yet crystal clear sound began after their formation in 1965, colliding with the '60s progressive social climate. Over the next few years, the Dead's growing crew of sound-obsessed techies and eccentric roadies took their speaker system to new technological heights. But as the Dead's relentless, drug-fueled touring schedule met this increasingly burdensome yet sonically perfect machine, in 1974, the Wall brought the band to its knees. The two years of "Wall shows" are legend among Deadheads, and this character-driven tale about human ambition, achievement, and the limits of both on a larger-than-life scale has the potential to reach a wide range of music fans and readers of cultural history. Author Brian Anderson interviewed hundreds of people associated with the band and the construction of the Wall itself, including band members, roadies, tech wizards, fans and many more. This fascinating inside story of one of the most legendary rock bands of all time will appeal to Deadheads, music fans, audiophiles and many more.Share
Book Details
- ISBN
- 9781250319678
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Authors
- Brian Anderson
- Publisher
- St. Martin's Press
- Published Date
- June 17, 2025
- Language
- English
- Pages
- 368
- Physical Info
- 1.5 in H x 9.2 in L x 6.2 in W (1.25 lb)
A great, thorough and insightful read!
Finished it today. Absolutely loved this book. It was more than just the "Wall of Sound". It tells the story of the Dead's never-ending drive to achieve the best possible sound. Not just for themselves, but also their audience. The Wall didn't just appear in 1974, the Dead were obsessed with their sound from the beginning. It was a concert-by-concert adventure, continually tweaking and adding. And then every once in a while, there would be a seismic leap forward. "What if we put the speakers behind us instead of on the side?". And then the tweaking and adding would start anew.There is so much behind the scenes I never knew. How involved the crew was in developing the Wall. The influence of Bear. How the taping became an intimate part of it. All the different areas of technical expertise needed.I really enjoyed the 1974 section (the story is told chronologically). Partly because I saw four Wall shows in 1974--one outdoors, three at Winterland in the Oct pre-hiatus shows. But also because 1974 was prime Wall. We got to read about its achieving "peak velocity", as a rocket scientist would say (and the Wall was part voodoo, and part rocket science). He takes us on a concert by concert journey thru 1974, sharing how the Wall finally came together, and also how it was tearing the band and crew apart. The sheer logistical nightmare, and the ballooning costs, were taking their toll. 1974 is literally a "be careful what you wish for" tale. My only complaint--the 1974 section wasn't twice as long (said tongue in cheek). Heck, the 3-4 pages he devotes to the October Winterland shows alone could have been 3-4 times as long, and it wouldn't have been enough.Much of his story is told thru interviews with the "Kwipment Krew" from back then. It's amazing how many of them he tracked down, and the stories they had (and amazing they remembered--IYKYK). Stories of making their own speakers and cables, because nothing on the market did what they wanted. Stories of developing the first phase-cancelling mikes, a key part of what allowed them to put the speakers behind them. Stories of the different venues, and how each one presented unique problems, and how overcoming those problems became the building blocks of the wall.I loved this book. It's so different than every other "history of the Dead" book (most of which I've read, and all of which I enjoyed). This is their history told thru their sound. If you have any interest in the Wall or the sound of the Dead in their first decade, read this book.
Long time Deadhead. I have read almost every book out there about them. I really enjoyed this one. A deep dive into the Wall of Sound and their overall audio history leading up to it. I learned a lot of new things. A great read!
Fantastic read, fills the holes. If this music ment anything to you, read.
Great Read
