American Beauty (album)

American Beauty is the sixth album by the Grateful Dead, released in November of 1970 (see 1970 in music). The cover can also read American Reality. The mostly-acoustic album is beloved by fans as perhaps the highest-quality studio recording by the band (along with Workingman's Dead), who are known primarily for their live shows. "Truckin'"/"Ripple" was released as a single. American Beauty peaked at #30 on Billboard's Pop Albums chart (North America), while the single, "Truckin'" peaked at #64 on the Pop Singles chart.

Related Topics:
Grateful Dead - 1970 - 1970 in music - Workingman's Dead - Billboard

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American Beauty was the second album released in 1970, after Workingman's Dead. Both albums were extremely innovative at the time for their fusion of bluegrass, rock and roll, folk music and, especially, country music. Like Workingman's Dead, the album did not include any guitar solos from Jerry Garcia. The band's influences can be very strongly heard on this album, and include pioneering folk performers like Pete Seeger and Bob Dylan, as well as country rock pioneers the Byrds, psychedelic bands like Jefferson Airplane, and pop-rock bands like the Rolling Stones and the Beatles.

Related Topics:
Bluegrass - Rock and roll - Folk music - Country music - Pete Seeger - Bob Dylan - Country rock - The Byrds - Psychedelic - Jefferson Airplane - The Rolling Stones - The Beatles

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As one of the most popular Grateful Dead albums, many performers were strongly influenced by American Beauty. Country rock musicians like Allman Brothers Band and the Flying Burrito Brothers strongly built upon the country-rock fusion presented here. In addition, Robert Hunter's innovative lyrics, which even include a haiku, proved enormously influential on 1970s singer-songwriters like Jackson Browne, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and James Taylor. Pub rock groups like Brinsley Schwarz were also strongly influenced by this era of the Grateful Dead's long career.

Related Topics:
Country rock - Allman Brothers Band - The Flying Burrito Brothers - Haiku - 1970s - Singer-songwriter - Jackson Browne - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - James Taylor - Pub rock - Brinsley Schwarz

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Label: Warner Brothers

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• Cover Art: Kelly-Mouse studios
• Rear photo: George Conger

Track Listing:

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• "Box of Rain" - Lesh (music); Hunter (lyrics)
• "Friend of the Devil" - Garcia and Dawson (music); Hunter (lyrics)
• "Sugar Magnolia" - Weir (music); Hunter and Weir (lyrics)
• "Operator" - Mckernan (lyrics and music)
• "Candyman" - Garcia (music); Hunter (lyrics)
• "Ripple" - Garcia (music); Hunter (lyrics)
• "Brokedown Palace" - Garcia (music); Hunter (lyrics)
• "Till the Morning Comes" - Garcia (music); Hunter (lyrics)
• "Attics of My Life" - Garcia (music); Hunter (lyrics)
• "Truckin" - Garcia, Lesh, Weir (music); Hunter (lyrics)

Personnel:

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• Jerry Garcia - guitar, pedal steel guitar, piano, vocals
• Phil Lesh - bass guitar, guitar, piano, vocals
• Bob Weir - guitar, vocals
• Pig Pen (Ron McKernan) - harmonica, vocals
• Mickey Hart - percussion
• Bill Kreutzmann - drums
• Robert Hunter - songwriter
• Dave Torbert - bass on "Box of Rain"
• Dave Nelson - electric guitar on "Box of Rain"
• David Grisman - mandolin on "Friend of the Devil" and "Ripple"
• Howard Wales - organ on "Candyman" and "Truckin" and piano on "Brokedown Palace"
• Ned Lagin - piano on "Candyman"
• New Riders of the Purple Sage
• Producers - The Grateful Dead
• Co-producer - Audio-Steve Barncard
• Recorded at Wally Heider Studios, San Francisco

American Beauty is less joyous than most of the Grateful Dead's recordings. While the band is normally vibrant and optimistic, the songs here are dark and the lyrics depressing. Phil Lesh's father had just died when the band began recording, and Jerry Garcia's mother was in the hospital.

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American Beauty (album): Box of Rain ►