Get shown the light : improvisation and transcendence in the music of the Grateful Dead / Michael Kaler.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Kaler, Michael, author.

Series:

e-Duke books scholarly collection

Studies in the Grateful Dead (Duke University Press)

Studies in the Grateful Dead

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Grateful Dead (Musical group).

Improvisation (Music)--Social aspects.

Improvisation (Music).

Rock music--Social aspects--History--20th century.

Rock music.

Rock music--United States--History--20th century.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (x, 294 pages).

Place of Publication:

Durham : Duke University Press, 2023.

Summary:

"Of all the musical developments of rock in the 1960s, one in particular fundamentally changed the music's structure and listening experience: the incorporation of extended improvisation into live performances. While many bands-including Cream, Pink Floyd, and the Velvet Underground-stretched out their songs with improvisations, no band was more identified with the practice than the Grateful Dead. In Get Shown the Light Michael Kaler examines how the Dead's dedication to improvisation stemmed from their belief that playing in this manner enabled them to touch upon transcendence. Drawing on band testimonials and analyses of early recordings, Kaler traces how the Dead developed an approach to playing music that they believed would facilitate their spiritual goals. He focuses on the band's early years, the significance of playing Ken Kesey's Acid Test parties, and their evolving exploration of the myriad musical and spiritual possibilities that extended improvisation afforded. Kaler demonstrates that the Grateful Dead developed a radical new way of playing rock music as a means to unleashing the spiritual and transformative potential of their music"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

An Autobiographical Introduction

The Grateful Dead: A Spiritually Motivated, Improvising Rock Band

Setting the Scene

How the Grateful Dead Learned to Jam

Improvisational Tactics, 1965-

Writing About Improvisation

Other Improvising Rock Bands: A Comparative Look

Music, Transcendent Spiritual Experience, and the Grateful Dead

The Grateful Dead's Spiritual Context

What They Did.

Notes:

Description based on print version record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Other Format:

Print version: Kaler, Michael. Get shown the light.

ISBN:

9781478027324

1478027320

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.