A New GD Hits Compendium: Eternally Grateful
Dead Heads ducking into Starbucks for the their morning triple-shot latte might be surprised to find a new Grateful Dead compilation called Eternally Grateful on the café’s CD rack. Obviously designed to be a pleasing introduction (or re-introduction) to the Grateful Dead for Starbucks customers, the 2-CD set is divided into studio and live discs, with the material on both weighted heavily to the band’s early ’70s commercial and creative explosion. As you’d expect, the familiar radio hits from Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty are all here, but the other choices on the studio disc are solid, too: “Eyes of the World,” “Althea,” “Scarlet Begonias,” “China Cat,” et al. The live disc is drawn entirely from 1971 and ’72 performances (save for the closing 1980 “Not Fade Away,” from the expanded Dead Set reissue), and includes favorites like “Jack Straw,” “Bertha,” “Morning Dew” and “Cumberland Blues.” The compilation was produced by Starbucks Music’s Timothy Jones and Rhino Entertainment marketing v.p. Mark Pinkus. The package includes a smattering of classic Herb Greene photos of the band, and informative liner notes by Marc Greilsamer.
Why hook up with Starbucks? It’s simple: The company approached the Dead about putting together a compilation for their customers, as they have with several other artists, and the Dead saw it as an opportunity to have their music showcased for a different audience—one that has perhaps enjoyed the Dead on Classic Rock radio through the years and is curious to hear more. Early sales have reportedly exceeded Starbucks’ expectations, which is a good thing: There’s always room on this Bus for new fans. Remember, we were all newbies at some point…
Rock Scully Looks Back at the Summer of Love
Original Grateful Dead manager Rock Scully—author of a lively, if occasionally fact-challenged, 1996 memoir called Living with the Dead—has teamed up with David Bean to put out a CD called Summer of Love Oral Archive: Rock Scully, on which Bean interviews Scully about the Dead and the Summer of Love, with background acoustic guitar strummings provided by Dane Edmondson. Scully is a smart and witty guy with a gift for colorful descriptions and cut-to-the-chase analysis. Over the course of an hour interview with Bean, Scully offers insights into the rise of the Haight-Ashbury scene, the Acid Tests, the Human Be-In, Monterey Pop and, of course, the fabled Summer of Love. Pretty fascinating, actually. You can order that CD from www.beanbag1.com.