LOUD AND CLEAR

The epic history of a rock band's signature sound system.

Anderson’s first book traces the development of the Grateful Dead’s so-called Wall of Sound between 1964 and 1975. At its peak, the system consisted of almost 600 speakers, stood over three stories tall, weighed 75 tons, and required four semi-trucks to haul it from gig to gig. Building on a 2015 magazine article, Anderson casts the Wall of Sound as a central character in the Dead’s long, strange trip. By featuring the band’s formidable equipment, Anderson also showcases its touring operation, live shows, road managers, crew members, and sound engineers. Over time, the Wall of Sound drained the band’s resources and made touring an ordeal. Shortly after the Dead announced a hiatus in 1974, it laid off crew members and scuttled its unwieldy rig. Drawing on new interviews, archival material, memoirs, and previous histories, Anderson marches through years of live performances and the Wall of Sound’s highs and lows. Less motivated readers may fall by the wayside, but the book shows that the Wall of Sound deserves a place of honor in the band’s history. It notes how frequently critics applauded the band’s sound system, and it affirms bassist Phil Lesh’s suggestion that the Dead’s live performances from this period are cherished in part because of its commitment to excellent sound. The book also connects the band’s efforts to later advances, including the elaborate sound system at the Sphere, the massive $2.3 billion venue in Las Vegas that hosts the current incarnation of the Dead. “The Wall might have fallen silent a half-century ago,” Anderson writes. “But the system’s reverberations only grow louder.”

A fresh account of the Grateful Dead’s relentless pursuit of sonic perfection.