Searching for the Sound

My Life with the Grateful Dead

By: Phil Lesh

Narrated by: Phil Lesh

Phil Lesh first met Jerry Garcia in 1959 in the clubs of Palo Alto, California. At Garcia's suggestion, Lesh learned to play the electric bass and joined him in a new group that blended R&B, country, and rock 'n' roll with an experimental fervor never before heard.

In time for the Grateful Dead's 40th anniversary, Phil Lesh offers the first behind-the-scenes history of the Dead. Lesh chronicles how the Dead's signature sound emerged, flowed, and swelled to reach millions of devoted fans, from their first gigs at Frenchy's Bikini-A-Go-Go for an audience of three, to the legendary Acid Tests, to packed stadiums around the world.

In San Francisco during the Summer of Love, at Woodstock, Altamont, and the Great Pyramids of Giza, the Grateful Dead have been at the center of some of rock's defining moments. Phil Lesh recounts what it's been like to live at the heart of this whirlwind, impressing Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie, sharing the stage with Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, and the Rolling Stones. Lesh describes what it was like to storm heaven night after night, and the price he and others have paid. Bad management, drug addictions, depression, and insecurities persistently plagued the band members and would culminate with the most tragic blow of all, the death of Jerry Garcia.

Searching for the Sound is a ruthlessly honest look inside one of the greatest American bands.

©2005 Phil Lesh (P)2005 Simon & Schuster, Inc. AUDIOWORKS is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division, Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Critic reviews

"It's hard to say which of these miracles is more profound: the fact that after three decades with the Grateful Dead, Lesh has any memories of the experience whatsoever, or that he's been able to consolidate them into a single volume of less than 20,000 pages." (The New York Times Book Review)

awesome, just wish it wasn't abridged...

If you could sum up Searching for the Sound in three words, what would they be?

Phil tells it

What did you like best about this story?

The early years, from Phil's pov.

Have you listened to any of Phil Lesh’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Not as thunderous as his bass performances, but great all the same.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Phil lesh tells his story. Nuff said.

This is a Must read for any Dead fan!!

Seeing the full experience of The Grateful Dead, through the eyes of a full time member was incredible. Phil Lesh is more than a terrific musician, he's a great human being in general and his view on music from every angle is aspiring for any musician.

I love Phil!

An incredible first hand look into the life and times of the Grateful Dead. Phil is a phenomenal narrator.

I love you

Thank you. I love you. I will continue to do my best with what you have taught and continue to teach me.

Nicely written

It is interesting to hear this in his voice. He, really personalizes the experience.

A beautiful tale of an era still going

Only recently fell into the dead also through random coincidences of my love for travel. It's been a wonderful trip.

Phil is an inspiration

Amazing book and an amazing inside look of the Grateful Dead’s true reason for making music, that is usually hidden by the drug culture that surrounded their later years. Phil is a true musician, humanitarian, and overall truth seeker. His view on spirituality, music and life itself are a true inspiration and mind opening. If you are a musician Phil talks a lot about the Grateful Dead’s process and philosophy on their music making and their ground breaking music technology.

A peek into the inner workings of Phil

I always viewed Phil, after Jerry, as the co-leader of the band and in the early years 68-73, you can hear how those two as a duo, lead the band. This was very concise with some good insight into the fateful last years of the Dead and Garcia’s demise. Aside from that, I enjoyed hearing about Phil’s formative years in music too as well as his overall view of how he sees performing music - especially live, which is what the Dead was all about: being in the moment.
I saw them 89-95 (always there for the music first and not the party like so many others) including the second ever performance of “Unbroken Chain”. I saw some great shows as well as some truly awful ones. It’s apparent now why that was but that also to Phil, once they had to start playing stadium shows regularly in the 80s, he lost some of the magic of playing that he enjoyed in the better days (no hard drugs)of the Dead. The inner turmoil of the band also
added to that. Luckily for him, he was able to regain some of that feeling and still continues to with many versions of Phil and Friends.

In Phil's own voice

Very special insights from an intelligent, articulate, and very wise soul. Well written, we'll spoken. Highest recommendation. Fare Thee Well,Phil.

would-be dead head

I can't be qualified as true Dead Head, being born a little late and not having had the opportunity to follow the band to hundreds of shows. But I've loved their music and have been fascinated with them since I first heard "American Beauty" as a mid-70s teen. I have been fortunate to see the Dead a few times and Phil & Friends more recently. Phil's a great musician and a talented writer to boot. Hearing him narrate his own well-written story, I feel I got an insider's view to the whole Grateful Dead experience and the collective soul of the this phenomenal band. This audiobook is not to be missed if you're any kind of fan at all.