Conversations With the Dead: The Grateful Dead Interview Book

“The standard text for firsthand Dead wisdom.” ―Rolling Stone

A collection of interviews, Conversations with the Dead is the first book in which the Grateful Dead spoke in their own words about their music and their lives.

David Gans, a self-professed Deadhead and host of “The Grateful Dead Hour,” asked Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, and the rest of the band the questions their fans would have asked if given the chance. And Gans reaches beyond the band themselves, talking with such often-overlooked but key players as the lyricists, recording engineers, sound men, and road crew―those who had the coveted opportunity to witness and participate the Dead’s decades of music-making. This updated and expanded edition includes a rare, never-before-published interview with Seastones composer Ned Lagin and a new introduction by the author.

With a readable combination of intensity, inquisitiveness, and candor, Gans has created an unprecedented portrait of a band who holds a unique place in American culture.

David Gans is a musician, author of Playing in the Band, and host of the nationally syndicated radio show The Grateful Dead Hour. He has also produced three albums, including the Grateful Dead's gold-record-winning boxed set, So Many Roads (1965-1995). He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.