Grateful Dead: Anthem to Beauty
1997•1h 15m•6.8•Released
MusicDocumentary
This installment of the Classic Albums series follows the making of two Grateful Dead albums, the fiercely experimental Anthem of the Sun and the understated masterwork American Beauty, which spawned melodic gems like "Sugar Magnolia" and "Ripple." Between the archival scenes and contemporary interviews with band members, the DVD shows a band making seismic inroads in pop music--and five young guys coming to terms with artistry, mortality, and, yes, the pursuit of happiness. There is priceless footage of Neal Cassady driving Ken Kesey's bus and of the Dead, surrounded by martini-sipping hipsters, on Playboy After Dark. The best scenes involve band members talking about specific songs (you will never hear Phil Lesh's "Box of Rain" again without thinking of it as a gift to his dying father) or deconstructing a tune by playing each track separately. Intimate and surprisingly cohesive, Anthem to Beauty is a rare glimpse into how the Dead's magic was made.
Director
Jeremy Marre
Languages
English
Cast
Jerry Garcia
Self
Bob Weir
Self
Phil Lesh
Self
Recommended
8.5
Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition
2026
7.5
David Byrne's American Utopia
2020
7
Western Stars
2019
8.3
Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D)
2026
7.7
The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart
2020
7.3
Bad 25
2012
6.7
The Beach Boys
2024
7.1
Oasis: Don't Look Back in Anger
2026
6.9
Gimme Danger
2016
8.4
Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me
2022
7.7
Adele One Night Only
2021
7.7
The Last Waltz
1978
7.6
Anvil! The Story of Anvil
2008
6.9
LCD Soundsystem - Shut Up and Play the Hits
2012
7.4
The Wrecking Crew
2008
7.8
Live Aid
1985
7.2
Junun
2015
8.1
Shawn Mendes: In Wonder
2020
7.4
High School Musical: The Musical: The Holiday Special
2020
6.8
The Velvet Underground
2021
Similar Movies
8
Pink Floyd: The Endless River
2014
5.2
AC/DC: Dirty Deeds
2012
UFO: Strangers In The Night: The Ultimate Critical Review
2005
6.5
Nos va la marcha
1979
7
The 1975 'At Their Very Best' Live from Madison Square Garden
2022
10
Prince: 1999 Live In Houston 12-29-82
2019
7
So What
1988
7.5
Three Days
1999
Kiss: Live at the Houston Summit
1976
Fleetwood Mac: Japanese Rumours, Live in Tokyo
1977
7.4
Becoming Led Zeppelin
2025
Fish: Fishheads Club Live at University of Derby Faculty of the Arts
2013
10
The Plastic People of the Universe
2001
4.2
Neil Young with Crazy Horse: Psychedelic Pill
2012
The Colour Wheel Session
2022
Talking Heads: The Name of this Programme is Once In A Lifetime
1984
6.8
Junk Story
2015
MISTER MOTO - THE J. B. EXPERIENCE
2021
10
30 Years of Argentine Rock
2020
8.7
Bad News
1983