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Deal: My Three Decades of Drumming, Dreams, and Drugs with the Grateful Dead: My Three Decades of Drumming, Dreams, and Drugs with the Grateful Dead Hardcover – May 5, 2015

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,151 ratings

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The Grateful Dead are perhaps the most legendary American rock band of all time. For thirty years, beginning in the hippie scene of San Francisco in 1965, they were a musical institution, the original jam band that broke new ground in so many ways. From the music to their live concert sound systems and fan recordings, they were forward-thinking champions of artistic control and outlaw artists who marched to the beat of their own drums.

In the
New York Times bestseller Deal, Bill Kreutzmann, one of their founding members and drummer for every one of their over 2,300 concerts has written an unflinching and wild account of playing in the greatest improvisational band of all time. Everything a rock music fan would expect is here, but what sets this apart is Bill's incredible life of adventure that was at the heart of the Grateful Dead experience. This was a band that knew no limits and Bill lived life to the fullest, pushing the boundaries of drugs, drums and high times, through devastating tragedy and remarkable triumph.

But at this book's beating heart is the music--theirs and others. Some of the greatest musicians and concerts were a part of the Grateful Dead's career, from sharing the stage with Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan, and The Who, to playing in the Acid Tests, The Monterey Pop Festival, Woodstock and Altamont. Bill's life is a chronicle of American music and pop culture history and his epic personal journey is one of sonic discovery and thrilling experiences.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Like any formidable memoir from a counterculture veteran, Deal: My Three Decades of Drumming, Dreams, and Drugs with the Grateful Dead is heavy on sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll. You know the kind I'm talking about: hotel after-parties that snap into orgies, acid trips that trail across decades and more than 2,000 concerts that begin in small clubs and lead to gigs alongside the Great Pyramid of Egypt.
But Bill Kreutzmann, founding drummer of the Grateful Dead, has produced more than just a tourist's guide. What emanates, maybe more than he intended, is a testimony to friendship and profound sadness when it abruptly ends.... The book is dense with acid trips and capers on both coasts and overseas. Dead fans will enjoy juicy stories. [
Deal] reads like Kreutzmann is on the next barstool slapping your back between laughs.” ―Chicago Tribune

"A frank and revealing look at the group's touring adventures, complex interpersonal relationships and equally intricate music-making, and at Kreutzmann's own life, including his drug and alcohol issues, the inspiration of Native American chief Rolling Thunder and his mother's tragic suicide death." - Billboard.com

"Kreutzmann doesn’t mince words or pull any punches." -
The San Diego Union-Tribune

"[
Deal] offers plenty of insight, opinion, observations and analysis that are unique and of great interest to fans." - Houston Press

"A candid, freewheeling autobiography." -
Philadelphia Daily News

"Admitting that Bill Kreutzmann will give equal space to the drugs along with the drums and dreams captures in a nutshell what made the Grateful Dead such a precious commodity all those years: they told the truth and didn’t try to hide anything. And that’s just what drummer Kreutzmann does, from page one." -
The Morton Report

"What is different from other rock biographies . . . is Kreutzmann’s everyman observation. . . . It is a personal tale of universal intention told with humor and the sense of fun that was crucial to the experience of a Grateful Dead concert and the counterculture itself. Like the daily lives of every hippie freak (or an acid trip), it wasn’t always easy street, but it was always an adventure." - Counterpunch.org

"Kreutzmann is casual, matter-of-fact, unaffected and down to earth in a way that makes you feel you've known him for a long time. He can be blunt and brutal at times, but he always feels honest, which for me is the key to a memoir like this. He doesn’t sugarcoat and doesn’t make excuses. Being in the Dead meant lots of drugs, sex and mayhem, and the pages are laced with all of it." - VintageRock.com

"His informal style lends itself well to the increasingly fast pace of his life as he discovers the pleasure of music, his passion for playing and his abiding devotion to the Dead as they coalesced in the mid-Sixties." - GlideMagazine.com

About the Author

BILL KREUTZMANN was the drummer and co-founder of the legendary rock band, The Grateful Dead. He played in every one of their over 2,300 shows from the first one on May 5th, 1965 until its dissolution following the passing of Garcia in 1995 and on every album. He lives in Hawaii.

BENJY EISEN has written for
Rolling Stone, Esquire, Relix and so on. He lives in San Francisco, where he is currently finishing work on his first novel, Oysterland. Upon completion of Deal, he cut a deal with Kreutzmann and is now his manager.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 1250033799
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ St. Martin's Press; First Edition (May 5, 2015)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781250033796
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1250033796
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.39 x 1.38 x 9.47 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,151 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,151 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book easy to read and enjoyable. They praise the writing quality as well-written and honest. The stories are described as fascinating, unique, and candid. Readers appreciate the insightful perspective and humorous humor. They also mention that the book provides a great history of the band from a candid and honest perspective. Overall, customers describe the book as beautiful and cool.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

157 customers mention "Readability"157 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book. They find it a fun read with a memoir-like quality. It's recommended for any Deadhead or anyone interested in learning more about the band.

"I don't read a lot of biographies but this one was terrific. A seemingly honest & open account of life with the Dead from a guy who would know...." Read more

"...sucks (who is Benjy and what did he contribute), but the content is amazingly, brutally and refreshingly honest. What a long strange trip Billy had...." Read more

"Enjoyable read, and worth adding to your GD reading list even if you've already read Phil's or Dennis McNally's or Steve Parish's or any of the..." Read more

"A great reading from “Bill the drummer “.. it gives a personal recollection of the Grateful Dead’s history and is entertainingly funny...." Read more

68 customers mention "Writing quality"53 positive15 negative

Customers praise the book's writing quality. They find it well-written, honest, and easy to read. The author comes across as sincere and conversational, recounting his life in a laid-back style.

"...The definition of cool yet still approachable. His book, Deal, reflects this as well...." Read more

"I don't read a lot of biographies but this one was terrific. A seemingly honest & open account of life with the Dead from a guy who would know...." Read more

"...And the most amazing thing was the simple, brutal, honesty that pervades the recounting of the dozens of stories or parables that comprise most of..." Read more

"...He comes across as very sincere, just wanting to share stories he thinks people want to hear...." Read more

67 customers mention "Story quality"50 positive17 negative

Customers enjoy the book's story. They find it fascinating, with unique stories told through experience. The book includes candid and personal accounts of the author's life and years with the Grateful Dead. Readers appreciate the casual storytelling style and openness in the tales. They also like hearing about the early parties and neat places that the author lived in.

"...All in all a great story, an easy read, & I managed to have a smile on during most of the read." Read more

"...which are covered well in Official History and clearly were scary events that showed why the Dead were never the Stones and had no place for..." Read more

"...Despite the choppy narrative and so-so writing, the book has enough good stories in it to entertain anyone interested in the Dead...." Read more

"...Kreutzmann did a respectable job of recollecting and laying out that history...." Read more

59 customers mention "Insight"59 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful and revealing about the Grateful Dead. It offers personal memories and insights from a band member. The book provides an entertaining and humorous perspective on the band's history from a drummer's perspective.

"...He offers insight into his technical evolution from capable pocket drummer to jazz fusion powerhouse that held his own alongside Tony Williams..." Read more

"...It was more comprehensive than I would have thought & he covers a lot of topics I wouldn't have expected to be included but was very glad to know...." Read more

"...reading from “Bill the drummer “.. it gives a personal recollection of the Grateful Dead’s history and is entertainingly funny...." Read more

"...It really seems like a true insiders account of life in the band, more so than bassist Phil Lesh's memoir of several years ago..." Read more

22 customers mention "Humor"22 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's humor. They find it entertaining, funny, and engaging with candid stories. The writing style is described as quirky, unique, and honest.

"...Many of the stories were hilarious, others sad, but all of them offered a genuine perspective you could both believe & appreciate...." Read more

"...a personal recollection of the Grateful Dead’s history and is entertainingly funny...." Read more

"Easy read. Funny, candid enough but no big shocker here, if anything Bill The Drummer was holding back...." Read more

"Sure it was entertaining...." Read more

16 customers mention "Band history"16 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's insight into the band's career from the author's perspective. They appreciate the candid and honest account of the ups and downs of the band. Readers find it an entertaining read about their favorite group from the mouth of the horse.

"...Bill gets 5 stars from me for being one of the greatest drummers of all time and a founding member of the greatest rock band of all time, but if..." Read more

"...This is as much of a candid band member history as you can come by...." Read more

"...to learn what went on behind the scene with the greatest rock and roll band in history." Read more

"...#34;tell mostly all" look at an era and an improbable, iconic, legendary band...." Read more

13 customers mention "Look"13 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's look. They find it entertaining and interesting, providing a vivid picture of the Grateful Dead from their early days. The accounts are colorful and antics are described vividly. Readers appreciate the opportunity to get an inside look at the long strange trip.

"...suddenly I was immersed in each era and each experience, in vivid detail and feeling...." Read more

"...I've been a Deadhead since the beginning. This gives a really interesting look at the band from their early days. Well written and a page turner...." Read more

"...An inside "tell mostly all" look at an era and an improbable, iconic, legendary band...." Read more

"...Lot's of cool, wild, candid stories & tid-bits and I get the feeling he's not over-embellishing like a lot of autobiographies do...." Read more

13 customers mention "Music quality"13 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the music and improvisational lifestyle described in the book. They find the drumming, rhythm, and tempo information interesting. The band's pursuit of an optimal live sound is also mentioned. Readers appreciate the history of beloved songs and the links to songs provided. Overall, it's a great read for fans of the band.

"...The band's legendary pursuit of optimal live sound resulted in countless technical innovations...." Read more

"...I loved the music and still do. For me, August 9, 1995 was the "Day the Music Died"...." Read more

"...This is a history told through experience... Learning the "history" of beloved songs, through their improvisational meters, the events that inspired..." Read more

"...He's a great drummer and the Dead put out some great music (and faded due to drugs and unruly crowds toward the end)...." Read more

An excellent read from an underrated musical phenom
5 out of 5 stars
An excellent read from an underrated musical phenom
Bill Kreutzmann got to experience the cultural upheaval of the late 1960s and the aftermath over the decades that followed from a singularly unique perspective. He was the drummer for a Byrds-influenced garage band in the Bay Area called The Warlocks. By the end of 1965, they had become the house band for a series of events called the Acid Tests, which were centered around use of then-legal LSD. By the third Acid Test, they changed their name to The Grateful Dead and their hallucinogen-fueled extended improvisations quickly became a popular feature of their performances.As the intersection of Haight and Ashbury in San Francisco became ground zero for the flower power movement, The Grateful Dead became synonymous with its free-spirited ethos. Auxillary percussionist Mickey Hart joined the band in 1967. His father Lenny Hart had a somewhat distinguished career in rudimentary drumming and had been hired on as the band's business manager. Mickey's interest in world percussion and polyrhythms was a major influence on Billy's technique. By 1971, Mickey's heroin use along with Lenny's embezzlement led to both Harts leaving the band.As the hippie movement died off, the Grateful Dead turned their efforts towards perennial touring. The band's legendary pursuit of optimal live sound resulted in countless technical innovations. An exponentially growing songbook made setlists increasingly unpredictable, while expansive stretches of jamming remained a highlight of every show. They welcomed a new subculture of "tapers" to freely record and share tapes of the shows, building both goodwill with the audience and word-of-mouth promotion.They became the most commercially successful live band in the world and largely held this position throughout their career. They had a late-stage radio hit in 1987 with "Touch of Grey" that added more ranks to their fanbase. In 1995, the (somewhat) unexpected passing of Jerry Garcia marked the abrupt end of the Grateful Dead after 30 years.Bill Kreutzmann has always come off to me as a mostly unassuming person, not shy but not particularly attention-hungry. The definition of cool yet still approachable. His book, Deal, reflects this as well. He appears fully aware and appreciative of the good fortune he has had in his life. He gets real on some topics but does not express resentment or bitterness. He discusses graphic aspects of his life in sex, drugs and rock and roll without especially glorifying or apologizing for them. He offers insight into his technical evolution from capable pocket drummer to jazz fusion powerhouse that held his own alongside Tony Williams without getting bogged down in theory or jargon.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2023
    Bill Kreutzmann got to experience the cultural upheaval of the late 1960s and the aftermath over the decades that followed from a singularly unique perspective. He was the drummer for a Byrds-influenced garage band in the Bay Area called The Warlocks. By the end of 1965, they had become the house band for a series of events called the Acid Tests, which were centered around use of then-legal LSD. By the third Acid Test, they changed their name to The Grateful Dead and their hallucinogen-fueled extended improvisations quickly became a popular feature of their performances.

    As the intersection of Haight and Ashbury in San Francisco became ground zero for the flower power movement, The Grateful Dead became synonymous with its free-spirited ethos. Auxillary percussionist Mickey Hart joined the band in 1967. His father Lenny Hart had a somewhat distinguished career in rudimentary drumming and had been hired on as the band's business manager. Mickey's interest in world percussion and polyrhythms was a major influence on Billy's technique. By 1971, Mickey's heroin use along with Lenny's embezzlement led to both Harts leaving the band.

    As the hippie movement died off, the Grateful Dead turned their efforts towards perennial touring. The band's legendary pursuit of optimal live sound resulted in countless technical innovations. An exponentially growing songbook made setlists increasingly unpredictable, while expansive stretches of jamming remained a highlight of every show. They welcomed a new subculture of "tapers" to freely record and share tapes of the shows, building both goodwill with the audience and word-of-mouth promotion.

    They became the most commercially successful live band in the world and largely held this position throughout their career. They had a late-stage radio hit in 1987 with "Touch of Grey" that added more ranks to their fanbase. In 1995, the (somewhat) unexpected passing of Jerry Garcia marked the abrupt end of the Grateful Dead after 30 years.

    Bill Kreutzmann has always come off to me as a mostly unassuming person, not shy but not particularly attention-hungry. The definition of cool yet still approachable. His book, Deal, reflects this as well. He appears fully aware and appreciative of the good fortune he has had in his life. He gets real on some topics but does not express resentment or bitterness. He discusses graphic aspects of his life in sex, drugs and rock and roll without especially glorifying or apologizing for them. He offers insight into his technical evolution from capable pocket drummer to jazz fusion powerhouse that held his own alongside Tony Williams without getting bogged down in theory or jargon.
    Customer image
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    An excellent read from an underrated musical phenom

    Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2023
    Bill Kreutzmann got to experience the cultural upheaval of the late 1960s and the aftermath over the decades that followed from a singularly unique perspective. He was the drummer for a Byrds-influenced garage band in the Bay Area called The Warlocks. By the end of 1965, they had become the house band for a series of events called the Acid Tests, which were centered around use of then-legal LSD. By the third Acid Test, they changed their name to The Grateful Dead and their hallucinogen-fueled extended improvisations quickly became a popular feature of their performances.

    As the intersection of Haight and Ashbury in San Francisco became ground zero for the flower power movement, The Grateful Dead became synonymous with its free-spirited ethos. Auxillary percussionist Mickey Hart joined the band in 1967. His father Lenny Hart had a somewhat distinguished career in rudimentary drumming and had been hired on as the band's business manager. Mickey's interest in world percussion and polyrhythms was a major influence on Billy's technique. By 1971, Mickey's heroin use along with Lenny's embezzlement led to both Harts leaving the band.

    As the hippie movement died off, the Grateful Dead turned their efforts towards perennial touring. The band's legendary pursuit of optimal live sound resulted in countless technical innovations. An exponentially growing songbook made setlists increasingly unpredictable, while expansive stretches of jamming remained a highlight of every show. They welcomed a new subculture of "tapers" to freely record and share tapes of the shows, building both goodwill with the audience and word-of-mouth promotion.

    They became the most commercially successful live band in the world and largely held this position throughout their career. They had a late-stage radio hit in 1987 with "Touch of Grey" that added more ranks to their fanbase. In 1995, the (somewhat) unexpected passing of Jerry Garcia marked the abrupt end of the Grateful Dead after 30 years.

    Bill Kreutzmann has always come off to me as a mostly unassuming person, not shy but not particularly attention-hungry. The definition of cool yet still approachable. His book, Deal, reflects this as well. He appears fully aware and appreciative of the good fortune he has had in his life. He gets real on some topics but does not express resentment or bitterness. He discusses graphic aspects of his life in sex, drugs and rock and roll without especially glorifying or apologizing for them. He offers insight into his technical evolution from capable pocket drummer to jazz fusion powerhouse that held his own alongside Tony Williams without getting bogged down in theory or jargon.
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  • Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2015
    I don't read a lot of biographies but this one was terrific. A seemingly honest & open account of life with the Dead from a guy who would know. It was more comprehensive than I would have thought & he covers a lot of topics I wouldn't have expected to be included but was very glad to know. I have to compliment the co-author and very likely a team of archivists who were able to provide a lot of context & background facts to the various stories spread throughout this book. Several times I was convinced that there was no way in the world anyone could remember all of these great data points, especially after 30 years of dosing & purposely being over-served!

    Many of the stories were hilarious, others sad, but all of them offered a genuine perspective you could both believe & appreciate. It was cool getting his take on various aspects of the scene, shows they played, people they played with, how they felt about things, & how they saw events from their perspective. Everything was described in a way that you could understand & also relate to & I was glad to be 'right' about things on several occasions. It was not surprising that after 30 years living & traveling with the same group of characters how relationships could sour over time. There were several opportunities to throw his fellow band mates & the various hangers-on under the proverbial bus but these topics were tastefully addressed & done without insult.

    All in all a great story, an easy read, & I managed to have a smile on during most of the read.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2015
    I guess I need to start by admitting that I have been a fan of the Grateful Dead since I was a teenager in the late 1960s. I loved the music and still do. For me, August 9, 1995 was the "Day the Music Died". I've read several bios of the band including the books by Scully, McNally, Greenfield and, of course, Phil Lesh. DEAL, by Bill Kreutzman, the first, and for many of their most productive touring years, only drummer for the band, is the most unusual of these.

    When I first started to read it, I wasn't sure if I would be able to finish it. Twenty or thirty pages in, the writing was so bad ("darn it!" - inside joke) and the chronology so jumbled that it was a struggle to continue. I was annoyed at Kreutzman's constant and banal use of phrases from Hunter's lyrics, over and over. And then a funny thing happened on the way to the end. I started to ignore the awful writing mechanics, the misspellings and all the other bad stuff that would normally get me to stop reading, and kept turning page after page as I realized that I was hearing, in his own words, what Kreutzman really thought about what was going on all those years. And the most amazing thing was the simple, brutal, honesty that pervades the recounting of the dozens of stories or parables that comprise most of this biography. There was no attempt to hide from the truth as Bill remembered it, no try at political correctness (I guess I should have expected that), nor any attempt to spare the feelings of his "brothers" playing in the band or in the various post-Grateful Dead era nor any attempt by Kreitman to justify himself or his behavior with respect to drugs, alcohol or women.

    I learned a number of surprising things. Kreutzman didn't like most of Weir's songs, and was bored to tears playing the cowboy songs, even as he admitted to affecting (with the rest of the band) a guns and cowboy image during certain periods. Phil was bossy, both to his bandmates and to a number of authority figures. Mickey Hart didn't leave the band voluntarily because his manager-father embezzled money, he was kicked out by Billy himself as spokesman for the band because his drug use was out of control and was affecting the music. And despite raving earlier about how playing with Hart made him feel like a drummer with 8 arms and legs, Bill found out in 1971-1974 when Hart was gone that he actually preferred playing as the only drummer, and in fact tried to block Mickey from rejoining the band. Of course, he eventually comes around and says that doing the Rhythm Devils in the late 80's and 1990's was the high point of his drumming with the Dead, while admitting that many or most of the latter shows were not so hot near the end. Of Garcia he says not a bad word. Billy worshipped Jerry. So much so that he comes down really harsh on his old bandmates and John Kadlecik (who he declines to name) in Further for carrying on trying to play like the Grateful Dead with a guy who was "copying Jerry's stye".

    Kreutzman has been married 5 times (so far). This was probably foreshadowed by his balling Phil's girlfriend one day on the communal 1960's, although it was she who came on to him as the story goes. Kreutzman was a serial cheater and a lousy dad. Son Justin spent most of his formative years living with grandparents. And his other kids didn't fare much better. Kreutzman is completely unapologetic and rather blasé about the serial marriage and divorces and the matter of his kids. He clearly was not aiming for points from the reader in his descriptions of these events.

    And then there were the drugs. You thought you knew? You didn't. At one time or another everyone in the band (except Pigpen for whom booze was enough) had a problem with 2 or 3 or more of the worst of the worst including alcohol, cocaine, speed, opium, heroin, morphine, various pills etc. I don't include LSD, mushrooms or pot here because no one in the band ever got hurt really badly by those. But cocaine and heroin - what a deadly combo, that killed Brent Mydland and certainly contributed to the all-too-brief life of Jerry and landed, at a minimum, Kreutzman, Garcia and Hart (at least) in rehab multiple times.

    So the writing and editing sucks (who is Benjy and what did he contribute), but the content is amazingly, brutally and refreshingly honest. What a long strange trip Billy had. I am certain that every Deadhead will eat this one up.

    Highly recommended.

    JM Tepper
    44 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Mr. E. Dickson
    5.0 out of 5 stars What a life
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 24, 2024
    This is a terrific read, about one crazy and very talented band
  • Wilfried L.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Geschichte der Dead
    Reviewed in Germany on September 24, 2021
    Das Buch lässt sich mit mittleren Englischkenntnissen gut und flott lesen. Die Geschichte aus Sicht des Autors ist chronologisch und detailreich aufgeschrieben worden. Viele Anekdoten sind einfach zu köstlich. Und Bill kann sich sehr gut an (fast) alles erinnern. Ich empfehle allen Freunden der Westcoast-Musik dieses Buch. Viele andere Bands und Musiker finden hier teilweise ausführliche Erwähnung. A joy to read.
  • Client d'Amazon
    5.0 out of 5 stars délais d'acheminement très satisfaisants, embalage tout à fait correct, état impécable
    Reviewed in France on June 26, 2021
    bon complément d'informations biographiques sur un groupe que j'apprécie énormément depuis des années
  • Adrian Bermejo Huelva
    5.0 out of 5 stars lovely
    Reviewed in Spain on August 24, 2019
    amazing
  • cahors olivier
    5.0 out of 5 stars Cool
    Reviewed in France on June 12, 2021
    Ce livre est génial. Merci Bill