Long Strange Trip

Director Amir Bar-Lev has accomplished the impossible. His task was to create a documentary that encompassed all of the facets and angles that created, invigorated and surrounded not only an evolutionary rock band over 50 years, but their horde of tour family and endless supply of fans. I leave this film experience recognizing so much of my personal Dead Head past without having to chase reliving it from show to show.

The history: At the heart of this movie is the history of the Grateful Dead. Just seeing Jerry Garcia and the band in their energetic youth helps the later generation of fans experience them before age and excess had chipped away at the band. It's a documentary, and that's never lost on the film maker. The origins, the acid, the music, the band members, the myths, the travelings.... all explained without further internet search.

The interviews: Sam Culter (Tour manager 1970-1974) appears throughout (filmed outside his van) gives a consistently unique and uncompromising view that is can't miss stuff. Al Franken, Nick Paumgarten and Steve Silberman also give intelligent and hilarious insight to the Dead Head phenomena.

The editing: The documentary works best in it's editing of interviews as if they were an ongoing conversation, much like the bands' musical ideal. The timing of the introduction/insertion of specific songs (of which there are a plethora to choose from) is both uplifting and quite poignant. There are numerous slick vignettes that are almost Tarantino-like. The film moves at a meaningful pace as it covers 238 minutes

The music: Is it me or did I find alternative versions of songs without singing backing a good portion of the documentary? The earlier live practice footage with Jerry leading the are priceless. The studio versus live arguments (mainstream media versus organic growth) is covered throughout, which would be for those not yet initiated. Love the tapers section explained in detail. "These guys completely get me", is something the vast majority of Dead heads who felt unique must be saying about the film makers!

Jerry immortalized: If you had any doubts about who was the leader of the Grateful Dead, doubt no more. Jerry is portrayed as equally a cool dude, childishly idealistic, musically dedicated whose burden of being the leader of The Dead took it's toll. How could it not?

The fans: If you are streaming this on Amazon; Prime, it's Episode V. This is the best synopsis of "what the hell is going on" at a Grateful Dead show. I've tried to explain this to people over the decades, and everything I've attempted to extrapolate from my experience is here, as well as everything that someone with my limitations wouldn't be able to iterate. Wow, was that fun!

The ending: We all know that Jerry hasn't been of this world for decades and it simply hurt all over again. It's like your parents would rhetorically ask you, "Well, how'd you think this was all going to end?" At that point it's clear that this is really the Jerry Garcia story and there was no context to them talking about how the Grateful Dead experience continues.... and yet it does for many...

Watched this on Amazon Prime and it brought back a lot of good memories. I saw The Grateful Dead live front row in Colorado at Mile High Stadium back in the day. The part about recording bootleg tapes was cool. I had over 1500 live bootleg tapes at one point. 🎸🎶 🎼 🎵

I've been "shaking my bones" to over 100 Grateful Dead shows since my first. The 15th anniversary show in 1980 in Denver Colorado at age 15 . It is great to be a Dead Head in Colorado after 1978 the first time The Dead played here Red Rocks . Great encore Warren Zevon's " Werewolves of London" This is an excellent film 3h 58 min but I loved it all .

Just enough detail to make people get it. The rest is discovered through the music and the experience still today.

I watched Long Strange Trip as an individual series on Prime, and it gives a fantastic overview of what the Dead were - their humble beginnings, their dedicated cult following, how their fame began to cause things to spiral following their 'Touch of Grey' hit, and the impact this all had on lead guitarist Jerry Garcia.

Being a recent head myself, it masterfully conveys the appeal the band had, and why their music was so unique and spoke to so many people. The last two episodes are amazing watches, episode 5 in particular is a perfect summary of what made the Dead and their gigs so tantalizing.

Only real negatives is that it was a bit too Jerry-centric. I wish the series focused a bit more on the individual members themselves. Beyond him, the documentary doesn't really delve into the character of other bandmembers - not even Bobby. Pigpen and Brent were also grossly overlooked. Also, despite being rife full of great tunes throughout, very little attention is given to the production behind the songs/albums themselves (beyond a brief segment regarding their transition from their experimental psychedelic music to Americana). So, in a sense, the biggest complaint would be that the documentary isn't even LONGER.

Overall, LST perhaps isn't the best introduction to non-Deadheads, but it most certainly is a love letter to those already on the bus! By all means, if you're curious, give this documentary a watch. But this is a MUST if you're already a fan!