Grateful Dead are not only known for their great music, but also for their live shows — and in the early ’70s, those included their infamous Wall of Sound. Now a new book is exploring that sound system.
Loud and Clear: The Grateful Dead’s Wall of Sound and the Quest for Audio Perfection, from writer Brian Anderson, will be released June 17. It delves into the story and evolution of The Dead’s iconic speaker system, culled from interviews Anderson did with hundreds of people — including roadies, managers and fans — who were involved with the band and the Wall of Sound’s construction.
The original Wall of Sound was designed in 1973 specifically for the Grateful Dead by their sound engineer Owsley “Bear” Stanley. It reportedly consisted of over 600 speakers, and was three stories high and 100 feet wide.
It was used during the band’s 1974 concert tour, but it’s huge size became an issue and was last used during a show in October 1974.
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