The band Jerry Garcia said encapsulated the spirit of rock and roll
Whether you’re a devoted Deadhead or not, nobody captured the free-spirited rock and roll of the counterculture age quite like Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead, but the appeal of the acid-dripped songwriting masters endured far longer than ‘peace and love’ idealism.
Forged from the attendees of Ken Kesey’s infamous ‘acid tests’, the Grateful Dead were never going to be a band that blended into the rock scene of America. From their very earliest origins, they were already operating on an entirely different plane of existence than their various San Francisco contemporaries, and perhaps that is why they managed to amass such an extensive, incredibly dedicated fanbase, which prevails to this very day.
That enduring appeal not only meant that the Dead outlasted many of their hippiedom comrades, but that their impact was felt on a wealth of different artists, genres, and scenes which sprang up in their wake. Even scenes like the punk rock revolution, which were unlikely to openly cite Garcia as a source of inspiration, seemed to share some common sensibilities with the psychedelic master.
By the time the 1980s rolled around, with new wave heroes like Blondie and Talking Heads populating the charts, Garcia had fostered a kind of elder statesman image, which inevitably meant that he was often asked to give his verdict on the up-and-comers of American rock.
During one such interview, the psychedelic hero took the opportunity to espouse the joys of one particular outfit: “I really like that band Cheap Trick,” he declared.
First emerging during the early 1970s, it took Cheap Trick a little while to land upon their signature sound, born from a blending of punk rock abrasion and a certain pop-centric approach. Their pioneering power-pop approach was worlds apart from the acid innovations of Garcia and the gang, but the songwriter found a lot to appreciate in the band’s DIY ethos and grassroots approach to rock and roll.
“I like them a lot, they’re great,” he continued in his gushing support for the Illinois outfit. Expanding upon his love of the group, he added, “What I like about it is the spirit, you know, it’s real raw and real nasty, and the players are not very good, but the spirit there is something I think young people can always dig that.”
That same description could easily have been attached to the Grateful Dead during their early years. Although admittedly, they were already very skilled musicians, it wasn’t their technical skills as much as their attitude which set them apart from the rest of the blossoming counterculture scene. Rock and roll, after all, has always been a mindset or attitude rather than something to study.
It speaks to Jerry Garcia’s unique view of the music world that he would pay such impassioned homage to Cheap Trick, despite the two bands representing different ends of the rock spectrum, and during a time in which they were still relatively up-and-coming, while he had managed to rightfully amass an unparalleled reputation among the great songwriters America has had to offer.
