"American Beauty" is the sixth studio album from The Grateful Dead. The album veers a way a bit from the full on psychedelia that the band is notoriously known for and takes a different path, more along the lines of something you'd hear from Bob Dylan or Crosby, Stills, & Nash. The tighter melodies and closer care put into the vocals gives The Dead possibly their most complete album from their lengthy discography.
The album is filled to the brim with hit after hit with songs like "Box Of Rain", "Friend Of The Devil", and "Truckin'" which are classics in their own right. The Dead come together as a band beautifully in harmony and individually each member has a standout moment. "Operator" features Pigpen on lead vocals, "Box Of Rain" features bassist Phil Lesh at the helm, Bob Weir sings lead on "Sugar Magnolia", and of course Jerry Garcia leads on "Truckin". More importantly, the reason "American Beauty" is a classic album is the fact that there aren't any big egos in The Grateful Dead. Each member has their moment but the main focus was always the group effort and how to blend everything together properly.
The songs aren't lighting quick but they all leave a mark. The album is scattered with melancholy and mellowness as the album wouldn't be necessarily classified as "upbeat" but it's stoner music, it doesn't have that effect. "American Beauty" is the successor to "Workingman's Dead" released only a couple of months later. Beauty makes up for anything that the "Workingman's Dead" left off the table and gave the band a complete sound that was highly influenced by the music of the times.
Final Summary:
"American Beauty" didn't necessarily put The Grateful Dead on the map, yet it solidified their position as one of the most consistent, legendary bands of the 21st century. The album is nothing short of a masterpiece and each and every song leaves a lasting impression on you. The vocal harmonies are spot on, the band has never sounded more focused in and accurate, and the overall product created was one of top 500 albums of all time.
Rating: 9.5/10
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