American Beauty

1	Box of Rain 5:19
2	Friend Of The Devil 3:24
3	Sugar Magnolia 3:19
4	Operator 2:25
5	Candyman 6:13
6	Ripple 4:09
7	Brokedown Palace 4:09
8	Till the Morning Comes 3:09
9	Attics of My Life 5:14
10	Truckin' 5:05

Barnes & Noble

Continuing with the groundwork laid on Workingman's Dead, American Beauty finds the Grateful Dead digging deeper into their well of original songs based in the idioms of American roots music. From the opening strums of "Box of Rain," American Beauty lives up to its title, weaving a quilt of modern-day American campfire classics out of a fabric made of bluegrass, country, blues, pop and rock. With the Dead's songwriting skills hitting their apex, songs like "Ripple," "Brokedown Palace," "Candyman," and "Attics of My Life" tug on musical heartstrings, broaching the subjects of love, loss, and consolation. Enlisting the accompaniment of compadres the New Riders of the Purple Sage and David Grisman, whose mandolin work graces "Friend of the Devil," American Beauty also provides the world with two staples of Classic-rock radio, the sweet-harmonied pop of "Sugar Magnolia" and the blues-tinged travelogue "Truckin."' Bob Bleetstein

All Music Guide

A companion piece to the luminous Workingman's Dead, American Beauty is an even stronger document of the Grateful Dead's return to their musical roots. Sporting a more full-bodied and intricate sound than its predecessor thanks to the addition of subtle electric textures, the record is also more representative of the group as a collective unit, allowing for stunning contributions from Phil Lesh (the poignant opener, "Box of Rain") and Bob Weir ("Sugar Magnolia"); at the top of his game as well is Jerry Garcia, who delivers the superb "Friend of the Devil," "Candyman," and "Ripple." Climaxing with the perennial "Truckin'," American Beauty remains the Dead's studio masterpiece -- never again would they be so musically focused or so emotionally direct. Jason Ankeny