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    Friend of The Devils: April 1978 (Dead.net Exclusive) [19 CD]

     

    WHAT'S INSIDE:
    Curtis Hixon Convention Hall, Tampa, FL 4/6/78
    Sportatorium, Pembroke Pines, FL 4/7/78
    Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Jacksonville, FL 4/8/78
    Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA 4/10/78
    Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA 4/11/78
    Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke University, Durham, NC 4/12/78
    Cassell Coliseum, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg, VA 4/14/78
    Huntington Civic Center, Huntington, WV 4/16/78

    Recorded By Betty Cantor-Jackson
    Newly restored and speed-corrected audio by Plangent Processes
    Mastered by Jeffrey Norman
    Liners By Author Steve Silberman
    Artwork By Acclaimed Artist Matthew Brannon

    Limited To 10,000 Individually Numbered Copies
    Dead.net Exclusive

    It’s been said before but April ‘78 was an incredible month for the Dead. Like May ‘77, you could throw a dart and guarantee you hit a stellar show. - KyloRensPecs, r/gratefuldead, Reddit

    .... April/May '78 has a lot of the same qualities of Spring '77 but with some extra edge and a much bigger sound from the Rhythm Devils. A really special era that often gets neglected. - viewtiful_alan, r/gratefuldead, Reddit

    Sportatorium - April 7, 1989

    when drums started I thought, oh s*#!, i hate drum solos and Billy and Mickey stopped me in my tracks. Wow, these guys are really good. Little did I know the pervasive influence this phenomena would have on my life. - pearlybakerbest, Dead.net

    Huntington Civic Centre, West Virginia – 16 April 1978

    This is another must-hear concert by The Grateful Dead. The sound and mix are almost ‘absolutely perfect'... It’s difficult to pick out highlights because everything is played so well; the band are tight, Donna is great and the set list is strong. - Grateful Ted, gratefulted.co.uk

    We're hitting the bullseye with the eight previously unreleased stellar shows that make up FRIEND OF THE DEVILS: APRIL 1978. Filled to the brim with peak performances from the Grateful Dead's post-hiatus period, this collection captures the historic tour where "Drums" begat "Space," morphed into "Drums">"Space" and cemented the Rhythm Devils' second-set power move from the music business to the "transportation business."

    Spring 1978 finds the Dead consistently weaving spontaneous magic, showing signs of great promise and potential - from the no-nonsense rock'n'roll in Tampa, where scholars cite the first "Drumz" leading into "Space," to the lengthy communal get down in Pembroke Pines to Jacksonville where the twain emerge fully formed, offering the primordial opportunity for "soul retrieval." It's evident in the dynamic range delivered on back-to-back nights at the intimate Fox Theatre and through the laid-back unity of the band's performance in Durham at Duke, a comfort that carries over to Virginia and West Virginia where the playing is unbridled, bursting with momentum, threatening to carry itself away. And nowhere can you hear that more clearly than through Betty Cantor-Jackson's original recordings, reliably crisp, bright, and vivid.

    Individually numbered to 10,000 copies and exclusive to Dead.net, FRIEND OF THE DEVILS: APRIL 1978 has been mastered by Audio Engineer Jeffrey Norman using Plangent Processes tape restoration and speed correction. Steve Vance designed the collection’s custom box, which features a removable wave drum. (We invite you to unleash your inner Rhythm Devil.) Acclaimed artist Matthew Brannon created the set’s original artwork. The collection also includes a 48-page book with original liner notes by author Steve Silberman and photos by James Anderson, Bob Minkin, and more.

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  • daverock
    Joined:
    Steal Your Face

    That was my first Dead album too. Summer 1976 it came out in England. There was one side of the triple album "Glastonbury Fayre" which featured about 23 minutes of Dark Star from Wembley 4/8/72 that I got a few years before that.

  • DeadVikes
    Joined:
    Winterland 74

    Oh yes Jim, I remember Steal your face. It was very hard to find in the mid eighties and when I finally got it, I was excited at the time.

    I believe they put it together very quick to try and raise some money after Ron split with $650k of the bands money.

    I will say the 2004 Grateful Dead Movie Soundtrack is some of the best sounding 74 I have ever heard. Love it. So, certainly think they could give us some more. Dave also mentioned (in the 2004 Grateful Dead reissue) that they had more movie footage to put out another movie. Don't know for sure, but again it would be great.

    Pinkus has a new unboxing video for this year's box. We owe him a lot and he has been very instrumental in bringing us tons of fantastic releases. Keep them coming!

  • 1stshow70878
    Joined:
    SYF

    I think SYF was my 1st GD LP. College dorm guy next door was a very knowledgeable CA deadhead and he seemed to think it wasn't a very worthy release at that time (during hiatus) so then I worked backwards to Skull & Roses, Aoxomoxoa, Live Dead, EU72 and by then Blues For Allah came out. Needless to say I was hooked.
    Cheers

  • JimInMD
    Joined:
    October '74, All Music Edition

    I wouldn't worry about the All the Video Edition. As I understand it, Jerry rode that horse to death, and it almost bankrupted the band (or did it bankrupt them?). I don't think they have the resources to pull it off and even if they did, I do not think they can make a return on the investment.

    I even think the All Music Edition is problematic. When Steal Your Face came out (anybody remember that double album?), Bear and Phil complained that the recordings were problematic, something about the original mix being in Quad or the differential mics bleeding through or something like that. I seem to recall the box we got didn't come easy but I could be wrong.

    So who knows what if anything we will get from this run, but I still want it. Each and every glorious show, yes to audio. If they somehow cobbled a few more hours of video that would be a cherry on top but I'm not holding my breath for that much new video from this run being released.

    As for 78 and cocaine, etc. I find attraction to different years and eras at different times. Some things do not appeal to me but given a different time and setting sometimes they break through, and I get sucked in. On the other side of the same coin, the GD never got everything exactly perfect. They came close but there was always something that ventured off course, seemed astray. Like they were constantly striving for something just beyond their grasp and then by chance when they got there, they didn't quite know what to do with it. And for me, that's the appeal. That's what keeps me coming back. The adventure, not the destination. The willingness to take chances and keep things fresh.

    My favorite Brown Eyed Women's are from Spring '78 and some of my favorite Peggy-O's. Was there excess, of course, but there were diamonds in the rough. Go through some of those older boxes or shows less travelled, toss one in the player and don't be surprised if it sounds better than you remembered. Like the Stella Blue on Steal Your Face.

  • daverock
    Joined:
    October 1974 - when your day is done

    I'd rather the complete run be released on cd than dvd. When I am listening I can go anywhere, but when I am looking at a screen I tend not to lose the plot as easily.

    It always strikes me as a bit strange that cocaine is often cited as a reason for 1978 shows being the way they were. I got the impression that it became their drug of choice for playing live many years before then. 1974 being a good example, going off reports from the time.

  • Byrd
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    Friend of the Disjointed Dead

    Sad to say that this was not the Dead's finest hours. A total transition period with very little continuity of song choice as we saw in earlier years. Cocaine had also made its presence highly known during this period, so that probably accounts for a lot of it. I saw the Atlanta show and it was nice to hear Peggy-O and Candyman, but things just didn't seem to quite flow so easy.

  • JimInMD
    Joined:
    I'm with Cone Kid

    Give us the goodies and clean them up first.

    I'd love to see the whole October Winterland '74 run released to CD in its entirety. Anything they can add to the movie would be great too. Spare no expense.

  • icecrmcnkd
    Joined:
    MUATM

    It was on utoob this year.
    4-12-78 a few weeks ago and GD Movie + Bonus a couple days ago.

    I played the GD Movie Bonus DVD yesterday. Good stuff. Time to remaster all the video from that run to Blu-ray and/or 4k ultra HD and Plangentize the reels.

  • wissinomingdeadhead
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    Joined:
    MUATM?

    The Duke Show OR 11/24/78

  • Obeah
    Joined:
    I'm with Bluecrow...

    ...bc I listened tonight to 4/16/78 for the first time EVER. Rawrrrr strong stuff!

    I started at the Scarlet ->Fire because I was in the mood to hear that, and then I just kept listening. It's all been good, but I have to say, what a sublime Sugar Magnolia! Maybe it's because this song was played so often, but I feel like it takes a special rendition to really make me wake up and take note. But this one got to me. I've replayed it at least half a dozen times tonight, mainly for Garcia's work after Weir finishes the verses but before they launch into SSDD.

    Tomorrow I'll take the entire show with me to work and give it a start-to-finish playing.

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Friend of The Devils: April 1978 (Dead.net Exclusive) [19 CD]

 

WHAT'S INSIDE:
Curtis Hixon Convention Hall, Tampa, FL 4/6/78
Sportatorium, Pembroke Pines, FL 4/7/78
Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Jacksonville, FL 4/8/78
Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA 4/10/78
Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA 4/11/78
Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke University, Durham, NC 4/12/78
Cassell Coliseum, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg, VA 4/14/78
Huntington Civic Center, Huntington, WV 4/16/78

Recorded By Betty Cantor-Jackson
Newly restored and speed-corrected audio by Plangent Processes
Mastered by Jeffrey Norman
Liners By Author Steve Silberman
Artwork By Acclaimed Artist Matthew Brannon

Limited To 10,000 Individually Numbered Copies
Dead.net Exclusive

It’s been said before but April ‘78 was an incredible month for the Dead. Like May ‘77, you could throw a dart and guarantee you hit a stellar show. - KyloRensPecs, r/gratefuldead, Reddit

.... April/May '78 has a lot of the same qualities of Spring '77 but with some extra edge and a much bigger sound from the Rhythm Devils. A really special era that often gets neglected. - viewtiful_alan, r/gratefuldead, Reddit

Sportatorium - April 7, 1989

when drums started I thought, oh s*#!, i hate drum solos and Billy and Mickey stopped me in my tracks. Wow, these guys are really good. Little did I know the pervasive influence this phenomena would have on my life. - pearlybakerbest, Dead.net

Huntington Civic Centre, West Virginia – 16 April 1978

This is another must-hear concert by The Grateful Dead. The sound and mix are almost ‘absolutely perfect'... It’s difficult to pick out highlights because everything is played so well; the band are tight, Donna is great and the set list is strong. - Grateful Ted, gratefulted.co.uk

We're hitting the bullseye with the eight previously unreleased stellar shows that make up FRIEND OF THE DEVILS: APRIL 1978. Filled to the brim with peak performances from the Grateful Dead's post-hiatus period, this collection captures the historic tour where "Drums" begat "Space," morphed into "Drums">"Space" and cemented the Rhythm Devils' second-set power move from the music business to the "transportation business."

Spring 1978 finds the Dead consistently weaving spontaneous magic, showing signs of great promise and potential - from the no-nonsense rock'n'roll in Tampa, where scholars cite the first "Drumz" leading into "Space," to the lengthy communal get down in Pembroke Pines to Jacksonville where the twain emerge fully formed, offering the primordial opportunity for "soul retrieval." It's evident in the dynamic range delivered on back-to-back nights at the intimate Fox Theatre and through the laid-back unity of the band's performance in Durham at Duke, a comfort that carries over to Virginia and West Virginia where the playing is unbridled, bursting with momentum, threatening to carry itself away. And nowhere can you hear that more clearly than through Betty Cantor-Jackson's original recordings, reliably crisp, bright, and vivid.

Individually numbered to 10,000 copies and exclusive to Dead.net, FRIEND OF THE DEVILS: APRIL 1978 has been mastered by Audio Engineer Jeffrey Norman using Plangent Processes tape restoration and speed correction. Steve Vance designed the collection’s custom box, which features a removable wave drum. (We invite you to unleash your inner Rhythm Devil.) Acclaimed artist Matthew Brannon created the set’s original artwork. The collection also includes a 48-page book with original liner notes by author Steve Silberman and photos by James Anderson, Bob Minkin, and more.

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In reply to by daverock

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Daverock, you can use a chromecast device to go wireless from laptop to HDMI input on your receiver / Smart TV. Like you, I went years with no way of projecting my music to the telly and stereo / surround system. It's super easy (barely an inconvenience). The chromecast device came used on eBay for ONE HUNDRED! ......English pounds. Actually it was 35 U.S. dollars, but I have Live at Leeds going now.

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10 years 6 months
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Has the fog lifted? All the best for a speedy recovery. And hope any "PT" for PT goes well too. Onward.

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15 years 2 months
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October sees the release of a 20th anniversary, 4 cd 2 BluRay, box set of ‘American Idiot’ by Green Day. How time flies.

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17 years 5 months

In reply to by Colin Gould

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Ya in there?
We’re all thinking bout ya!

American idiot?
I have a box set?

Thanks very much for that tip. I'll have look later and see what I can find online. I do feel I need to access music online more effectively....but I also wonder if I already have more than I can deal with just with albums and cds. Keeps me up until all hours. If I tell anyone what time I go to bed, they express surprise - "what do you find to do?" Answers on a post card. I'm not sure what I would do without music. Go to bed early, I suppose!

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17 years 5 months

In reply to by Oroborous

Permalink

Been meaning to write more/sooner, but no time…
But I’ve written all your fine choices down and after I do my initial research, I’ll cross reference with your suggestions (my usual mo).
Haven’t picked a clunker yet this way and in fact now have many of the fine selections mentioned!
I’ll report back as soon as uncle Jethro starts selling more round to its, and I git er done…

Thanks again, and always!

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14 years 1 month
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On my drive yesterday I passed the Fairgrounds in Grass Valley, where I saw the Dead in 1983. Continuing on, I passed the Boreal Ridge Ski Resort, home of the infamous "worst Dead show ever" in 1985. I attended that one too. It wasn't so bad. What I wouldn't give to see that band again.

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Yes, it was held at the Santa Cruz County fairgrounds, and what a show it was, one of my favorites.

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17 years 6 months
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Hi All- I have been traveling a lot this summer, but I have been lurking in the comments sections regularly. With this release, I was on the fence. So far the only box set I passed on (not for much longer) is the In and Out of the Garden. With this box, I was going to pass on it too. However I recalled the crew in these comments talking me into getting the July 1978 box before it sold out. I am glad I picked that one up. When I saw the overwhelming positive responses from all of you on this box set, I knew I had to snag it. Thankfully those codes we all got from Dead.net worked which was a nice bonus. I am looking forward to getting this one in my hands n September. Thanks all!

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11 years 8 months

In reply to by billy the kiddd

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Its not The Sphere, but it is free if you can stay up late, meteor shower tonight.

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4 years 4 months

In reply to by dmcvt

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I saw a meteor the other night

It was cool

I will watch tonight

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4 years 4 months

In reply to by dmcvt

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I saw a meteor the other night

It was cool

I will watch tonight

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In reply to by proudfoot

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caught some Perseids and northern lights too this morning between 1 and 2 am. In a place with dark sky, the Milky Way very clear. Half way along, heard a noise, turned on the flashlight, two skunks playing down by the vegetable garden... moved away slowly.

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In reply to by dmcvt

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Bell’s Oktoberfest was in the store.
I didn’t get it, instead I bought the remaining 2 cases of Oberon.

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8 years 1 month

In reply to by icecrmcnkd

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Bells Octoberfest still hasn't made it to MN Conekid. Hoping soon. It is almost mid August and they don't sell it past September. I see they abandoned the bottles and moved to cans. Enjoy that Oberon.

And when will they be announcing the Winterland 74 MUATM for this year?

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In reply to by billy the kiddd

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You're right, BTK. I taped the show and labeled the cassette Watsonville, so I've thought of it as that location. Great show! My friends say they love the recording. I'm going to upload it to the Archive sometime soon.

Pumpkin?
Gross.

I do like raspberry/blueberry/chocolate if it’s done right in a barrel-aged stout.
A spectacular offering was Lizard of Koz by Founders in 2016.
They stored some kegs of it underground in the old gypsum mines (which are used as cold storage warehouses) and brought them up in 2019.
I was fortunate enough to be in G.R. at the time and have 2 snifters of it.
It was real and super spectacular.

foundersbrewing.

com/latest-news/

2016/backstage-series-release-lizard-of-koz/

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Additional email sales pitch for Devils today. Added more to listening party too.
Fox, etc. but the review included from the liner notes does hint that at least one of the shows had a sub-par Jerry performance. Not sure which one he was referring to, but I guess it's full disclosure, lol.
Cheers

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12 years 1 month
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I'd like to see what the box is gonna look like!

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7 years
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Not sure where else to post this, but did anyone besides me see the article on espn.com about Mickey creating music for sports stories? Check it out if you have not read it.

Watched ca 1983 show on utoob.......looks like Mick may have just left SportsClip

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Yeah! Very intriguing ESPN films production upcoming, featuring Mickey interviewing many sports legends and scoring the soundtrack. What a trip! Yeah about that drum Jerry. I'm hoping it would be a mini 4-piece set "finger" drum, ala bongos.

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I am befuddled as to how I can't find any photos of these lil dandies anywhere on the whole World Wide Web! Honestly I haven't seen any myself in like 20 years or more. They are made to resemble a set of 4-toms but miniature as to be held in one hand while drumming with the other hand using fluttering fingers. Most likely these things were sold at festivals of all kinds during that era and in area head shops. Maybe even at drum stores? Well, I am left to wonder if any of these survived the 1990s.

If you live anywhere near Youngstown, Ohio, Vintage Estates carries a couple barrel aged stouts. They have the label "Untitled Arts, " and as I understand, come from a couple different brewers. They have a Red Velvet Cake,a German Chocolate and a coconut offering. At 17-17.5ABV, they pack quite a punch. I gave my last pint for a friend to try and can't remember the brewers' names but one was from Cincinnati

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In reply to by icecrmcnkd

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Oh yea!! Gotta take it easy with them! They come in pints, so one can is all I can drink at a time

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17 years 5 months

In reply to by kenny

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....in my opinion. 17%? I like to have one more beer than just one. Thank you very much.
Probably has a syrupy mouthfeel. Blech.
That being said, currently listening to Eggy. Nice vibe.

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We hitch hiked down from Portland, when we got to MacArthur Court the marquee read An Evening with the Grateful Dead and L.S.D.. The Dead's equipment guys were unloading the trucks and they were pointing up at the marquee and laughing about it. The sign was removed as the day wore on. Kesey and the Pranksters were there with the Thunder Machine. When the show was over there were people setting off a lot of fireworks in the graveyard across the street from MacArthur Court, it was a wild scene!

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They're not for everyone. Yes they’re thick with a long finish, but they have complex flavors that keep your tongue interested.. I used to keep a glass of water to use as a chaser like I was sipping whiskey until I got used to them. I drink them as a special treat, not for daily use. Most beers I drink have much lower ABV’s.

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Aside from Rock the Cradle, have there been any other officially released Shakedown Streets from 78?
They played it about a dozen times or so, I think.
Would be nice to have a few of those.
You know, because, 78.
Just saying.

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A good reason to release Red Rocks 8-30, 8-31 and with all the other new songs from the Shakedown album those two nights.
Hey Dave! Release the hounds!
Cheers

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In reply to by DeadVikes

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we still have the 5 cd sets. Frankly Miami, Des moines, Jersey city, Dijon are much better. And it's nearly tooo much. Yes 74 would deserve more muti tracks recording? But imagine...Jerry spending 2 years cutting reels for the movie, and visiting bank managers to balance bank accounts? what could left of the original recordings?

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In reply to by sheik yerbones

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Thank you for the reference to David Gans version of Down to Eugene

I had the good fortune to see the songwriter Jim Page around town a frw times

"Rockin' to the rhythm of the roll"

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Yeah, the Giza show is it I believe, for the song Shakedown Street, and a damn fine version of it too! Contrary to the funky Brent style of the song, K&D's vibe for that song at Giza was way more euphoric & jazzy as it segues out onto the wind in the sandy desert night. I myself have been jonesing for some of that same era within the later Keith & Donna era. As far as Dave's Pick's go. With this here (Kathy Bates voice from 'Waterboy') "DEBELZ" Box we probably won't see a 1978 pick for awhile now. Since the last one before this was DaP#37, a damn fine show with even better extras at that! All that said I had been eyeing on some shows from late year 1978, but only the ones before the WinterLand closing show. I guess Keith was not feeling it nor playing well around this time, and Brent would soon be replacing him in April 1979. Regardless there are still some impressive set lists and good performances from late '78 including 'Shakedown' & 'From the Heart of Me' amongst other songs off the "Shakedown" album. So who knows? Maybe them shows would make for a nice 'extra' disc release. Anyways the last two shows left over from the April tour are now both probably a future Dave's release for one and the other show being extras for sure. Possibly could still see something released from that early spring, thaw tour. I not know of many releases that Dave has covered from that era I know of {DaP23 & DiP18} that already???{syntax error?} 1978 also has some summer classics still unreleased, they may get out there still. Me personally I would love to see a late November, early December 1978 release with a Keith & Donna Shakedown. The song itself has only been on two Dave's releases so far, with #39 being the first, and then #47. The latter a damn good pick still available in the store, lucky for the late comers on that one!

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I forgot to mention that late December has some good shows on that 'Shakedown St.' radar frequency. Namely Fox Theatre GA 12/17/78 & Dallas TX 12/22/78. I also should've mentioned the night before NYE, 12/30 @ UCLA Pauley Pavilion show. San Diego 12/28 is another good pick for late December. Though the two late November shows back to back, Maryland & New Jersey (11/23 & 11/24) seem to be the most intriguing to me in regards to the Keith & Donna 'Shakedowns' anyways.

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Five of the 8 shows in this box set were in that big batch of missing Bettys they at the vault got returned to them some odd years back. Just for reference!

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To prepare for the April 78 box, I wanted to listen to Dave's Picks 7 ... I have #1048 out of 13,000 ... problem is, only Disc 3 still works ... Disc 1 was fine in the beginning, then the disc became very static-y, now it doesn't play at all ... same with Disc 2 ... only Disc 3 still plays ... and I'm not the only one who has experienced disc decay with the very early Dave's Picks ... there is a thread on the Steve Hoffman music forums talking about this problem in-depth (it's called "Grateful Dead Discs Decaying and Becoming Unplayable") ... limited edition collector's items that were poorly manufactured ... there should be some way for dead.net to rectify this issue which has clearly effected many customers ... my Dave's 1 is also decaying ... it seems to be a problem with the first 2 years of Dave's Picks ... I would gladly send in my defective discs if there was any possible way to get them replaced ... anyway, just frustrating ... peace

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Just got back from dropping my youngest in Eugene for college. It is the weirdest town I've ever seen. You'll be driving through a neighborhood, and bam, a bar, then more houses, 3 blocks later, a restaurant, then nothing but houses again. There is I guess a "downtown" but even that doesn't make sense. And the U district has almost nothing, maybe everyone parties in the greek houses, I don't know. I will say though, I've NEVER seen so many aging hippies in my life!

Oh, and I've heard of the disc rot thing, mine seem fine, but they should make it right

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In reply to by itsburnsy

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Storing them in a hot car is the fastest way to ruin them.

But some are just defective.
Happened with my Song Remains The Same Soundtrack on Blu-ray audio.
It played 2-3 times and then my player started saying that the disc was unreadable.
I eventually found info in the internets that many of those discs were defective and they offered replacements. Except they limited the return window to 6 months and I bought my disc after the return period ended. Pretty lame.

product sku
081227816759
Product Magento URL
https://store.dead.net/en/grateful-dead/special-collections/friend-of-the-devils/friend-of-the-devils-april-1978-dead.net-exclusive-%5B19-cd%5D/081227816759.html