• 767 replies
    Dead Admin
    Default Avatar
    Joined:

    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.

Comments

sort by
Recent
Reset
  • 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
    Default Avatar
    Joined:
    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
    Default Avatar
    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.

user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

3 years 7 months

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.

user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

17 years 6 months
Permalink

There's two ways to hear the noise reduction if you're not aware right away - (1) do an A/B comparison to any of the master reel sources on archive (2) listen to the in-between track parts with headphones, very easy to tell

user picture

Member for

9 years 4 months

In reply to by cloverman

Permalink

from last week:

Back in May Big Bob Gibson was inducted into to the BBQ hall of fame. Check out Jose at the end wow!

The American Royal Barbecue Hall of Fame announced its 2024 Hall of Fame class and a Decatur man credited with shaping the landscape of barbecue in Alabama for nearly a century was among those honored.

Bob Gibson made the list as a 2024 Legacy Inductee. Gibson first started Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q back in 1925 with the creation of his own pit barbecue technique. Gibson also developed Alabama White Sauce which is on restaurant menus and store shelves all over the world.

Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q is in the Alabama BBQ Hall of Fame. His barbecue team received 18 world championships in various categories.

Another 2024 Legacy Inductee was Matt Garner who opened Matt Garner's Bar-B-Q back in 1920. The drive-in barbecue combined Creole flavor influences from Garner's upbringing in Louisiana and techniques of the Southern U.S. brought to Houston by freed slaves. Garner is known for creating the combination of flavor known as East Texas-style barbecue.

Jose "Joe" Romero was another 2024 Legacy Inductee. Romero began by cooking for family and social gatherings in the late 1880s. His so-called "Spanish barbecues" became huge in the region with the largest held in San Francisco which fed 38,000 people with 20,000 pounds of meat.

user picture

Member for

10 years
Permalink

Box made it all the way across the U.S. to Middletown, CT, where it has sat since Monday. Final destination is Vermont. No movement for four days. FedEx is not being forthcoming with information or assistance. I’m beginning to worry.

Mine is in the Liverpool depot of Parcelforce waiting for me to pay the tax due. Since the request for this comes via snail mail it hasn’t got to me yet. Even if the bill arrives tomorrow and I pay it immediately I won’t get the box until next week, unless I pay extra for a Saturday delivery. On a positive note the deliveries of the last few items from GD have been much faster than previous years. Fingers crossed for early next week. The NY Archive box did get to me on Tuesday. I’ve watched the first BluRay which was entertaining. I don’t really think the deluxe box was worth the extra cost but I’m happy to have it. What else can you do with the money?

user picture

Member for

9 years 1 month

In reply to by cloverman

Permalink

Isn’t that part of the Plangent Process?

These sound way better than the cassette copies I had years ago.
Think I deleted all my torrent copies once the Box was announced, so can’t compare to those.

user picture

Member for

8 years 1 month

In reply to by icecrmcnkd

Permalink

Just started dipping my toes in today. Sounds great so far.
I noticed Dave teased something big for 2025 and the 60 year anniversary.
Stay tuned! Okay, still get excited about the expectation of these releases after all these years. Keep them coming.

user picture

Member for

16 years 1 month
Permalink

Hey Everyone,
Finally got around to scanning the covers. If anyone needs them, send me a PM.

Edit: Include your e-mail address and I'll send the link to my Google Drive. Mr. Hey Now won't let me post links, even in the PMs.

Colin - I saw that you had purchased the limited edition NYA box, and I was wondering if it was worth the extra money. I purchased the “economy” one, sans Blue Rays, and it was expensive, as it was. His stuff is pretty pricey, I hope you enjoy it.

A heads up, Heads (Heads Up?). - The “lost” manuscript by Robert Hunter is being released on October 8. Called the “ The Silver Snarling Trumpet: The Birth of the Grateful Dead―The Lost Manuscript of Robert Hunter” (such a Hunter name!), this chronicles the early Dead days through RH’s eyes, and is “augmented with a Foreword by John Mayer, an Introduction by Dennis McNally, and an Afterword by Brigid Meier”, who everyone here certainly knows. I’m looking forward to this one, hasn’t been much good literature on the Dead in a few years, and this comes right from the ultimate insider.
Bat Signal out for Oro in Colorado. Hope all is well, amigo.

user picture

Member for

9 years 4 months

In reply to by icecrmcnkd

Permalink

As far as box delivery, I am certain 99% will get there boxes. After the pandemic, everything got discombobulated. Deliveries depend on a vast number of people. In some parts of the states and world, they have the employees working in logistics. In other parts, people left the workforce. For example, in the states, an enormous amount of people entered the trucking industry because of the enormous demand for truckers to satisfy consumer demand related to being stuck at home. The stuckers decided to improve their homes or build a home office to work from home. This caused huge spikes in wages within the truckin industry which lead to many people to become truckers. Now that demand has died, many truckers and truckin companies are going bankrupt. Point being, be patient.

In the states, we have another problem as it relates to Newman and the post office. Postal wages are set on a national basis whereas cost of living is very disjointed. Where I live, the wages are very good compared to cost of living so USPS/UPS/Fedex work relatively well. That may not be the case where you live. Both UPS and Fedex have been struggling with employee head count as the same demand shrinkage has reached them also.

Just a thought, and I know nothing about EU tariffs, but why doesn't GD label their packages as de-minimus research and education products. May be possible to stop the packages from going through the customs process. I mean, aren't we all scholars seeking more understanding of what GD truly means. The amount of paper and cd products is maybe $10 at most for these packages. The rest of data on the product is for research and education.

Just one guy's dumb-ass thoughts...

Been missing Oro also. Hope all is well, our friend.

Has PT and others going thru surgeries popped backed up yet.

Very glad to see Jim back. I am think he is the funniest poster on here. The mark of high intelligence is true humor.

We have a whole bunch of people that call themselves comedians, but nothing funny ever comes out of their mouth. Calling yourself a comedian would be like me calling myself a neurosurgeon.

user picture

Member for

10 years 1 month

In reply to by Gary Farseer

Permalink

There are a number of people MIA lately, and I’m hoping it’s a case of everyone digging into the new Boxset that has been keeping them busy. Great to see Jim back, agreed, and here is hoping all is well with the others.

user picture

Member for

13 years 5 months

In reply to by Gary Farseer

Permalink

I noticed the absence of Oro and a few others also.

I hope there was not another tunnel collapse. It seems every time we get the tunnel right under the vault and start tunneling up calamity strikes.. We have lost some of our best people which I suspect are being kept hostage in the vault.

I think Lemieux might be on to us.

Seriously though, I hope all is ok and they are just exhausted from their day job or on vacation or something.

user picture

Member for

11 years 8 months

In reply to by JimInMD

Permalink

Fedex dropped off the box here in Vermont Tuesday, just getting into it now, recording quality excellent, esp after #51. Soaking up lots of local jazz events, weather freakishly warm and sunny for weeks, lots of time outside. Rang the doorbell at Oro's, anybody home?

user picture

Member for

7 years 10 months
Permalink

listened to my first bit (Fox Theater 4/11/78 set II) last night. Strange place to start, I guess, but it was convenient. And I just have a soft spot for that venue after Dick's 29 and Dave's 8. Love those shows so much.

and yes indeed, as Deadvikes mentioned, I read where Cap'n Lemieux was teasing us up with something big for the 60th anniversary of the band. 60... 1960s... maybe?

user picture

Member for

9 years 4 months

In reply to by Obeah

Permalink

wondering how many struggle with being hey now'd.

user picture

Member for

9 years 4 months

In reply to by Gary Farseer

Permalink

I use a vpn, which means a lot of extra how now stuff. However, if you are not using a vpn then your ip address stays the same so you should never be hey now'd.

user picture

Member for

9 years 4 months

In reply to by Gary Farseer

Permalink

I will be moving to a fixed i p address thru the v p n company soon on my main computer.

user picture

Member for

9 years 4 months

In reply to by Gary Farseer

Permalink

Of course, I would never want that too happen as would never want to be a virus spreader. Means I erase, scrub it clean every so often.

user picture

Member for

16 years 1 month
Permalink

If you’d like the cover art, send me a PM with your e-mail address. I’ll send the link to the scans in my GoogleDrive. I thought I could send the link through a PM reply, but I got Hey Now’d.

user picture

Member for

5 years 8 months
Permalink

Was hoping to have box for the weekend here in Western Maryland but that's not happening.

I checked shipping and it looks like a label was created on 9/26 and the Fedex sez maybe delivery on 10/1

To order a product from a company with a release date of 9/20, and a label not created until 9/26, and not recieve product until 10/1, is piss poor, and that's if it shows up on 10/1

piss poor

user picture

Member for

10 years 2 months
Permalink

Was enjoying being stretched out on the couch this afternoon and gazing up at the sky while listening to the second set and just about when Keith starts echoing back Terrapin during the PITB jam, watched a hawk circle around and about the treetops. Quite the sight.

user picture

Member for

3 years 1 month
Permalink

44 years ago I was up in S.F. at the Warfield Theatre, for an absolute knockout of a show with the Good ole Grateful Dead. What a cool scene! They had put a bunch of old photos of the Dead up on the walls down in the lobby . Acoustic & Electric Dead. Big Fun!

user picture

Member for

4 years 4 months

In reply to by ronmarley1

Permalink

most likely because of recent loss of his mother.

Hopefully he will be back soon

Parent loss grief is big

04.10.78 has edited out Bobby's extensive banter in-between
songs. These shows pre-date the electronic tuning devices so
it could be minutes in-between songs. Too bad some of the
ambience from from that time period was sacrificed.
But I guess if you didn't start seeing them until the mid
eighties you can't appreciate that dimension of seeing a
Dead show in the '70's.

While unsurprising, that's unfortunate that a bunch of Weir stage banter has been edited out. '78 is a good year for his ramblings. Maybe it's because he got an extra helping of MC glory starting when Garcia tapped out with Laryngitis in the first week of January. But if they release that Golden Hall show and do NOT include the part where he talks about Uncle Bobo... well, I'll still buy it I guess, but it will be tragic loss.

(true story: Bill Graham *hated* that nickname. Loathed it, detested it: said it might as well be "Uncle Sh-t".)

user picture

Member for

4 years 1 month
Permalink

I wonder why they didn't fix Garcia's vocals at the beginning of the Duke show. Given that there are some really good audience tapes out there where Garcia's Vox are perfectly audible, it surprises me that they just went with the Betty Board, where Jerry's inaudible on those first couple songs. Seems like it would've been fairly easy, given the technology they have these days, to lift the vocals off an audience tape and sync 'em. And it's not like they haven't used audience tapes to patch things up before.

A missed opportunity, I'd say, But whatever.

Sure is fun seeing the video of that show. I don't know if I've seen Jerry looking happier.

Last five!

The Who: Live at Hull
Herbie Hancock: The Prisoner
Jack White: No Name
GOGD: DaP 12 (Colgate)
TTB: Revelator

....the 4th record in my Duke vinyl is warped. Ugh. Still plays so, yay.
Arm is riding a crest.
Gonna have to press it down.
Edit.....
Seems I didn't press the record fully down on the mat.
I can admit when I get kinda high. All is good here. How are you?

Finally I see someone who seems to have a similar problem. I can hardly play the CD's. Out of 6 that I've tried only one played until the end. All the others have stops or interruptions after a few seconds or minutes. And somewhere in the middle they don't play at all anymore. I will call customer service on Monday (toda being Saturday). The email adress which is listed for customer service doesn't work.
But the tracks that I could listen to are fantastic, great sound (except for a few seconds). So I hope I'll get what I've paid for and what people at Deadnet want us to have (certainly Dave Lemieux; long live Dave!) More in a few days....

Been wondering about Oro. Positive vibes for dealing with that loss brother!

user picture

Member for

10 years 1 month
Permalink

Oro - Sorry to hear about your loss, Amigo, my sincere condolences to you and yours. I wondered where you have been, totally understand.
VGuy - Too F funny!!! Been there, done that!

user picture

Member for

10 years 10 months
Permalink

Hope everyone is enjoying their first listens to these shows! The music is what I always hope for, but slightly disappointed that the single show option from Duke has the vocal and other audio issues in the first few songs. Just wondering if the other shows have similar issues, so I can decide to purchase the box or not, since I have to be a little more careful these days. I’m not looking for perfection, as I understand these are live shows recorded over 40 years ago, but again, just trying to see if I’d be missing out, by not getting the box. Let’s hear some more reviews and rock on!

user picture

Member for

12 years 1 month
Permalink

First, Oro,,, sorry about Mom (if indeed that's the case). Mom's are the hardest (I think, was for me).

Vguy - Saturday Night Live quote,,, " I hate when that happens"

In case you missed it. Experience vinyl is offering "Live at Cow Palace" on 5 lp's. Limited to 2500. Not coming till "Early" 2025. My experience with Experience says that date will be way off. They're very proud of it,,, 200 bucks.

user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

9 years 2 months
Permalink

I have not been much of a 78 fan. Had relatively low expectations for this box. Now I have gotten through first four shows and am extremely impressed. Jerry's voice and playing are to my ears some of his best. Would love to know others thoughts. I am hoping for an 8/13/84 release. My first California show and what a show it was.

user picture

Member for

15 years 2 months
Permalink

THAT MIKE
Yes I bought the deluxe NY box, there is no rational way in which it is value for money, particularly as it could only be ordered from the US so it cost another £90+ to get it through customs. The total cost was c. £200 more than the cd only box! The book has some nice photos and I look forward to watching the BluRays. I could afford it so I don’t regret buying it.
I’ve paid the taxes on the GD box so I hope it will be delivered next Tuesday. Parcelforce willing.

user picture

Member for

17 years 5 months
Permalink

Thanks for the covers Ron, these look grate!

user picture

Member for

17 years 5 months

In reply to by itsburnsy

Permalink

....is one of my favorites. Missed out on the first vinyl release. Tempting.
Currently spinning Jacksonville. A Half-Step opener usually bodes well.
I followed JJC's lead and changed my avatar accordingly.

user picture

Member for

16 years 1 month

In reply to by itsburnsy

Permalink

My pleasure itsburnsy! Dreary Saturday here anyway.
If anyone else wants the cover art from the box, send me a PM with your e-mail address.

user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

7 years
Permalink

I LOVE THIS BOX !!!!......only half through the Spotatorium show after finishing Curtis Hixon. I always play in order and never look at the setlists before playing, and that includes DaP's......such a great time to experience the band and great sound..........'78 Dead is sweet. The set stops before one of my shows in Columbus, OH on 4/19. I have several photos of that show as I was shooting for the school newspaper. Still have the 8 X 10 black and white from it. This was the beginning of their "Werewolves" journey. Another thing that I'm especially looking forward to is mastering the ocean drum and going on tour.

.....maaaaan. That song holds a place close to my heart. It was the song that was playing on the tape in my car the day Jerry died. I don't remember the show, but I remember the song. 🎶 If I tell another what your own lips told to me
Let me lay 'neath the roses and my eyes no longer see.
Edit. Billy Strings wife's water broke and he had to leave his Renewal Fest.
Social media all over the place regarding his decision. I can assume you can guess why.
Treys birthday is 9/30 btw. The big six O. That would be cool if Ally can hang on just a little bit longer.
His new record is phenomenal btw. 🍻

Oh yeah, CMD, I recall those long long tuning breaks in between songs. Listen to 71 shows you can hear the long breaks. It was kind of part of their charm, low key and not so showy.

user picture

Member for

17 years 6 months
Permalink

Colin, did you say that Parcelforce is delivering your box? Mine is coming rom DHL and the tracking just says customs cleared but no mention of fees. It has supposedly been on its way for two days. Earlier I thought UPS had it, but that was another order.

user picture

Member for

17 years 5 months

In reply to by nitecat

Permalink

at least that what it looks like after my robotic surgery lol.
Fun to mess with people who don’t know any better: “hey, long time no see, how ya been” at which point I show em my scars and repeat the above header ; )
In reality, it’s a long tragic tail involving collapsing vault tunnels AND Aliens.( DL has some serious security at that vault, bastard!), but the only way Bolo agreed to free me from my near impossible situation—(and as we KNOW, the situation is the boss not that douche from Jersey)—was after NDAs and blood oath to NEVER ever mention any details involved in my extrication, so yeah…

Decided to go full cleanse of everything and anything, including Dead and dead related accessories for my somewhat “routine” procedure, but as things took a bit more than I had planned (all good, just takes longer to heal as ya get older) I kinda just kept with it, and as things have been slow here on DN, then kinda decided to have some fun and see how long it took to notice the absence of my usual over prodigious pontifications and general weirdness lol.
Thanks to the kind folks who did notice, although that might have been directed toward the Other Oro, Oroboros who did lose his beloved mother recently. Condolences again as “a motherless child has a harder time” a the song goes…
Chever way/intentions is good, and I’m ok, and hopefully he and his are doing better also!

But we have been missing lots of good folks who used to add to the mix.
Big names like Strider and Bolo, and Nappy, and one of my favorite DHs, GOGD, and SKULLTRIP, or even Gratefulhan, Wilfredtjones, Hendrixfreak, Angry Jack, Thin, Kiethfan (and more I’m unintentionally forgetting) and haven’t heard from the Onesies camp, hope things are progressing positively for you folks, and Mrs Doc, and big elephant in the room, PT Barnum…been like a couple months now…gulp. And Franks knee!
Good to see Jimbo, Charlie, and Fivebranch, Fourwinds and some other “strangers” checking in! The more the merrier and less chance for me to ramble ; )
Sorry to Mikey, but the fog from the drugs and alien mind erase incapacitated my ability to view said Bat signal until most recently! But do appreciate the RH book intel: of course TOO is such a hopeless book junkie that she already knew. As kind as she, is I’m starting to think her purchasing books for others is just a way to attempt to quell her savage insatiable book Jones…ahem, girls got a bit of a problem.
Oh, to Mike and all jazz nicks, finished a great book during my time out:
Three Shades of Blue: MD, JC, Bill Evans and the lost empire of cool.
His prose is sometimes weird, but great research and detail. I’d call it a must read for anyone with interest in jazz!
Also Spitz’s Led Zep Bio, good but? Left a weird after taste…
And another, Once There Were Wolves, interesting fiction. Very informative, but perhaps a tad over the top story line?

APRIL 78 BOX:
Finally arrived after what seems to unfortunately have become normal MO of convoluted temporary lost in the ozone again fuckery,…but at least it’s here, ripped and ready and just finished an enjoyable listen to 4/6!
“Sound sucks”…really? Maybe the sound of the band at the time might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I’d say the recordings don’t get much better, but maybe that’s just me? Certainly head and shoulders better recording than the previous last dog (ok show, perhaps worst released recording yet?).

And ya gotta love DHs and our opinions lol. Now I dig Nitecat (and no offense intended!) and all he’s done here and on the toob of use etc, and I get what he ment about the tuning break pace, vibes/nostalgia, but after all these years I’m all for editing out unnecessary “dead air” though banter is always appreciated when space allows, but man I don’t miss the never ending tuning BITD before they had tuners, especially when after lengthy tuning break, they’d start playing and all ready be out of tune( like early 70s and primal) lol. Yeah, thank goodness for Korg tuners! Of course as any smoker knows, half those breaks were probably JG and that ole song (see Commander Cody’s take on ) Smoke, Smoke, Smoke lol
Solid show and perhaps typical tour opener and already a step up from Jan/Feb run (did all those in order leading up to this box), but from what I recall things only get better, perhaps peaking at the Fox, especially the second night? We shall see, yum yum!
Oh, dig the blown or overdriven speaker during 4/6 A&A being picked up on the instruments mic! Can’t figure out who’s speaker yet, but as a musician and roadie BITD I’d recognize that sound in my sleep. Just to illustrate how revealing these recordings are! Good Sheet Mon! Thanks to Dave and company for getting this awesome tour all gussied up and out to us!

Ok, enough ketchup lol, good to see ya, now I need to call my BFF of almost fifty years (and awesome GD music bass player) to wish him a happy biff day, in spite of fucking cancer!
Be well all, hope everyone gets their box soon and fully digs it!
And
DV, go VIKS! Lol

Rombumzora: have you tried playing the discs on other players?
The optics do wear out on players eventually…just a thought, good luck!
ONWARD!

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