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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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  • #181
    FiveBranch
    Joined:
    April 11 at the Fox

    Just finished the first set. The Tennessee Jed has all the goods with special delivery. Brown Eyed flits along on some of that alternate rhythm you hear in William & Mary Dap37's BEW, only done better. Do the channels get switched during Looks Like Rain? Not sure. I'll listen for it next time. But Mickey brings in the thunder nonetheless. After Minglewood you can hear a devil backstage trying to figure out what to do with a fiddle. Closes with Deal and Jerry plays a solo that's dealt with perfection.

  • #182
    JoeyMC
    Joined:
    Live ABB

    This is all good to know .

  • #183
    icecrmcnkd
    Joined:
    Thanks Crow

    I was previously going to get the Down In Texas release but the reviews said the sound quality wasn’t so good.
    I’m not going to pay vinyl prices for low quality audio.

    I have the Fillmore East 5-CD set, Bear’s Sonic Journals, A&R studio, Ludlow Garage, and another one, think it’s Fillmore West maybe?
    What we need cleaned up and released is 12-31-73.

  • #184
    daverock
    Joined:
    Live ABB

    The pick of the bunch for me is Live at The Fillmore East - the 2cd deluxe edition that was expanded from the double album originally released in 1971. As an introduction - there was a 5cd set that came out a year or so ago called "Trouble No More - 50th Anniversary Collection" which features live and studio recordings over a 50 year period. I haven't heard this, but it was unanimously praised on Amazon for both the music selected and the sound quality.

  • #185
    Huskerwing
    Joined:
    ABB

    I just finished a big job ripping the entire 2009 Beacon 4oth anniversary run from the CD set I bought back then. Watched most of those shows via the Moogis website which ended up a huge debacle but at the time it was pretty damn cool. Anyway, it's not Duane for sure but that version of the band had Haynes and Trucks on guitar and they were really in sync. The best part of those shows though is the massive guest lineup. Clapton, Weir, Lesh, Trey, Hornsby, Bell, Herring, Taj Mahal, Levon.... and more. I think they have the individual shows on Munck Mix for download or CD purchase even today.
    Edit: the "Live from A&R Studios" 8/26/71 has supreme sound and very interesting playing and of course the Fillmore 1970 Bear recorded and originally released through the same channel as Dicks Picks but now out under the "Bears Sonic Journals" series is REALLY good. I still have the old CD that has the similar insert/disc art as the first few Dicks Picks.

  • #186
    JoeyMC
    Joined:
    Live ABB

    I always want to get some, on CD or digital, but I don't know what's good. Every time I stream something just to check it out, the sound seems not that great to me.... or worse than not that great actually.

    I'm not big on Sugar Mags but this one on 4/11 is very nice :)

  • #187
    daverock
    Joined:
    Missing out

    Cnkd - thanks for the heads up. It might not be the way you are supposed to do it, but in England, Independent record shops put RSD releases up for sale online 24 hours after they have been made available in their physical shops. This is how I have bought all mine in the past. I drive as little as possible these days, and I never did like queuing.

    That ABB release looks interesting. The Duane years, but also the Brothers and Sisters album and surrounding shows are the sweet spot for me with this band - so this bridge between the 2 line ups sounds as though it could be worth hearing.

  • #188
    Crow Told Me
    Joined:
    Ask and Shall Receive, M'brotha

    4-7-72 is indeed a pretty darned good ABB recording. Performance wise, it's unique: this is one the first gigs they did after Duane died and before Berry was also taken. I think it's the only known recording with that lineup. They hadn't yet brought Chuck Leavell into the mix. So they're working on how to play their "old' material with only one guitar, and Dickey playing the slide parts. Berry is stepping to the forefront more than he usually did when Duane was around, so it's an interesting from that perspective. I believe it was recorded by a college radio station, so the sound A-OK. Whether you need this one or not probably depends on how fanatical you are about the ABB: for the more casual fan, you probably just want to get the shows with Duane before you get into stuff like this. For us fanatics, of course, it's essential piece of the story.

  • #189
    Vguy72
    Joined:
    So, because of the port strike....

    ....the stupid people are starting to horde toilet paper again. Better get some now.

  • #190
    icecrmcnkd
    Joined:
    BFRSD list

    There’s some other interesting releases on there.

    ABB 4-7-72. Anyone know if that’s a good sounding recording?

    Big Brother, Byrds/Buffalo Springfield, Doors 5-8-70, Jorma and Jack, Stones Ya Yas (which I’ve never heard as far as I know), Tangerine Dream for Daverock.
    Dennis’ wife’s credit card is going to take a beating on Black Friday.

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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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Submitted by MadDoc on Sun, 11/17/2024 - 13:00

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@CmdrDarklighter

The flac files for this box are corrupt. For whatever reason, they're still for sale. Some of us have tried slugging it out with support, the higher ups, and whatnot. Nothing has changed.
The flac files are still full of drop outs and digital stuttering. The alac files, I believe, are ok.

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Submitted by On the Bus… on Thu, 11/21/2024 - 10:22

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Just got done listening to the Box set in order, plus threw William and Mary in there to make it like I was on tour. I have to say that it was a very enjoyable experience. All the Box sets are excellent, but this one really brought a smile to my face. There's a looseness to the playing that makes it incredibly easy to enjoy - plus the sound is killer!! Going to need to relisten to July '78 now.

Now, let's scrape up anything listenable for that Fall 1970 Box set.

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Submitted by jonathan918@GD on Sun, 11/24/2024 - 05:01

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I was able to get in both shows last night. The band is on fire, and there is a looseness to the playing, but also some really focused jamming

Scar>Fire from 4/11/78 almost set my damn house on fire!!!

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