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July 31, 2024 - 6:48am

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Dead Admin

Joined:
April 28, 2021

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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October 23, 2024 - 12:45am

#61

daverock

Joined:
September 1, 2014

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.
October 22, 2024 - 9:26pm

#62

DeadVikes

Joined:
October 26, 2016

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!
October 22, 2024 - 11:20am

#63

1stshow70878

Joined:
September 11, 2014

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
October 22, 2024 - 10:55am

#64

JimInMD

Joined:
June 27, 2011

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.
October 22, 2024 - 12:24am

#65

daverock

Joined:
September 1, 2014

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.
October 21, 2024 - 3:14pm

#66

Byrd

Joined:
June 15, 2007

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.
October 20, 2024 - 9:01pm

#67

JimInMD

Joined:
June 27, 2011

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.
October 20, 2024 - 9:17am

#68

icecrmcnkd

Joined:
October 20, 2015

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.
October 19, 2024 - 8:06pm

#69

wissinomingdeadhead

Joined:
December 17, 2011

MUATM?

The Duke Show OR 11/24/78
October 17, 2024 - 10:24pm

#70

Obeah

Joined:
January 14, 2017

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.

John Perry Barlow

John Perry Barlow

Forums

Dead Store Products

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.

Corrupt 24/192 files

@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.

Great Box Set!

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.

4/10-11/78

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!!!

Still

Working my way through the box, because life…
Listening to 4/11 now. You ain’t wrong JONATHAN918@GD. The Scarlet>Fire is smokin’!

Still working my way also

Listening to the tour chronologically, I'm up to Duke and enjoying it immensely. This is a grate box!

What's the companion show from this tour already released?

Taking it easy

I'm taking my time with the box too - I played the 1st cd of 4/14 this morning and every song is spot on. Great Tennessee Jed, but there isn't a weak song in the set.

I wasn't aware of a companion show, but as one was mentioned I went and had a look at my Daves Picks. Stone me - number 37 is 4/15/78.

Almost There

Started the 4/16 show today. The lead-off Jack Straw is a ripper!
I’m pleased with the box as well.

Great Box

I took my time going through the shows in this box and found them all enjoyable, but I particularly liked the 4/16/78 show. I listened to it again in the last week or so, and it seemed just about perfect. I seem to recall that 4/14/78 also really hit the spot on the first run through, but I have not given it a second listen yet.

The thing I really liked about this particular run of shows is hearing the evolution of the drums-space interlude at the point it began. All the dead shows that I saw were basically mid to late 1980s and a couple in the '90s, so the drums-space interlude was a part of pretty much every show that I saw, so really cool to hear that show format being established in these shows. It helps that I typically really dig the drums-space interludes, just cool to hear where it goes, and to hear the transition into whatever song came after the interlude. Good stuff.

FOTD's Box Cover Art

Sorry I’ve taken so long. You’ve probably already got this covered, but I finally got around to working on Matthew Brannon’s artwork for the FOTDs Box. I started with images cedartree96 posted on reddit. They are good scans, but needed some serious color correction based on the CD sleeves in my box. Also, the backgrounds aren't exactly the same as what’s on the sleeves in my box – maybe artist’s proofs? Anyway, if you still need ‘em, here’s what I've got:

"3w dot" dropbox "dot" com/scl/fo/1i777b15ncbxwvr70duv3/AMlHEK_DvPU2BqZh0ugjeGM?rlkey=26r5ro33aig037ckir7xtknqs&st=snd7kum7&dl=0

Finished

Took a road trip to southern Ohio yesterday and finished the box set. Looks like it’s against conventional wisdom, but my favorite show is 4/8. The second CD really hits the spot! I’m very happy overall, and will be coming back to these shows often.
PS, I just realized I haven’t gone through the booklet yet! Haha!

RONMARLEY

Nice work man!

I still haven't picked a favorite show from the box yet, but 4/8/78 is a contender for sure

I forget where I read it, but 4/8/78 might have been Dick Latvala pick for best as well. Half Step and Scar>Fire are monster versions!!

Rock on, gang

DV’s Notebook

Hey JONATHAN918@GD…
You are right on about Dick! Thanks for sending me on a hunt. If you Google “dick latvala 4-8-78”, the second link will take you to his notebook pages at GDSets dot com. Pretty cool to see his opinion change over time.

Same Here

4/8/78 is my favored too.
Scarle/Fire - celestial!
Cheers

Woops

Was thinking 4/6…

Yep

4-6-78 was my favorite.
Duke was good too.
Maybe 4-15-78 (Wm. & Mary DaP 37) was the best of the bunch?
First time through though. Will read the booklet when I start going through it again. Been saving that to form my own opinions first.
Cheers

Box Booklet

Just finished reading, and it’s an excellent guide to the shows. It’s always cool when you lean something new about the band. 1STSHOW70878, you were wise to wait; it might have influenced your opinion.
It’s very well written. It’s also sad that it’s one of the last writings by Steve Silberman.

4/8/1978

Just listening to 4/8/1978 Veterans Memorial through my Marantz/Martin Logan ESL9 system and this show sounds fabulous. Drums set is especially awesome . The sound stage places each dum in a space of their own. Can't wait to make it through the other shows. So glad I bought this.

The Duke Lp/CD set was reviewed

in The Absolute Sound January 2025 addition by Jeff Wilson, a self described fan. Decent review, but he blows JGs age lol, and ironically he doesn’t talk much about the audio. The main pic has to be from later in the year as bobs playing an Ibanez Musician Series which he didn’t start trying until May. (at least from all the pics I’ve researched?) But always fun to see the boys get acknowledged.

what happened to comments

on Dave's picks? Not showing up anymore...

It moved

Go to Recent Posts (top right drop down)
New title is Dave's 52 Take 2.
MaryE explains old one died.
I.T. issue I guess.
Cheers

Yeah, so sorry

I messed up...but head on over to Take 2

Thanks 1st show! (and Marye)

Found the new thread.

Great box!

Finally made it through the whole box, including the Dave's 37 which is part of the tour. Dave's 37 is a little more octane than those shows in the box, but they're all really good. I'm wondering if there were other releases from this tour besides DaP37??

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