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July 1978: The Complete Recordings
What's Inside:
• Five Complete Shows on 12 discs
• 7/1/78 Arrowhead Stadium: Kansas City, MO
• 7/3/78 St. Paul Civic Center Arena: St. Paul, MN
• 7/5/78 Omaha Civic Auditorium: Omaha, NE
• 7/7/78 Red Rocks Amphitheatre: Morrison, CO
• 7/8/78 Red Rocks Amphitheatre: Morrison, CO
Mastered in HDCD by Jeffrey Norman
Artwork by esteemed cartoonist Paul Pope
Intro and show-by-show liner notes by Nicholas Meriwether
Producer's Note by David Lemieux
Individually Numbered, Limited Edition of 15,000
Release Date: May 13, 2016
Announcing July 1978: The Complete Recordings
We’re pleased to announce JULY 1978: THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS, five incredible unreleased shows and the first official release from the long-lost tapes, recently returned to the Grateful Dead’s vault. Follow the Dead on a sonic journey through a superb selection of settings, an often epic adventure that finds them winning over Willie and Waylon fans in Kansas City, conjuring charisma in Omaha, and elevating the Red Rocks beyond their already spiritual planes. With five distinct performances painting the masterpiece of 1978, Betty Cantor-Jackson's always-pristine soundboard recordings, and the "hall-of-fame pedigree" of the Dead's first-ever shows at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre, this is one release that far exceeds excellence in music, sound quality, and rarity.
Limited to 15,000 individually numbered copies, JULY 1978: THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS includes Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO (7/1/78), St. Paul Civic Center, St. Paul, MN (7/3/78), Omaha Civic Auditorium, Omaha, NE (7/5/78), and Red Rocks Amphitheater, Morrison CO (7/7/78 and 7/8/78) - all of the performances in this collection are drawn from the band’s master soundboard recordings, each newly mastered by Jeffrey Norman. The set also features original artwork by esteemed cartoonist Paul Pope (D.C. and Marvel comics) and in-depth liner notes written by Nick Meriwether (Grateful Dead Archives at the University of California, Santa Cruz), as well as a producer’s note from producer David Lemieux.
Due May 13th, we anticipate that this extraordinary box will sell out. Your best bet is to pre-order it now, then sit back, relax, and enjoy all the exclusive content we'll be rolling out over the next few weeks right here.
Looking for something a little more byte-sized? The collection will also be available for HD digital download in FLAC and ALAC, exclusively at dead.net, on release day.
View To A Grill
Which Walkerswood do ya'll recommend? Jambalaya today (which turned out great as far as I'm concerned as a displaced Northerner..we'll see what the coonasses think tonight. And winter is coming) but we'll likely grill out tomorrow for the holiday.
Despite my planned material, somehow ended up on Throwing Stones > Good Lovin' from 10/9/89..Not Pig but all good things in all good time.
Ken - I've actually had River's Hymn in my head the last week or so. Good stuff..a little clunky of a song, in my opinion, but the performance pulls it off.
Woke up this mor'nin, and what did I find?
Saw Daverock's post this morning and was speechless. First off, DR, thanks for instigating good discussion; second, not sure you understand music. (no disrespect intended) I have read most of the follow- up posts in response to your initial statement, so will try not to repeat others too much. As mentioned, the GREAT Sonny Boy Williamson wrote GMLSG in the late 30's. Bobby Bland wrote the original Lovelight. Both have been covered by many. Yes, Pig's raps at the end of Lovelight or Good Lov'in could get quite raunchy and very distasteful; however........
Pretty sure I don't fit the stereotypical Deadhead. Don't do drugs and am fairly conservative in my values. So why would I love the Dead and be a Pig glutton? Let me try to explain. I believe in the individual and have very little in common with those who always have to conform with the crowd. (whether they claim to be liberal or conservative) Be yourself man. I don't judge others and cannot stand hypocrisy. Pig and the Dead laid down wonderful music night end and night out for 30 years. The band sung the lyrics and played their instruments with harmony and chords that always rock my soul. If you don't like what you hear from the Dead, The Band, The Stones, or Chuck Berry, don't listen to it and no need to comment if you don't. I don't have kids, but pretty sure I would not listen to Lovelight alone with my ten year old son.
Love yourself, love others, and love life.
Peace to all.
And friends, don't be afraid to getcha some good love!!!!!!!
Sam T
Shakespeare in US
It might not be appreciated that The Bard's comedies, tragedies and histories are performed routinely in the U.S. every year, year 'round. The link below provides a small sampling of communities that do so around the country:
http://www.shakespeareinamericancommunities.org/theater-companies
Muleskinner
Walkerswood Traditional Jamaican jerk seasoning hot & spicy.I bought it at Kroger, Walmart also has it.
Slather it on and let sit in the fridge for 24 hours.
Couple Garcia's
My gf is half Portuguese and half Italian.. and its mighty hard to get her to lighten up and live a little.. so I found this mildly carbonated 'decent' Portuguese Vinho Verde that goes down nice when its hot and humid. (by decent I mean I can drink it and she likes it). Its a rosé that gets a little secondary fermentation or added gas in the bottle. Light, refreshing, a good hot weather or hot tub wine. ..anyway..
Spent today fixing up the house she bought.. sweating bullets all the while.. get home and open up a bottle of this Vinho Verde I bought for her. Its only then I notice that it's called Casal Garcia.. which she tells me means Couple Garcia or couple of Garcia's or Double Garcia, something like that.
Surprised I didn't notice it before.. but it could only mean I am listening to too much GD and not enough JGB. Too much Yin and not enough Yang. An imbalance that 30 trips only made worse.
We should all have a Double Garcia Memorial Day.. don't you think? The world has become imbalanced.
DLR?
ugh.
Pigpen's raps? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVHBQ9dr9Po
Just got an Owl...
scarecrow, to scare away those critters that plague my garden. Named him Prospero. Robert Hunter is a genius. Oh yeah, that Billy Shakes too...
Jim!--JGB
Had to chime in after your last post. Listened to 7-8-78 for the second deep listen tonight and it really rocked. I was tempted to put on a another show from the box after that but decided to change things up a bit and put on Garcia Live Volume 3 Legion of Mary. Sorry that I forgot who first described this release as "badassery" but that is exactly what it is! Jerry at the height of his powers with a ready and willing supporting cast. And if anyone wonders why Elvis' handlers thought Ronnie Tutt was so important just give this a listen.
revisionist history
I'm not the biggest Pigpen fan in the world, Takimoto's post reflects my views quite well. But I don't think it's fair to compare Pig's raps to today's standards. It reminds me of those who want to rewrite The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Most of us agree that the "N-word" shouldn't be used but that doesn't mean we should pretend it was never part of mainstream culture.
Thanks for the tip, Vguy--I grill corn often but will use your idea to surprise the family this summer.
revisionist history rdevil
Yes, I appreciated takimoto's post, too. And your own. The strength of any community lies in its ability to embrace diversity.
snafu
What a great line! Nobody can come back after that has been aimed at them.
Incidentally, before I drop out of view again, and something that may be of no interest to anyone-I saw one of the most amazing live bands I have ever seen in my life a few weeks ago. They are a Norwegian trio called Elephant9, and they play a kind of overcooked jazz/progressive rock hybrid. I saw them at this established jazz club in London, Ronnie Scotts, and they just blew the roof off the joint. At the intermission, some people were walking around absolutely amazed at what they had just heard. Others were appalled. I overheard one old jazz fan complaining to a member of staff, saying "You cant call THAT jazz! It was just a horrible psychedelic noise!"
Happy Memorial Day to everyone who has read and thought about my posts. Those that haven't, too!
Love,
Dave
Movies
Over the week end I watched both The Wrecking Crew & Muscle Shoals. Both wee amazing!
The Wrecking Crew were pretty much responsible for the soundtrack of my life through the 60's to mid 70's. Absolutely eye opening & amazing.
Pretty much anyone who recorded down in Muscle Shoals says that it was THE best place they ever recorded at. And for you ABB fans, this is where the roots of the band got started.
Great stuff indeed.
Rock on
Movies
I agree-incredible stuff. I think I have seen the Muscle Shoals film. Is that the one where they keep going back to interview Rick Hall, and he tells of family tragedies that he has experienced? After about an hour, you almost dread him re-appearing. Amazing how so much could go wrong for one man.
But the music is what makes it. Soul is a new discovery for me. At the time it was recorded I was a bit lost in the white hippie rock world-and soul didn't really register with me. Which means I have a wealth of great music to catch up on now! There are some great box sets you can get now too, relatively cheaply. The 9 and 10 cd sets comprising all the Stax singles from 1958-1975 are amazing-literally 100s of great recordings all in one place.
Dave rock and diversity
I could not disagree with your statement more Dave.Embrace diversity for strength, that is modern psychobabble.
You only have to look at world history to see this. The Chinese are a great example. For thousands of years they were the globes mega power. And they did not tolerate diversity at all. Foreigners were enslaved or killed. There are way more examples if you care to look back even recently at the French, English, and so on.
Diversity as of late lacks assimilation. If you have a population that is splintered into factions, were there is no commen goal, chaos ensues. In our own country today you have people who pride themselves on their Original Culture, but not being Americans. A population must work together, and in a modern sense diversity does just the opposite.
I only mention this due to the Importance of THIS DAY. And please know Dave, I am not attacking you personally, but disagreeing vigorously with your statement. A statement that gets parroted a lot today, but rarely examined.
Too Diverse?
Nothing personal, but I prefer the political discussions to remain in the realm of PMs. I'll be sending one now in fact!
Re: Embracing Diversity
If there's one "thing" that authentically embraces diversity, it's universal unity, which seamlessly all-permeates boundless now-presence (while) allowing each sense-shell to perceive it as intimate centrality. (Too bad) the vast majority, raised to be aware of ego solely, cling to ego; and so remain mind-shadows: oblivious to their own source-lucidity, a lucidity that can be utterly self-understood (if) understood thought-free.
mushrooms in your scrambled eggs this morning, bruh?
spinning a set the stars through which the tattered tales of axis roll about the waxen wind of never set to motion in the unbecoming round about the reason hardly matters nor the wise through which the stars were set in spin
a tip of the hat and a raise of the glass to...
those people we are remembering today.
Braver folk than me.
Oh Yoko
Happy Memorial Day to all and to your loved ones! Fire up the grill (or whatever) and down a cool IPA or two in honor of the greatest rock-n'-roll band ever. Love the '78 box set. Don't have a lot from '78. Killer shows--as described. Truly fierce rock and roll with a growl. Rougher and more stubble than clean-shaven '77. Works for me! Also, Donna is always allright with me, even if a bit amped up in the mix. She's no Yoko Ono and is a beloved part of 70's Grateful Dead for me. Ditto for Pigpen's TMI rants! Sure, I don't play them for the kids, but it's all part of the music of the world's greatest rock-n'-roll band, IMHO. Let it be. I'm with One-Man on leaving the politics elsewhere. Same with revisionist criticisms of PigPen. Love him or don't. Don't be hatin' on the blues or you may be in the wrong site. It's all good! It's all poetry. Peace to all!
78 Box Set
Hey - I made a big mistake- you see I bought four of the Europe 72 shows when they were on sale - I was worried they would be sold out -never to return, I had previously bought nine of the shows -usually during sales or free shipping, Well they arrived about a week or so before the 78 box.When I listen to the 78 box vs, the Europe 72 - the 72 shows are 100% better - the 78 is sloppy - the slide is out of tune at times - lacks excitement- missing the groove- jerry sounds checked out and overall a great disappointment - the 77 box is much better. Dave sold a less than adequate collection - the package is great -but it is quantity not quality - better luck next time
78 Box Set
Hey - I made a big mistake- you see I bought four of the Europe 72 shows when they were on sale - I was worried they would be sold out -never to return, I had previously bought nine of the shows -usually during sales or free shipping, Well they arrived about a week or so before the 78 box.When I listen to the 78 box vs, the Europe 72 - the 72 shows are 100% better - the 78 is sloppy - the slide is out of tune at times - lacks excitement- missing the groove- jerry sounds checked out and overall a great disappointment - the 77 box is much better. Dave sold a less than adequate collection - the package is great -but it is quantity not quality - better luck next time
78 Box Set
Hey - I made a big mistake- you see I bought four of the Europe 72 shows when they were on sale - I was worried they would be sold out -never to return, I had previously bought nine of the shows -usually during sales or free shipping, Well they arrived about a week or so before the 78 box.When I listen to the 78 box vs, the Europe 72 - the 72 shows are 100% better - the 78 is sloppy - the slide is out of tune at times - lacks excitement- missing the groove- jerry sounds checked out and overall a great disappointment - the 77 box is much better. Dave sold a less than adequate collection - the package is great -but it is quantity not quality - better luck next time
Nothing of value existed before Pigpen....
Yes, you read that correctly. Nothing of value throughout all of human history mattered until Pigpen sang the blues. After he died, all was darkness.
That's just the way it is. I don't make the rules. I just listen to Pigpen. He taught me everything I need to know. Which isn't much. But I'm happy -- like a pig in slop!
Musings for the weekend
Just sitting around this weekend applying bags of ice to my nuts after my vasectomy on Friday had "complications". Having alot of fun. My urologist who has been practicing for 35 yrs says he has seen my "situation" only 3 or 4 times. Definitely now what I wanted to hear in post op. To add insult to injury, my kids keep asking me why I'm apply ice to my nuts. Good grief.
I went to MUAM at a twin drive around here locally a few weeks back. They replayed the movie on a sat nite after the national MUAM showing which was on Wednesday (I think). Well, I had never been to this drive in before but guessed on the ride over the place would be maybe half full. Boy, was I wrong. The drive in (both theaters) was packed with dead heads. They also had a dead cover band in late afternoon to entertain before the sun went down and they were good. So, all in all, a very good take. I ended up going with a buddy who likes the dead. There were actually a lot of little kids there too. My wife isn't really a dead fan nor are my kids (who are still young) but maybe next yr i'll bring them ... it was good take.
The next day after the drive in I was at church and mentioned to a friend there that I was at MUAM the nite before. He mentioned that he was actually a 2nd cousin of bob weir. His father had traced his family tree back a few years ago and sure enough bob weir is related. I thought bob was adopted so I guess its bob's parents that are related by blood. Anyways, it is a small world.
Now, I'm sitting around watching red sox and orioles game on TV and they are advertising the Dead concert in july at fenway park. Funny the baseball announcers have nothing to say when advertising the dead concert. But when they announce the paul McCartney concert also at fenway this summer, they ramble on how they would like to meet McCartney etc ... but no similar love for Dead. Anyways, I'm going to the Friday nite show at fenway and the announcer said there are still a lot of good seats left to both fri and sat shows. Sixtus, are you going? I'm going with some buddies but maybe we can meet somewhere b/f the show? And as I speak, david Ortiz just hit a towering home run. He is a beast at 40ys old.
Best wishes takimoto....
....I guess a vasectomy isn't always "snip-snip". Here's an idea. Take one of those ice cubes and put it in a bourbon and coke. That should ease the pain a bit. Meanwhile, on the Vguy front, woke up to some sort of a mite infestation outside our house. Only along the north and west facing walls. Little fuckers were getting under the door jamb into our sun room. I mean, a LOT of them. Disgusting. Just spent the last two hours soaking the walls in bug spray and vacuuming. I guess spring has officially sprung. Back to July '78. Can't get enough of 7.1 and 7.7....
....also, went clothes shopping for my son yesterday, seeing as how he's growing like a weed, when I spied a shirt that had Lincoln wearing reflective sunglasses and a baseball cap holding a red solo cup. Beneath, in red, white and blue letters, was the phrase, "Four score and seven beers ago".....I just had to have it....laughed all the way to the cashier. Even the wife liked it....
Digging This Box
I also was on an E'72 binge before this box arrived and all of those shows are top shelf. The shows in the '78 box are different than the '72 shows, but that's one of the things I like about the Dead, they are not static, they continued to evolve and change. Some of the changes I liked more than others, of course, but I enjoy just about all of it. If I didn't dig it I wouldn't bother listening.
If the Dead played....
....with the setlist and style of '72 for another 23 years, I probably would have been bored by the time 1978 rolled around (see post below).....
thanks vguy ...
that is a better use of ice. I never thought of that. Probably cuz I got some prescription stuff from the doctor.
I am digging this box. I've always liked 78 dead however not as much as late 60's to 73 dead. But its clearly a different sound and like others have mentioned it is the variety of these different eras of the dead that allows their fans to be able to listen to so much and for so long. As sort of an analogy, i thought i had heard when the Who played The day on the green with the dead in 1976, they played the same exact set 4 nites in a row (i.e. same songs in same order). The dead didn't play a single song twice in 4 nites .... which is incredible.
So, I do like this 78 box as its definitely high energy. Not sure where it ranks to me in terms of 78 ... clearly don't think it will take down my number one pick for 78 (DP 18). For that matter, DP 18 is one of my top dead cd's of all time. However, What I don't like about 78 and this box is that, to me, it seems that the set lists aren't very varied. But I suppose that is the case for most eras.
ifn you know the circle jerks
operationoperation
snip and tie
snip and tie
operation
operation
snip and tie
snip and tie
thank goodness that has to happen only once in a lifetime
1989 alpine they played the wheel twice.
I remember at a three day run at alpine in 1989 that I was at. They did play "The Wheel" twice. Which was something I had never seen before. Which was just fine with me. Then on the summer tour 1991 they played a ton of different songs. Can't remember but it was in possibly in the 100's with little repeats. Somebody might know.
Dead/The Who Days on the Green
I was there both days. The Who's set was completely identical Saturday and Sunday, except they added 3 songs for an encore on Sunday.
I recall reading an account of a conversation between Townshend and Garcia, where Pete was utterly shocked that the Dead played 2 completely different shows on consecutive days and was asking how in the world they did that. Or something like that.
Shout out to all the veterans out there as I hoist a cold one in your honor. Thank you for protecting our families and our freedom.
The Who set lists
I have always been a big fan of The Who. I see them most years they come around and it is always a burr under my saddle that they mix it up very little. Pretty much the same songs year after year after year. This year, which once again is supposed to be the "last" tour, again,. they have managed to break out a few different tunes. But VERY few.
Pete always said that he did not want to be a "greatest hits" band and then he turns around and plays the same songs every show. I caught Roger on a solo tour a few years ago and he did play some different stuff and he said it is Pete who refuses to mix it up.
The most diverse band I know of is Pearl Jam. I have seen them back-to-back nights, like 60 songs, and not one repeat. That is a band I can truly respect for mixing up a set list.
Garcia / Townshend
I must have read the same account. It probably was the start of what seemed to be a friendship between Townshend and Garcia that is probably as much responsible for the E81 tour as anything else.
There's a part b to the story that ends with I think Garcia, Weir and Townshend partying or hanging out till the sun came up and conversations that went pretty deep. At least I think I remember hearing or reading this account, likely after one of the Rainbow Theatre shows.
Good observation Midway Kid.. on song diversity. A bright spot in later years. I especially liked some of the covers in that era.
I liked the discussion of '78 vs. '72 earlier in this thread also. True.. its hard to compare the two years and even though song diversity was not their forte in '72, it was a high water mark for many reasons. ..but as pointed out, repetition was not the Dead's thing. That fact that they changed and evolved is a big part of their attraction and why so many of us, almost a generation later, are still so enthused. Its a big part of the attraction to me (in addition to the song writing). ..but man, compare me to the me in my late 20's, I will take me in my late 20's every time. I think they had to change in order to survive but its one of the things that separates the Dead from other bands. Thank god they recoreded a bunch of shows in their golden era and thank god some of them are recorded very well.
Anyway.. great stuff tonight, made for a great Sunday night read.
Dead Set List Diversity
I cut my teeth on Dead shows starting in 1972 and thought set list diversity and unpredictable twists and turns were the norm for a concert. Then I saw Return To Forever for the second time in a one year span and they played the exact same show. Literally note for note. Even what I had thought were spontaneous moments such as a joyful trading of licks and what looked like spur of the moment mini cutting sessions were repeated note for note, even down to their god damn facial expressions. I was in a state of shock. That's when I knew "There is nothing like a Grateful Dead concert." There just isn't.
Potpouri
Good Day Folk, Hope you had a great Memorial Day Weekend. I am listening to a concert that I went to in 1973 at the Spectrum in Philly -on the internet archive-,It is a BettyBoard too. They are doing a great version of China Cat/I know you rider. Weir is playing lead guitar too, awesome. Today, I was in an analog mood, I have a cassette version of "One from The Vault", I have a real nice Onkyo Cassette Deck. I can't believe how good it sounded. It is 20 years old, I bought it the day Jerry died. Love the "Help on the way/Slipnot/Franklins Tower On There". I have played it a lot too. Wow, the Dead just went into an awesome version of Big River, Billy is playing the skins great. 73 was a great year. I used to have some trader tapes,I don't know what happened to them. The Dead just went into a great version of "Stella Blue". I love the first disc of the new show, It has a lot of my favorite songs on it.. Well, everyone, have a Grate Day.
Jim
A Vote for Pig
Just adding my support for the late, great Ron McKernan. Sure, he could be profane, uncouth, even disrespectful at times. Where is that rap where he uses the c-word and threatens murder? Might be Great Highway '70. In any case, the man is long dead and he brought biker cred to a band that needed it. Hopefully, his stage persona was a little more mean than his actual self. By all accounts that was true. I'm wearing my "Pigpen Says It's OK" t-shirt today in honor -- under my work shirt, incognito.
dead set list diversity
I can remember seeing the Dead play three consecutive nights in London in 1990, and, as you will know, they didn't play a single song twice. So I decided to see a few other bands several times in succession the following year it see if others did this. Big mistake. One was the great spacerock band Hawkwind. Amazing-but exactly the same EVERY night.
I think the Deads approach to playing live may have filtered through to other band though. I can remember seeing The Stones twice in summer 1982-and they played the same set-except for one song, on both occasions. In 2004 I saw them twice, and they did change the set lists quite a bit. They still played many of the same songs at both shows-but they did vary it bit. I wondered if that was due to their knowledge of The Dead. Keith Richards has put the Dead down in the press-so they are aware of what they did.
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