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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.

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  • KeithFan2112
    Joined:
    I Keep Looking At The Set Lists.....
    I can't wait to get my hands on this box set. It wasn't that long ago that DP 18 & 25 were the only two Estimated Prophets I had with that kick-ass Jerry solo that goes on for a minute and a half to 2 minutes, and the DP 25 version isn't that good. I didnt realize this was a 78 thing until after I bought May 1977, which to my dismay, had 5 EPs with no 2 minute solo. I picked up copies of the Egypt and From Egypt with Love bonus CDs and doubled my EP 78 collection, but neither of those blew my mind quite like DP 18. Two more versions came along with DaP 15 and 30 Trips, and now there are three more coming in this July box set. Can't wait to get my filthy Deadhead hands on it. Also looking forward to two more 78 Music Never Stopped. This one developed a bit in late 77 / early 78 as well, with a 2 minute mind bending jam around the 3:45 mark. I also never grow tired of new Scarlet / Fires, you just always get something nice there (DaP 7 let it burn, let it burn, let it burn), and the Egypt stand-alone Fire on the Mountain is one of my favs. Two more of these coming,look out! With any luck, something will click on the Eyes of the World fast version...I can't say it's the best new direction I've heard them take a song, but I understand! Cocaine is a powerful motivator.... DL's comments about the Werewolves at Red Rocks is encouraging; feels like they didn't quite get it right on DaP 7 or DP 25. Peggy-O on the Wolf - yes please. Cassidy - got a little better every year between 76 and 78, culminating in my favorite on DaP 7. The Wheel too, but alas, I'll need to throw DP 18 in there. Bertha / Good Lovin' also consistently better in 78, and I attribute this mostly to the Wolf. The 77 versions are a little too "sterile" if that's the right word, and Bertha always seemed to have an audio drop in the one slot, so hopefully the new one will rock ass like DP 18 and DaP 15. And also looking forward to two new Terrapins and Samsons, which will hopefully contain something remarkable, although with Samson, it might be tough to beat 77 (5/28/77 is a face melt with all the fixins - great God almighty talk Wooo). A couple new Wharf Rats too, and the Wolf was good for this song too.
  • black throated…
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    Dead Jokes
    I heard it as:Q: How many dead heads does it take to screw in a lightbulb? A: None. They let it burn out, then follow it around the country for 30 years.
  • Jason Wilder
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    Second that emotion on 7-17-89
    Fantastic show. Bid You Goodnight makes a comeback with Johnny B. Goode as the encores. The last GDTRFB>NFA. Channeling 1971. Summer '88 to Spring '90 was smokin'. Best of Brent, though '87 adn '85 were also strong, ditto '79/'80. For an excellent Brent show, check out 4-8-89 Riverfront Coliseum (I think I have the date right). Best Blow Away ever. LTGTR. Fantasy>Jude. Great Brent night. Cold rainy night, also a nasty Looks Like Rain from Bob. Jerry contributes a nice West LA, China>Rider, Eyes. And a nice Box of Rain encore. Everyone involved. Plus, I believe there was stage jumper.
  • MilesM
    Joined:
    Done deal
    Betty boards and werewolves of London was all you needed to say for me to add this bad boy to my cart. I do agree that Keith was in a rythumick stranglehold in the late 70's but I don't agree that he was in any kind of decline before he left the band. Favorite Keith year is 74 and he absolutely smokes on Daves 17. On a side note I love the way Keith would look when he played. Was he pissed off or was he in deep concentration. Occasionally a smirk but never a smile and always a cheap domestic beer on top of that piano. A very mysterious and quite man indeed but what he could do on those keys. He was a true artist and definitely not a rock star.
  • JimInMD
    Joined:
    Buzz Restored..
    Thanks all.
  • jrf68@hotmail.com
    Joined:
    I'll give'r a try...
    How many Deadheads does it take to screw in a light bulb?A: 501.One to screw in the light bulb,one to tape it and 499 to follow 'em around. What did the militant horses demand? A: HEY NOW! ;)
  • KeithFan2112
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    Sorry Jim
    My Spinal Tap joke fell flat. It was a good attempt you made, as always, to smooth out the bumpy vibes, and it worked (as always). Cheers to JimInMD for never having a bad thing to say about anyone or anything. THAT's the Dead vibe. Packaging for July 1978, hmmm. I like the Winterland packages, and would pleased with an exact replica (tri-fold digipak style covers, booklet, etc), but somehow I don't think that's what it's going to be. I wasn't too jazzed with the May 1977 artwork and packaging. The box was cool, the way it snaps shut, but the covers fell apart on me, and the pages of the book came unglued and separated from the spine. Rdevil, funny you mention not liking Brent on Stranger from DaP 8 - it's my favorite version! I like the minimoog he uses for the main Stranger melody. He got away from that in later versions... Edit - LOL rdevil, that was awesome (i.e what the duck are we listening to?)
  • rdevil
    Joined:
    Dead jokes
    Hadn't heard the one about the flies, not bad.I'm always interested to hear more Dead jokes. I've mentioned a couple old ones in the past and will repeat them here after Jim's plea for levity. What did one deadhead say to the other when they ran out of drugs? A: What the fuck are we listening to? Why do the Grateful Dead have two drummers? A: In case one of them falls asleep. Anyone else?
  • rdevil
    Joined:
    I'm with you, 80sfan
    Off the top of my head, I'd say my three favorite post Keith shows are 10-27-79, 9-18-87 and 7-17-89. I'm in the minority in that I struggle with some of Brent's playing on DaP8, especially during Stranger and Around. I love Brent but prefer his later work both vocally and on keys. But I enjoyed the '80 and '81 shows from Boxzilla so I should give DaP8 another listen soon--it's been awhile. Not tonight, though. I try to listen to JGB Warner Theater show every year on Palm Sunday.
  • Angry Jack Straw
    Joined:
    That's Alright Momma
    LoveJerry. The more you post, the more I like you. Call it Plinko or whatever you want. The keyboard sound circa late 70s renders the band virtually unlistenable. Shakedowns and Dancin in the Streets are total abominations to my ears. Yes, I understand the recent posts about their merits, but I just don't get it. If nothing else, you need to applaud the band for continually striving for a new sound. I personally can't handle the later stuff, most of which I saw live. As for under the radar bands. Freddy Jones and From Good Homes (the prior incarnation of Railroad Earth)
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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.

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hey deadheadbrewer Thanks for the link. I have posted before that I hope the future would allow us to import the tapes, clean and hone the actual information and then manipulate it. Like if I want to hear E72 as a 77 Betty or 89 PA, it would be a flip of the switch. Personally I believe the day is coming and is not going to be too far in da future. I know, I know, enough Gfar with the PA crap. I love E72, the jamming is incredible. But if you were to analyze the frequency spectrum it has enormous holes in it. What say you, gfar? Well in E72 you can hear good bass, good mid, good highs. Although there are huge gaps in between. This is due to the technology at the time. The result is that in E72 the mean frequency (check me sixtus) is much higher in the range. Again, no expert but if the frequency range we hear is 20hz to 20khz, then E72 may have a mean of say 3000 hz whereas by time we get the 1989 PA the mean may be close to 1,200 hz. A significant (although not mathematically calculated by me) drop in the mean or average frequency range which makes it much more comfortable to my ears. The E72 shows just absolutely blaze my tweeters, even with EQ. Ear splitting Jer. By 1989, the frequency has excellent highs but as the mean is much lower, the mids and lows just thump my hard woods. Love it. Probably did not explain that well but will try again soon. Since so much of 1989 has been mentioned, I loved Bill's birthday at the frost. Yes the midi was coming on strong. I think the 3rd show of midi space. But the space into the other one is intense and it is great example of the lowering of the average frequency range. If I remember, please help me folks, it was also a big deal because Phil brought back the Other One bass intro. https://archive.org/details/gd89-05-07.sbd.gardner.3329.sbefail.shnf Sorry if I am ramblin, I have started the weekend so those bad things have been launched, mkay...
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Disco sucks, in whatever shape or form, and to turn a sixties classic into a disco abomination is at best tasteless and at worst unforgivable. What were they thinking?
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Hope things are well as we head into mid 2016. Glad to read the shows are making it home. Have you heard from Alain at all? What about your other friend from Holland? Hope they are well.
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There are some great post hiatus versions of Dancin' out there, disco or not. I usually go for the 5/15/77 version from the May 77 box....
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With all this "Dancing In The Streets" talk [I'm in the Dick's Picks #8 (1970) camp] let's not forget who first made said tune a monster hit; and that is: Martha Reeves (and the Vandellas) who also recorded one of my all-time favorite tracks: Jimmy Mack. "Jimmy, Jimmy! Ohhh Jimmy Mack! When are ya comin' back..." Love the bass in that song.
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I obviously don't know what eventually did in the Fat Man, but many of his personal lifestyle choices have been well documented. I'm sure it was a combination of many things, but man they sure took their toll. In the end he looked like a man at least 20 years older than his years. I remember seeing them in Oakland for a Chinese New Years show in early 93 or 94. It was not one of Jerry's better moments. He looked totally out of it... Played like it too.
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6/5/70 Bobby and Phil and Pigpen throw Bear under the bus (ha...you're either on the bus or off the bus...or under the bus) verbally because of issues with monitors. Then during the other one there is some equipment malfunkshun and you can hear Bob or Phil scream "GAHDDAMMIT!". Then they get all off synch during Hard to Handle. I'll hear the rest of the show on the way home.
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All is well in my part of Holland. Other parts of the country, together with Belgium, France and Germany have been devastated by floods and it is not over yet. Still, there is the European Football Championship to look forward to - it really isn't cricket weather so far this summer - even if the hopeless Dutch team didn't qualify. Yep, the shows are reaching here just fine. This weekend I will get to listen to July 1978 which arrived yesterday. I was mighty impressed with Dave's 18th Pick. Now all I need, all I really need, is a big greasy dose of Pigpen. Bring it on, Dave. You know it makes sense!
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An extra large cup of Owsley...been there. Maybe that is why I am getting more than a little touch of gray. (ok, sorry) Anybody remember George Carlin and his joke I think on class clown. Well cannot remember the joke per say but the punchline was "The mighty purple of Owsley High." Always remember that when I was so young, I had no idea what he was talking about. Often wondered if George ever did an opening at the Fillmore East with the fellas. I know somebody here might know that answer.
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I believe Jerry's daughter Trixie was born in 1974 and she's completely grey. I saw her in Chicago last summer during the fare thee well activities. She was outside City Winery just before a Steve Kimock brunch show. I'll try to post a link for a photo: http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/grateful-dead/6613290/grateful-d… Edit: not my photo obviously…
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can't believe you found that clip or that we can actually remember it. College...that is why I am a part time professor. The real truth... j/k
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I hear ya. Dave's18 is quite tasty. A big ole dose of the Pig man would be nice. 78 box, I still have not made it to Red Rocks yet. Glad things are doing well. Crazy crazy weather everywhere. Southwest US is having intense floods (unfortunately including deaths) while we are being baked all crispy hot with bad draught coming on. Ahhh Football, know many around here keep up with Football. I have sort of toned down the sports the last year or so. hmmm, maybe its the overflowing vault.
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I used to own George Carlin's Class Clown LP way back in the day. I forgot about that Owsley reference. But I often think about the Hendrix one "Owsley can you hear me now?" and the Jefferson Airplane one (I forget how it goes) and others. What are the others? There are a few. Probably quite a few. I guess "Alice D. Millionaire" counts.
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Diabetes / heart attack killed Jerry. I think it's a mistake to say that drugs killed Garcia, when he died of neither an overdose nor a drug-related disease. If you had a chance to go back and try to save him by removing either the drugs or the poor diet / diabetes, the latter is the correct choice (your chances of a heart attack increase some astronomical rate with diabetes). Lots of peopl did/do the same amount of drugs for the same length of time as Jerry, and do not die the way he did (Keith Richards comes to mind). I'm not saying he would not have OD'd at some later time, and I'm certainly not saying that drugs aren't bad for you. Just saying they didn't kill Jerry. I only mention it because the posts here over the past couple of years almost invariably focus on the drugs, especially the Heroin.
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"Owsley" is the first word in the excellent Jeferson Airplane song,"Mexico."
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What an honor -- can't wait to celebrate this fine tribute to Bobby the best way I know how -- seeing Dead & Co in Colorado come early July and hoping they play Brokedown Palace, which surely is referencing the waterside and the river where these otters once lived . . . http://www.postregister.com/articles/todays-headlines-west/2016/06/03/e… By KEITH RIDLER Associated Press BOISE — A U.S. National Park Service paleontologist and Grateful Dead fan credited with identifying an extinct species of otter found in south-central Idaho has named it after the band’s guitarist. Self-described Deadhead Kari Prassack says traveling the country to see Bob Weir and the band gave her the sense of adventure and confidence to pursue her career. So when fellow scientists earlier this year credited her with properly identifying the new species from a mislabeled jawbone found in the late 1980s at Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument, she named it Lontra weiri. Lontra is the genus and weiri the species. “It was a really important part of my life,” said Prassack on Thursday about the 100-plus Grateful Dead concerts she saw starting in 1990 at age 15, when her mother first gave her permission, to 1995 when the band’s run ended with the death of frontman Jerry Garcia. “I really became an adventurous person, much more so than ever before,” she said, noting she visited multiple fossil sites during her travels following the band. “I decided if I wanted to do something, I could go and do it.” She earned a doctorate and in 2012 landed at the national monument famous for its wide variety of fossils that span from 3 million to 4.2 million years ago. Prassack said she never expected to have the opportunity to name a new species, and the Grateful Dead’s Weir was an easy choice. “It was a great opportunity to say ‘Thank you,’ for such a great experience,” she said.
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..some people just need more cowbell,ya know?:) ...and yes Ken,Mexico is top 3 J.A. in my warped & weathered book.
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Does 10-27-79 count as disco? Because the Dancin>Franklin's smokes. Also nice, 7-15-84 Dancin>Bird Song 7-22-84 Dancin>Bertha I will add to Master Sixtus' 1991 list that he provided to Takimoto (hope the nuts are better) 6-22-91 (biased because I was there, bought an obstructed view seat at the box office day of the show and the view was obstructed by the soundboard, the seat was in the taper's section - score). 10-27-91 (Mona, Santana) 11-3-91 (could that be the best backup band that Fogerty ever had? I like it better than the AIDS benefit). Also, I think that 10-31-91 should have been in 30 Trips and 9-10-91 should have been a full blown release. The general public should have the opportunity to buy it and Branford deserves to make the royalties.
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Maybe that's why some people don't like disco Dancin
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Check out 10-30-84 opener at the Berkeley Community Theater; matter of fact, check out the whole show, it smokes!
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While you are correct in regard to Jerry having a heart attack, and that's what killed him, you must realize the beating heroin addiction puts on the heart and lungs of an addict too.below is a brief discussion on the topic. The heart of a heroin user really takes a beating. The bacteria in heroin, from cotton or from unsterile needles often attack the heart tissues, resulting in tissue death. This type of infection is called endocarditis. Heart Autopsies sometimes show clumps of bacteria growing on the valves of the heart. It is difficult for the body to reach and fight bacteria in these locations. Therefore, heart valves are sometimes destroyed by these infections and must be replaced with artificial valves to save the life of the drug user. There are other ways that heroin abuse damages or destroys the heart. In a case history published by the National Institutes of Health, a 32-year-old woman injected a gram of heroin that had Rohypnol added to it. The contaminants in the heroin, thought to be talc, caused so much blockage in her lungs that the blood could not pass through the capillaries. She suffered heart failure and had to be hospitalized. Autopsies of heroin addicts were carried out to find out why so many heroin users suffer irregular heartbeats. In half of them, the electrical controls of the heart had been replaced by fatty or fibrous tissue. More than half showed inflammation in the same area.
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He delivered amazing jams during many of those times.....not so great at Deer Creek '95 when he fell asleep during Fire.Maybe he was shutting down non-essential muscle functions so he could focus on playing..... The new guitar 94/95: he would use a tone/setting (I don't know guitar technical terms) that we referred to as the 'heroin sound'. Also, let me propose an unsubstantiated rumor that I made up: Jerry would light a cigarette, take 1-2 more hits, then set it in the ash tray and not pick it up again. Could it be that the ends of the cigarettes had a few party favors packed in there?
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....but '94-'95 can be scary. By that time, even I was in it for the party. The scene was.......apprehensive? Yeah, that's a good description. Hope in the eyes, but truth in the heart....can we move on from this topic? Btw, I like Dancin' to all....
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....the Shakedown from 12.15.94 LA Sports Arena isn't half bad....float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. Applies to boxing and music....fare thee well Mr. Clay.
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I was so sorry to see of his passing on the news this morning. He emanated from a different dimension from other boxers of his era. He seemed to express a great joy in simply being alive when he was at his peak. Doubly shocking, actually, to see how disabled he appeared in later life.
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I was very interested to read your article about this subject, but a few things occurred to me. The health problems you list, and relate to heroin, don't actually relate to the drug in itself so much as the contaminants and route of administration. The fact that heroin is illegal , means that it is cut with all manor of ingredients that are more harmful to the human body than the drug itself. Barbiturates are sometimes used, as are all manor of tranquillisers. I have heard of violin polish being used, too. Another problem occurs when heroin comes on the market that HASNT been cut-so that someone is taking a dose many times stronger than they intended. Which is obviously life threatening. Both the above two problems are compounded by the fact that most people who take it regularly go on to inject it. Initially, this is done to save money. The price of heroin is artificially high due to its illegilty. Its distribution is controlled by criminal gangs, which increases risk. If you are caught in possession of the drug, you risk being sent to prison, which creates another risk. No, the problem with heroin doesn't lie in the drug itself-it lies in its illegalty. It is perfectly possible to take it-or any opiate for that matter- without suffering any major harm to either physical or mental health for decades. It is nowhere near as harmful as many legal drugs- alcohol, for example, which affects every major organ in the body, and has recently been identified as carcinogenic. People who die from heroin related problems in countries where the drug is illegal do so, in the main, because it is illegal. It is a socially constructed problem which has existed for decades.
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You wrote: "I think it's a mistake to say that drugs killed Garcia". There are 3 obvious factors that contributed to Jerry's dramatic and startling physical decline: diet, sedentary lifestyle & hardcore drugs. Adamant denial of any of these 3 as major contributing factors, especially hardcore drugs, seems a bit of a stretch, no?
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All the complications you list are true as well. The article I posted is simply one that can easily be found online.I don't think I could go as far to say heroin is harmless thou. If you could buy it pure that is. Most opioid users on a long term scale do develop other physical complications and certainly addiction creates a challenge in the mental arena. Your argument reminds me of the old saying about people who die from jumping off buildings. It's not that fall that kills you, it's the sudden stop! Sadly drugs and specifically opioids pain killers are ravaging and killing tens of thousands each year here in the US. Does it really matter how? From a medical viewpoint, I believe you'll find that due to respiratory depression, most long time addicts have enlarged hearts, which is heart disease. Charlie Parkers death comes to mind as a musician that suffered exactly that.
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Thanks for getting back to me, Encroached. But when you mention that opioids are killing and ravaging tens of thousands of people in the U.S. and then ask if it matters how-the answer has to be a resounding "Yes!" People aren't going to stop taking them-so surely the answer lies in how they can take them more safely. Charlie Parker was addicted to many things-alcohol when he couldn't get heroin-and junk food-smoking cigs. Didn't look like he got much exercise-and the heroin HE took would have been cut to hell and back. Plus he was an injector. If he could have got heroin legally, maybe he would have been alive today. Well, maybe not-I am not sure when he was born-it doesn't make you live forever!
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Are you saying heroin should be legal?If that's your argument, that's fine. Personal preference. I don't see the benefit of addiction myself.
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Great Dancin' teasers, thanks to those that contributed. By '84 they had reverted back to the old "Grateful Dead" arrangement of the song and the disco tinged arrangements were gone, I think starting with Saratoga '84. Besides a couple one-off New Years outings, they dusted off Midnight Hour about the same time + a few other old rarities like Smokestack Lightin', etc. Those were fun times. I hope some of us were lucky enough to see a few of those break out shows. Ahhh, that felt good. Beats talking about junk, doesn't it :D
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If you wanna ride, don't ride the white horse. Addicts gonna be addicts, law or no law. Might as well remove the dirt and crime from the equation.
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Yes, I think heroin should be legal. I think many lives would be saved if it was. But because I believe it should be legal, doesn't mean I would recommend anyone taking it. And addiction, to anything, has no benefits at all. If it was legal, the whole subject could be de-mystified and made safer. Maybe more people would take it-but less people would be harmed by it. Maybe less people would take it in time. Why would a healthy, happy person want to take the most powerful painkiller invented? Just because something is legal, doesn't mean everyone would take it. I neither drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes. In some ways, I think the situation with illegal drugs, now, is comparable to the situation in the 1920s, during the period of prohibition with alcohol. During the time it was illegal, problems escalated-it just didn't work. I don't know about America, but the problem with illegal drugs in Britain has increased massively in my lifetime. It is time something different was tried.
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Yes-that was the name of the white guitar. Different sounds appeal to different people-and Jerry seemed to experiment with different guitars more than most. I always like the sound of that red Gibson SG he played on Live Dead. He seemed to play it during 1969 and 1970, alternating with a sunburst Stratocaster. To me the SG sounded a lot more powerful, and I tend to enjoy the gigs he played with that one, more than the ones with the strat. Binghampton 2/5/70 was SG-Fillmore East 13/2/70 was strat. I think.
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8 years 9 months
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Dave, in my youth I thought the same way. For me I could be quite idealistic in such manner.But let me ask you this, do you know many addicts? Boozers included. Happy and healthy they usually aren't. Would you rather let them go on doing their thing, or offer another way out? Lots can be said either way. Here in the US some states have legalized pot. Isn't it funny how the black market in these states hasn't gone away, but gotten larger? Another point to consider. Let's say heroin is legal. A guy decides to drive over to the store but nods out behind the wheel and hits another driver. You see where I'm going. The problem is one that is multi dimensional and not simply supply and demand. I think prohibition had a huge political factor involved in it. Yes, people will get high or a number of substances, as they have for eons. It's the social implications that are the issue many times. If there were no harm involved to others, than sure do what you like. But in our world is that really possible?
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9 years 2 months
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Prince died from Fentanyl which is more powerful than morphine.Heroin gets metabolized to morphine, which is more potent than heroin. A lot of heroin addicts in the U.S. started with prescription opiates. People like Prince and Michael Jackson don't have a problem getting prescription opiates or anesthetics, others have to look for substitutes on the street. Do you need legal heroin when pharmaceuticals are better? Clandestine labs will surely make these pharmaceuticals. Considering that the Taliban controls the opium crop in Afghanistan would legalization drive down the price? Al Capone only got rich because of prohibition. Deep thoughts, by Jack Handy....... https://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/fentanyl
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15 years 9 months
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Appreciate the discussion on the effects of opiates on the body, bacterial colonization of heart, etc. There's a more specific and basic side effect that I've always believed likely contributed to Jerry's heart attack. When withdrawing from an opiate, one of the most common physical effects is prolonged high blood pressure. In both hospitals and treatment centers you have to give people kicking opiates medicine for a)nausea/vomitting and b)to keep their blood pressure down while they withdraw.In someone like Jerry--obviously overweight, with blood vessels damaged by a long history of smoking and diabetes, he'd have huge amounts of arterial plaque just sitting there and waiting to break loose, which the artificially high blood pressure during withdrawal will do. When it breaks loose it can go to the heart, causing a blockage of blood flow to the heart itself, so a heart attack. Some years ago a surgeon friend gave me a copy of Jerry's death certificate, and hemorrhage of arterial plaque is the listed cause of death, listed as occurring "minutes" before death. Enlarged heart for "years" is listed as a secondary cause, and substance abuse as "other significant conditions contributing to cause of death but not related to cause of death." Sorry if this is too much--was actually discussing this exact thing at work yesterday and kept thinking about it through the day--too weird it was being discussed here, too
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9 years 2 months
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Since we were on the topic of Jerry drawing inspiration from staring at a Persian rug, thought I'd spin it.Just finished Space and headed into Miracle (overlap between discs, need to get a new copy).
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13 years 6 months
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Lets not forget the congestive heart failure he was diagnosed with in '91 or '92. CHF was responsible for the fluid buildup both in his chest and it showed up in his ankles (gravity). By the time he was in Serenity Knolls, he was in bad shape.. Ties into the high blood pressure theory. Also.. quitting is just hard on the body, creates a shock to the system. Ask anyone who got kicked off that horse. Like running from a sauna and jumping into an ice bath. Its just not good for the ticker. In summary, all of the above did in the big J. Lifestyle, smoking, cheesburgers, ice cream, candy, sedentary lifestyle, diabetes, sleep apnea, not sleeping, stress and years of hard drug abuse. ..reminds of the old adage, you'd better go home and do as your told, get out of the road if you want to grow old...
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12 years 2 months
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Enough talk about what Jerry should or shouldn't have done to live longer. In the end he lived the life he wanted (I guess; will you EVER know if he really wanted to get healthier) But in any event his life wasn't lived to entertain you, he may have entertained you, but he played (IMHO) for himself. Probably like most artist, he was compelled to play. If no one ever liked what he played, he probably still would have played, alone and only for him. My father in law was an art professor/artist, he painted not because he thought he'd be great or famous but because it was in him. ( I always liked his painting,,, my icon picture is one of his) Jerry might have died young, but he left behind a body of work that will keep countless people happy far beyond his life (long or short). I wish I could leave something behind to last for years beyond me. Sorry for the blathering.
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10 years 4 months
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You asked if I had known any addicts myself.Yes, I have known so many in my life. Should do-I worked with them for over 20 years! I retired about 2 years ago-so not working there now. How many do I know who died..God, I shudder to think-around 100 I would say. That's really what shaped my feelings- I believe on the basis of my experience that legalisation would be safer than the ongoing situation. But I'll tell you this-not everyone I worked with- professionals or addicts-thought the same way I do. Some people thought more like yourself. One thing I would say is that having known so many addicts they were some of the best people I ever met. They never thought so themselves...but they were. It wasn't all gloom either-some got off.
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10 years 4 months
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Thanks for this post, which I thought was really interesting. Maybe if he had been prescribed opiates he would have lived longer. Right-this is my last post on the subject-they are getting bored at the back!
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