Grateful Dead

started by dstache

Here are 6 Very Good to Great shows from the early part of 1978. As everyone probably knows, the Dead performed 10 shows in California in January, stopped over in Eugene for a monster show, then hit the midwest for a 6 date run in late January/early February. Jerry lost his voice during the first show of the year (1/6), and Bobby took over vocals for the remainder of that show AND the two subsequent shows. Jerry began to sing again on 1/10. His voice remained raspy until the Chicago Uptown Theatre shows at the end of the month. His guitar was HOT all month long.

1/6, 1/7, 1/8 and 1/18 are on one the eurovines, and 1/22 is available on at least one other vine as well, so those shows won't be on this one.

Initially, this vine was going to be 4 shows, but I listened to a few more shows from the run, was impressed, and since there was room on the DVDs, made it sixer. Both a MTX and SBD source are included for 1/10 and 1/11. Both are fine shows. 1/13 is amazing, the Dead at their rock n roll finest. 1/30 contains a great second set. 2/1 is a fine performance all around. Now we get to one of my all-time favorite shows, 1/31. The show starts off incredibly hot and the first set ends with a rip roaring Let It Grow. The second set contains my favorite Scarlet Begonias. Jerry jumps the gun a bit and neglects to sing the "there ain't nothing wrong with the way she moves" verse, opting instead to go straight into the guitar solo. It is here where the magic occurs. He only does 3 run throughs, each perfect. In the third run-through, he hits a note I have never heard him repeat. Pure ecstasy. Lachrymose eyes every time for me. When the solo ends, Jerry tries to sing the forgotten lyric (at least that is what I think) but instead repeats the "in the heat of the evening" verse, then goes immediately into the "wind in the willows" verse. The Fire, Terrapin and everything else that follows is great as well.

This vine will be 2 DVD's of SHN/FLAC files. The sources included are:

78-01-10.mtx.mccabe.95134
78-01-10.sbd.cotsman.14523
78-01-11.mtx.sirmick.92086
78-01-11.sbd.cotsman 13190
78-01-13.sbd.clugston.4629
78-01-30.sbd.miller.32255
78-01-31.sbd.miller.32256
78-02-01.sbd.parillo.1017