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May 1977: Get Shown The Light (All Music Edition)
WHAT'S INSIDE:
Four Complete Shows on 11 discs
Four folios housed in a slipcase
5/5/77 Veterans Memorial Coliseum: New Haven, CT
5/7/77 Boston Garden: Boston, MA
5/8/77 Barton Hall, Cornell University: Ithaca, NY
5/9/77 Buffalo Memorial Auditorium: Buffalo, NY
50-page book of liners and photographs
Sourced from the Betty Cantor-Jackson soundboard recordings, transferred by Plangent Processes
Mastered in HDCD by Jeffrey Norman
Artwork by Grammy-winning graphic artist Masaki Koike
Release Date: May 5, 2017
WHAT DEAD HEADS HAVE BEEN SAYING ABOUT...
NEW HAVEN 5/5/77
"Here is a prime example of the saying ‘the whole is greater than the sum of the parts’ … It’s called synergy and the Dead wrote the book on it.”
BOSTON 5/7/77
“The music they laid down brought me places I had not been before.”
CORNELL 5/8/77
“...the single best rock performance anywhere, anytime, by anyone.”
“There was just some kind of magical connection this night between the band members and the band and the audience - some texture, or some type of cosmic or celestial force is in the room.”
"This show is, was, and always will be Mecca.”
BUFFALO 5/9/77
"...an awesome display of the Dead’s captivating power"
If you've been following this site for quite some time, then you will know we are often flush with hyperbole when it comes to our releases. We can't help it, really - for we, like you, are Grateful Dead fans above all else. Just like you, we've spent countless hours debating the merits of show over show, year over year. We've kept a watchful eye on your wish-lists and carefully considered how to make - excuse the cliché - your dreams come true. And once we've made our commitments, we are steadfast in our determination to conjure up those dreams fully-formed and nearly perfect. Sometimes these heights cannot be reached without physical and cosmic elements aligning, and that, dear friends, is why it has taken so long for us to bring you THE ONE and the epic shows that surrounded it. No need for even the slightest embellishment here, 5/8/77 Barton Hall, Cornell University: Ithaca, NY, has for decades, been THE resounding favorite; you've said it yourselves - the "holy grail" of Grateful Dead shows. Thanks to the passion and perseverance of Dead Heads like you, we are beyond pleased to finally be able to present this show and its brethren, the fabled four of Spring '77, in sonically pristine condition.
MAY 1977: GET SHOWN THE LIGHT is a collection of what is unanimously believed to be the most sought-after previously unreleased complete shows the Grateful Dead ever played. Collected, traded, and debated for decades, "the beloved Golden Trinity" of Boston, Ithaca, and Buffalo, along with their New Haven prelude, have inspired fans to "get on the bus," converted critics, and even garnered national attention (Cornell was added to the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry). But until now, you've never really heard them quite like this!
The Dead is in the details... how serendipitous is it that the notorious Betty Cantor-Jackson soundboard recordings were returned to the archive just in time for the 40th anniversaries of these shows? Lovingly sourced from these well-reputed recordings, we invite you to experience four utopian shows just like they happened, to "be inside the music" as engineer Betty Cantor-Jackson intended. Whether you listen to each night on its own or imbibe the whole lot at once, we suspect you'll hear why every note mattered. Much like we were, you will be hard-pressed to determine which of these fine documents - will it be the understated but nuanced New Haven, Boston's festive fantasy vibes, the monumental catharsis of Ithaca, or Buffalo’s dreamy exuberance - is truly "the best." Does it really matter? We think not.
Favorite '77 tape
Fox Theatre, Atlanta was always the favorite in my limited tape collection. Never had a good copy of Barton until the nineties. Love Tuscaloosa too. Barton's NFA the real mind blower.
NOPE. YOUR HAPPINESS IS YIN-YANGED BY EXTREME DISSATISFACTION
I GOT THRU AFTER 3 HOURS AND FILLED OUT PAYMENT AUTHORIZATION TO PAYPAL WHICH SENT A CONFIRMATION OF THE ORDER WITH PAYMENT TO RHINO/DEADNET. DEADNETS CUSTOMER SERVICE HOWEVER DENIES THAT I HAVE ORDERED. APPARENTLY THE INTERNS THERE HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED IN THE CONTRACTS DOCTRINE OF APPARENT AUTHORITY.
WE CUSTOMERS OR WANNABE CUSTOMERS HAVE BEEN VERY TOLERANT OF THE PEOPLE RUNNING DEADNET AND THE REGULAR INTERNET CRASHES ACCOMPANYING ISSUES OF NEW PRODUCT. WE NEVER HELD THEM TO COMMERCIAL STANDARDS OF PROFESSIONALISM EXPECTED FROM OTHER DEALERS MAKING MONEY FROM SALES. DO YOU THINK MAYBE A LAWSUIT AGAINST DEADNET MIGHT EVOLVE AN IMPROVED SERVICE? I AM THINKING OF A BREACH OF CONTRACT ACTION, YOU KNOW, OFFER (OF THE BOX). ACCEPTANCE (MY COMPLETION OF PAYPALS PAYMENT AUTHORIZATION AND PROOF BEING PAYPAL'S CONFIRMATION)= BINDING CONTRACT.
SHOULD DEADNET BE CONTINUING TO OPERATE IN THE MANNER IT DOES? IT SEEMS DEADNET DOES NOT LEARN FROM PREVIOUS ERRORS AND JUST GOES ON TO REPEAT--- LIKE "GROUNDHOG DAY"--- AND EVEN GET WORSE AS HAS HAPPENED WITH THE GET THE LIGHT MARKETING. IS IT PROHIBITIVELY EXPENSIVE TO OPERATE WITH CRASH-FREE INTERNET SYSTEMS, A CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT RESPONDS QUICKLY AND AN EFFORT TO HONOR CONTRACTS INCLUDING THOSE FORMED BY DESIGNATED PAYEES WITH AT LEAST APPARENT AUTHORITY FOR CONTRACTING ON BEHALF OF DEADNET? I WONDER ABOUT A CLASS ACTION, A LEGAL FORM LAWYERS LOVE.
@Yin Yang
this world is populated by imperfect people who do imperfect things, ourselves included. Dead.net is no exception. It makes us human. Despite my many gripes, I have always been treated fairly in the end, that includes the FTW Chicago GDTSTOO fiasco as well...
Better Call Saul....
lawsuit?
The rollout was bumpy, no doubt about it. I was lucky enough to check the site moments after they posted the page and before the email announcement....lesson learned from missing out on the FW '69 box. I even waited about 15 minutes to order and still got through normally and successfully. (It was shortly after the email went out that everything crashed.)
Tptb made good though by offering an "all music" version plus HD downloads, something they should have done for the FW '69 box long ago, and should still. At least you can still buy an officially released version of this in one form or another without hoping someone offers to burn you copies.
There will most likely be a handful of cancellations of orders for the limited box making some available to a few lucky people who will get upgraded from the AME. Just like the situation with the E'72 box.
response : questions -Minas Morgul (14) and warfratxx(11)
simple contract law. a contract is binding when an offer is accepted.
THIS IS A PERFECT JUDGE JUDY CASE.
greetings, Greggie
attorney, NY, Ill. Washington DC, US Patent & Trademark Office and Norway
Litigious Deadheads...wow
A lawsuit, really? I'm with Minas, very interested as to which laws have purportedly been broken. Personally, improper use of capitalization, atrocious grammar and incorrect syntax offend me much more than anything Dead.net has supposedly perpetrated.
Favorite 77 shows
I really love, and repeatedly go back to, both 5/25/77 at the Mosque (Dave's Picks 1) and 9/3/77 Englishtown (Dick's picks 15). I'm sure it's at least partly because of the high quality sound with the releases. I'd probably name Englishtown as my favorite choice for all time show.5/7/77 is also top end, but I've played it a lot less (which will change soon!)
Improper use of capitalization.
Could simply be that his CAPS LOCK key is stuck on. If it was consciously so typed, that is tantamount to shouting, which is hardly acceptable behaviour here.
Wapner has just left the building
'People's Court' Judge Joseph Wapner Dies At 97
February 27, 20172:03 AM ET
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/02/27/517443634/peoples-cou…
Favorite '77 show
My opinion shifts from time-to-time-- so many good shows.Clearly can't pick just one.
This is sort of a rough order
Boston May 7
Buffalo May 9
Hartford May 28
Barton Hall
Winterland June 9
Englishtown
Memorial Coliseum Alabama - May 17
May 19 Fox Theater
@greggie - did you reach out to MaryE or DrRhino
You will have better luck with those two than some outsourced call center. I've always had good luck and a pleasant experience dealing with them.
Good people, good vibe!!!
My favorite '77 show....
....sorry, but I need to plead the fifth on this question....
1977
Curious to know if anyone asked DL what the second missing 77 show is. My best guess is it's 2/27/77. Favorite show from 1977? Dekalb, sure, why not. Cornell, yes please. I've read that some view the 5/19 to 5/22 run as the strongest 3 show swing of the year. And I could agree. I'd also agree that the Holy Trinity of 5/7 to 5/9 deserves that status. My point is, usually I almost have one, is I don't think there's one show from 1977 that clearly separates itself as a favorite. Certain shows have certain performances that never happen again (Sugaree 3/18/77). And while overall it may not be my favorite show, parts of that show are my favorite. Guess Jim's answer says it best- Whatever 77 show I listened to last is my favorite.
favorite 1977 dead show?
Currently...2/26/771977 was truly my first official "favorite year" as far back as I can remember listening to the Dead.
1977 Faves
In no particular order:
2/26/77
4/25/77
5/19/77
5/25/77
6/4/77
9/3/77
10/29/77
11/5/77
O.K. then....
....I'll switch over from my senator duties to my professional gambler persona. Photo finish. Too close to call.....
.
.
.
I enjoy St. Paul, Atlanta and Englishtown very, very much....I wracked by brain way too much to pull out those three.... 2.27.77 Santa Barbara definitely caught me by surprise, I must say....
Ha
Its the small things here that crack me up..
Like calling the Senator out for pleading the 5th. I'll support him on this one, but I see he has already incriminated himself. Everyone has a right to plead the 5th, several times a day seems just about right.
I really cannot pick a favorite.. I like Zucks strongest sequence concept.
I do like 2/27 a whole lot and I think you have to put this upcoming box in the running.. June, sure, Englishtown, you bet.. I did a run of all the fall shows several years back, but clearly I need to revisit these shows. I like the tone better from the fall and there seems to be just a hint of recklessness that I am fatally attracted to.
I see a new face.. Welcome NYAmy and look who's back from exile with a new Avatar, our dear friend One Man :D. Welcome all the way around.
Edit: I just realized I accidentally posted on the angry thread, I'm a bit scairt.
Favorite 1977
I'm a sucker for 5/25, no doubt. That first set is so smooth and perfect. It kicks off with my favorite Mississippi Half-Step, and includes my favorite Peggy-O, and Brown-Eyed Women. But most of all the first set never loses me, and that's a set list thing.
Second set picks right back up with Scarlet / Fire / Estimated / He's Gone, and after the drums respite, right back into the goodies with The Other One / Wharf Rat / The Other One / The Wheel. The vocals, both lead and harmony are great, and there are zero mistakes.
I also like the other 1977 Dave's Picks from 11/4. It has a completely different feel from 5/25, as it's more of a high energy rocker. Right out of the starting gate with the Keith-heavy Bertha, a fine Good Lovin', my favorite Brown-Eyed Women, and anoutstanding Cassidy. I'm not crazy about Roses or Sunrise; they kill the momentum, but recover quickly with a solid New Minglewood Blues and a rare Dupree, which is up my alley for sure. I think Let It Grow is probably tied for best stand-alone Godchaux era (there aren't as many official versions as you might think - maybe half a dozen); but they cook like Santana for awhile, and it's some rocking shit. Road Trips '77 is the other one. I need to explore that 17 minute monster on 30 Trips '78 some more, it grows on me every time.
Second set is more rock your socks off. The Jones Gang Intro is classic, then a raucous Samson & Delilah, followed by my favorite post-hiatus Cold Rain & Snow. Then the big medley: Playing / Eyes / Estimated / Other One / Iko Iko / Stella Blue / Playing II. I don't recall the Playing too well, just that it was good. Eyes & Estimated are solid; then The Other One blows the doors off the place for 4 minutes; and then they groove into into a rare Iko Iko that's just perfect; Stella Blue is next and just other worldly - this is a must-hear version, especially the first couple of minutes.
I'm just rambling now. The other show I like from this year is the 2/26 show from the Swing, which I spoke about on 2/26.
Lots of other great shows of course. Dicks Picks 29 has many huge moments, including my favorite Brown-Eyed Women and a top 5 Scarlet Fire. 5/17 has that renowned quacking duck Scarlet Fire, a Terrapin for the ages, a great Mississippi Half-Step.
I don't know any sound board shows well enough to include them, except that Swing show. I'm looking forward to the new box set, all shows. I think they're all going to have some great surprises.
Interlude
My Dad is 95. My Mom is 94 and she's dieing. We recently moved them here so I can help them in their final years. My Dad lives in a senior facility and my Mom lives in a memory care/hospice facility, both nearby. My Dad has very sophisticated musical tastes, he saw Rachmoninov live. One of his favorite songs is El Paso by Marty Robbins. While running errands with him in the car I have used the opportunity to play him the Grateful Dead playing El Paso (Rocking The Rhein version) on the car stereo. He loves it. I have since played for him Sugar Magnolia (They swing, they have a great beat), Me And My Uncle (Too dark, an ugly song), Brown Eyed Women (I didn't know the Grateful Dead played songs like this), Cumberland Blues (They sure have a hot guitar player). I said "That's Jerry Garcia." He said "Yeah I know, drugs killed him, like so many artists." Recently my brothers were in town and one said to him "Dad I hear you're a Deadhead." He said "No, but I love their songs." To quote the guy from the Dead Movie "The omnipotent Grateful Dead!" Dare I play him Dark Star? Not yet.
Both a happy and sad post hammond....
....Happy that your parents were married for so long (I assume), sad that you haven't played Eyes Of The World for him yet. As I get older (48), I have realized how much more that song resonates in my life as the calender pages fly by. I lost my pops five years ago to Alzeimers. Not the best way to go by far. Scary, evil disease. Mom's still going strong thank God (78). I need to burn her a disc or three....thanks for sharing, although I've heard tidbits of it before. It's ok, I'm a pretty good listener.....
Edit. You did introduce him to Cumberland, so I guess it evens out. Stay strong my brother. Prayers for your Mom....
Favorite '77 Show
This is indeed a tough call. There are so many great ones. Spring '77 is probably my favorite era of their live playing. I haven't heard a May'77 show that I considered anything less than excellent. I really look forward to the new box, which could very well change my answer to this question. I don't know if I've even played 5/5 all the way through yet and I haven't listened to 5/7 much. There's also some tasty moments in the fall '77 shows. Dick's 34 was the second Dick's Picks I ever bought and I've always enjoyed it. And that Road Trips from '77 has some really good moments.
As it stands, though, these would be my strongest candidates.
5/11 St Paul - I love this show. Possibly my favorite. Besides many other well played songs, this show has both my favorite Peggy-O and my favorite They Love Each Other. And it isn't one of those shows that has too many Chuck tunes at the end.
5/9 Buffalo - This one I am super eager to hear again when the box arrives. The recording I have on my old phone but haven't heard for about a year sounded pretty good. I recall a great Help>Slip>Franklin's as well as a superb Uncle John's Band. It's also got a Peggy-O, which I can't recall how much that one specifically impressed me, but that's a favorite '77 tune of mine.
5/12 Chicago - This show in some ways is very similar to the night before, which was excellent, but it's also got possibly my favorite Cassidy.
I also love June 7-9.
mhammond
That's a great story about your dad. It's awesome that he knows music and recognizes specifics such as a "hot guitar player". I'm so glad you got to play those songs for him. I agree that Eyes of the World would be another good one to bounce off him. I haven't had a lot of luck in the past with sharing my music with my dad. I don't really think he appreciates ANY music the way we do. Someday I should make discs of some really good shows and send them anyway.
1977-The End of an Era
For the Grateful Dead, 1977 was truly the end of an era. I believe they peaked at the Winterland shows in June of 1977. Due to Mickey Hart's auto accident they took nearly a three month break. When they came back, the playing was still super tight and very inspiring at times, but things were never quite the same. The setlist format, with a few exceptions of course, became fortified and songs fell into their traditional spots for the duration of their career. Keith nose-dived off the radar, yet Donna got stronger as a vocalist, especially throughout 1978. But the pure joyous magic that was delivered on a near nightly basis slowly faded away. Jerry's voice began to change after his bout with laryngitis in January of '78, and was never quite the same after that. Of course Keith and Donna were dismissed in early 1979 and a new chapter began with Brent.
There were hundreds of magnificent moments over the last 16 or 17 years of the bands career (believe it or not some of my favorite shows are from 1990-1995), but the true exploration and adventure was gone after June of 1977. May 1977 was the pinnacle of the band formerly known as the Warlocks.
I've probably listened to more 1977 Dead in the last week and a half than I have in a very long time, and it is thoroughly enjoyable and it is so fun to hear a band put it all together consistently and solidly night after night, one last time.
Cheers to the Good Old Grateful Dead.
Tuscaloosa
If I had to pick just one - a difficult task... I would go with 5/17/77 Tuscaloosa.I love Winterland 6/9/77 too - maybe 2nd?
5/13 Chicago is really underrated to my ears - love that show.
Also, 5/5 doesnt get enough love. It's an unbelievable show that is every bit as good as the 3 more famous shows that will be delivered to us in early May.
Clarification needed- can I count 12/31/76 as a '77 show since some of it occurs after midnight?
If so, I might have to rethink my rankings.
Nice post Kev
You laid out the background of the year well and the off stage moments that contributed to the year. Here's a couple more factoids about the summer of 77. When the band pulled into Winterland it was about to be the summer of the Grateful Dead, courtesy of their new label Arista and Clive Davis. The new album Terrapin Station was about to be released mid July, the GD movie premiered in June and a huge summer promotional tour was scheduled to take the new album to the fans for the 10th anniversary of the summer of love. Then Mickey broke his arm, the summer tour was canceled and the band members had an unexpected vacation from the post hiatus work ethic of back to constant touring to pay the bills. Can you say party time?
When the band came back in September with Englishtown to try and make up some of that lost summer revenue they started on a fall tour that had Mickey playing with a recovering arm, drummers don't need their arms do they?
Keith was back to being percussionist number 2 for much of the fall and most importantly Jerry got the repaired Wolf back, with new inlay work and other improvements, after it got damaged on the 1974 European tour and was able to retire the Travis Bean after the Englishtown show and theres a nice picture of Jerry playing the Travis Bean inside DP 15.
The return of Wolf has more to do with the difference in sounds of the Spring and Fall tours, That sound Jerry had from June 76 to June 77 is unique and once he added the Mutron pedals in late 76 we get the classic Spring 77 sound.
Personally I find the winter 78 tour played as well, if not better than much of the fall 77 tour it closely followed, as Jerry gets used to the new Wolf and his effects, until we get the glorious 1/22/78 Other One> St. Stephen.
The problem is the january 1978 recordings all suffer from missing SBD syndrome and never got to be Latvala Leaks or WBOTB before entering circulation.
My favorite 77 is without a doubt 11/6/77, a band having fun on the final night of a very successful tour with a Betty that has no cut songs and no need of patches. 10/29/77 is up there too, but the nasty cut in Eyes precludes it from being a favorite.
3/18/77 would be second and then the June Winterland run that I feel is superior to most of the Spring shows. I guess I like the sound of Wolf better than the Travis Bean sound.
https://archive.org/details/gd1977-11-06.122296.sbd.flac16/Track101.flac
https://archive.org/details/gd1977-03-18.123285.sbd.miller.flac16/gd77-…
Eyes of the World
This was the first song I played in the delivery room about 45 minutes after my daughter was born. DP 3 version, 5/22/77
question...
Are there any songs that didn't really do it for you when you first started listening to the Dead but grew on you over time to become songs that you look forward to?
Stella Blue and Black peter are two for me. LOVE them now, but it took some time.
Also, Morning Dew... not that I didn't like it at first but I didn't appreciate it like I do now. It's a show-stopper for me. I see a Dew in the second set and I instantly have to hear that show.
5/8/77 Cornell is probably my favorite version. In fact, I think that it catapults Cornell into an all time great show. Without that Dew, I think that Cornell would be just an average Spring '77 show.
Introducing (Or Re-Introducing) GD to our Parents
The stories and comments from lowspark75, Vguy72 and mhammond12 remind me of when I got a job working at the same company as my mother and we would commute together to work. It was about a 30 min ride and I slowly began introducing her to the Dead. She was born in '47 so I thought she must have heard of them right? She tells me she barely knew of them, she lived a pretty insular life and was weaned on musicals, show-tunes, pop music, etc. Though she did like Elvis and the Beatles. She told me she thought the Dead were some scary, heavy metal band, which is hilarious and true to some degree!
Anyway, I did the same thing as mhammond12 and used Marty Robbins' "El Paso" to break the ice and get things going. I started with all the cover songs. I would play Buddy Holly's NFA and then play the GD version. I would play Johnny B. Good, Chuck Berry then GD. Then do some shorter, more accessible songs like Jack Straw and Peggy-O. It was a lot of fun. It never "clicked" for her the way it has for us but I appreciated her willingness to give it a try.
That was years ago. Just last week my mother-in-law was visiting and GSTL was just released and she asked me why in the hell would I want to pay that amount of $$$ for it? I think I rambled on for about an hour about why I listen to the Dead and the idea of different setlists and songs and song structure and this and that and the other until her eyes rolled over in her head and she was done hearing about it. It was pretty funny.
KeithFan: Calling you out!
You have proclaimed three "favorite" BE Women:
5/25, 11/4 and 5/17 - so which is it!
Or maybe that was a rhetorical contradiction :)
Garcia's Guitars
Thanks Kayak, very interesting point how Jerry's guitar changes affected the sound and tours. Got me thinking about all his other changes. The Jerry Garcia site has a very general description of the guitars he used and doesn't even mention the Travis Bean. I assume Blair Jackson's book "Grateful Dead Gear" has details about each, but I cant find a used copy for less than $125.00. I did find a site with brief descriptions and pics of what seems like most of his gear.
http://dozin.com/jers/jers/guitar/history.htm
Would be interested if anyone has links that provide more detail (and dates) on his gear changes or if Blair Jackson's book is worth the cost?
Lol wadeocu
I was wondering if anyone would catch that. Those were my 3 favs, but I like them all the same. Just a clarification, the last one from DP 29 is 5/21/77. In 1977, Jerry started extending the guitar solo after the first verse and chorus, from 1 or 2 bars to 3 bars. Once he did that, he gave himself the room to build the intensity of the solo, so they ended up with some really cool rocking moments in Brown-Eyed Women. In 5/25 and 11/4, he pulls out of the solo with some great loud flourishes; on the DP 29, it's smooth picking out of the solo.
Guitar's Part 2
After spending more time on the site i referenced below, I've realized it has (via associated links) a huge amount of excellent info and details regarding Jerry's guitars.
Re: Brown Eyed Women
When I think Brown Eyed Woman, I cant help but think of the one on Dicks Picks 18.
One of my favorite sleeper picks, it wasn't until like the tenth listen I realized it was one of the great ones.
Great discussions on Jerry's guitars and tone. I do have blairs book.. not sure its worth that cost to you or not, nestamon. It is a big, heavy hard-cover book though.. not a flimsy paperback.
That being said, I'd be surprised if I paid that much. I got mine from Amazon, used but in like new condition. I swear I paid in the $40's.. but its been a few years now.
That reminds me.. I do miss Blair's liner notes and his Golden Road blog. Quick shout-out to Blair.
Jerry Strat
Some shameless self promotion. My little rock blog ranting about one of Garcia's axes if interested.
http://www.talkfromtherockroom.com/2015/03/tools-of-trade-jerry-garcias…
Help....On the Way?
...really need suggestions/opinions for the best version of "Days Between"....dates/locations would be helpful. Thanks!!
Favorites from 1977
What a great topic!
2/26
4/25
4/27
5/8
5/9
9/3 - the DP is just not the best; wish they'd remaster it
10/11
That's my go to list. There isn't a dog in the bunch that remain however, my favorit year hands down.
@there were days, there were days.....
RobbZ ....great question, it wasn't played often. I recommend 93 versions, as later Jerry got sloppy....and not on my playlist....
1993/03/27 at the Knick
Also check out:
1993/02/22 Oakland
1993/04/01 Nassau
1993/05/15 Vegas
1993/06/13 in da Buff
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