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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.
Bickershaw..
Gets no love in this house. Its been forever since I gave it a spin.
Thanks KF and VGuy for reminding me to break this out.
My first vinyl
Looney TunesThink I was 5 or 6. The only song I remember is Witch Doctor: oooh eeeh oooh aaaah aaaah, ting tang walla walla bing bang.......
When I was 9 or 10 I had Blues Brothers - Briefcase Full Of Blues. I now have it on CD and I highly recommend it. They were actually a good band.
My first vinyl....
....Goofy Greats. A K-Tel record. It had that witch doctor song too. Also had Chuck Berry's My-Ding-A-Ling. Also had a cool song about Snoopy & The Red Baron. I think I still have it somewhere....
The older I get,
the more that shitty music really annoys me.
Was having a nice brew and some chow at a nearby establishment, and the bartender turns on the video screen. All of a sudden I'm bombarded by a bunch of nonstop screeching and wailing.
Some old punk band I didn't recognize, complete with hair spikes and entirely juvenile attitudes. Finally the name of the band appeared - Rancid. And how.
The rest of the loop wasn't a whole lot better. Good music is pretty rare in public places. It's good to have a collection of the Picks.
Good chow....
....lemme guess. Banana tacos? Rancid is mediocre. I can think of ten better punk bands without even thinking about it....
I didn't say good chow, vguy
But it was ok.
Actually, a crepe place, which I rarely frequent, and I did have a banana foster crepe for dessert, good guess. At least it wasn't rancid, heh.
The main course was not bad though.
Enjoy your trip to Santa Fe. They earned that name, land of enchantment.
Dicks 22
Dicks 22 on the treadmill. I bought this one in the fall of '05 listened only to the alligators and promptly put it back on the shelf and never took it out again. its a pretty rough recording but still good. I just realized it's been 13 years since I listened to viola lee blues. it'll be a few days before I get to the Morning Dew on this one and it'll be a first time listen. I'm sure its a good one.
Ok, I thought about it....
Dead KennedysDead Milkmen
The Subhumans
Bad Brains
Agent Orange
Butthole Surfers
The Misfits
Crass
Corrosion of Conformity
The Clash
The Damned
The Ramones
....ok. That was twelve. Still barely used any of my grey matter....
And, here, we, GO!!....
https://youtu.be/Jn_rH8Mu9sIYup. I went there....
sheik yerbones, that's otis
I spent my honeymoon on Santorini, and also Rhodes, in 1998...heard some voices in the palace of the grand master on Rhodes, but anyway, it was quite the experience...we both loved it!
Never made it to Hydra, was just not on the itinerary, but since the topic of Leonard Cohen came up, I just got to say every fan must, MUST!, check out his very last album, "You Want It Darker."
His masterpiece, for sure. No question in my mind. The man had something very deep to say right before he died. I tried to talk it up here several months ago, but no response. If you're at all a fan, just give it a listen, you won't be disappointed.
Damn, I keep posting here, when so many (including me) want me to just disappear for good;) I will eventually...
simonrob
As sophisticated as you are, being a European and all, I'm not sure you are going to be able to lower your intellect and superior cultural pedigree to sufficiently understand this, but here goes...
Taco Bell, MacDonald's, and other fast food restaurants and the like, are not the end all be all of American culture or heritage, as much as you Europeans wish to pretend otherwise...
In fact, they don't even rate a "1" on our American cultural scale. They are just there, an accepted part of American consumerism, that's it. Only clueless Europeans make these things into something bigger than they actually are.
The Grateful Dead, on the other hand, a part of our American cultural heritage which you purport to appreciate, rates much, much higher than the "Taco Bell" corporation you cite, just so you know.
By the way, America WON'T be coming to your rescue this time...you have about 10-15 years left before the intifada in Europe. Good luck.
Dark Star on vinyl
The first music I ever heard by the Dead was in about 1973, when I got a triple album called "Glastonbury Fayre". It consisted of tracks recorded at the 1971 free festival by the likes of the Pink Fairies and The Edgar Broughton Band, together with tracks donated by bands sympathetic to the free festival movement. The Dead donated the Dark Star they played at Wembley 0n 4/8/72. It wasn't particularly well recorded, and it cuts in about 10 minutes after the start. It fades out as the first few chords of Sugar Magnolia are played.
I wasn't sure what to make of it at the time-it seemed a bit like what I assumed jazz sounded like-especially with the acoustic piano, which was quite loud in the mix. Similarly the guitars seemed very clean sounding, compared to the overdriven, distorted racket that I liked at the time. It was a far poorer recording than the one that came out on cd in the Europe box set. Although the package for the album was amazing-inserts, booklets-even a silver cardboard geodesic dome! Probably the progenitor of box sets, now I come to think of it.
Dantian44-Simonrob
A very heavy handed response to what I read as a light hearted post.
Blues for Allah
Dantian,Methinks you might be getting your 'towell heads 'mixed up.( It seems to a common confusion on your side of the pond,c.f the Trumpian travel ban.)Intifada a nationalist Palestinian resistance to continued illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory and continuing illegal settlement building in these occupied territories.
Unless the Zionists start building settlements outside London or Amsterdam, I guess we might not need your help, so relax...
Now Jihad is a whole nother ball game, I guess we could discuss Salafism and Deobandi and Takfir and all the rest over a taco sometime, but dont hold your breath.
Im done, and out of here.
Goodbye dogon
And don't let the door hit you on the way out. Any ethnic/political group that celebrates blowing up children by design uses their own children as shield ie. puts military/terrorist cells by schools pays the families of murderers is by definition terrorist and until they let the Israelis live in peace they reap what they sow
Tacos and bananas
Hurry Dave, we need that announcement more than ever.
Banana Tacos
Yes please.. Dave, time to pull out release video #9. The one where the next pick is discussed while eluding a pod of rabid seals by log rolling past carnivorous birds while wolfing down large quantities of Banana Tacos.
We need it more now than ever.
I can't believe some of the comments here.
Haven't been here in a while.....
.....I come back and it's more f#####g politics ....... You people sure know how to ruin a great forum to talk about DEAD music. I was going to talk about some great 1974 shows that I've been jamming on, but.......I'm out.
Not just politics
But hate. Beyond the pale.
I'd much rather talk 1974 GD and banana tacos.
Morning Rockers!
Where is that guy anyway.
daverock I was surprised to see your comment about the last 3 Dave's being substandard, only because I thought 21 was a winner by all accounts. 22 I liked a lot, but I think I understand why some didn't like it. I share your sentiment on getting a Dark Star on the next one.
Peaceful Sunday with the Grateful Dead. Skeleton Skaters. DaP 13. Possibly my favorite complete show release from '74. The audio is so good on this one (for '74 at least). China Cat is exquisite. I am trying to figure out what the X Factor is on this one. I'm wondering if it's simply the excellent audio. The setlist is great, but there's still something about this one that makes me feel locked in on every song.
Jim, I'm glad to hear you're dusting off Bickershaw. That's one of the things I love about these message boards, is getting suggestions from other people. Your dusting off of Dick's Picks 22 and your testimony about the May 24th 1972 show sent me headed in their drection last week.
Man, I could really go for some McDonalds right now :)
I mean, I know it's terrible, but two Egg McMuffins and a greasy hashbrown are perfect for soaking up last night's booze...
Of the 14 E72 shows I have been able to cobble together, I would say Bickershaw is easily in the top 3. Disc 3 alone (DS>Drums>TOO>Sing Me) contains enough face melting to justify the distinction. I believe I am correct when I say it is the only show where they played BOTH a Dark Star and TOO... and to have the one come out of the other is really cool ta' boot (llamma!)
Finally, a good friend of mine has been encouraging me to check out the summer 81 shows... yesterday's 2nd set has some really great post-drums/space stuff, and today's Alpine show sounds really good as I type, (really nice Bird Song jam right now :)
7/10/81 - St. Paul Civic Center - Set II
Samson
Althea
Estimated>
Eyes>
Drums>
Space>
UJB>
Playin'>
China Doll>
UJB>
Playin'>
Around and Around>
Good Lovin'
E: Casey Jones
https://archive.org/details/gd81-07-10.nak300.munder.7314.sbeok.shnf
7/11/81 Alpine Valley : https://archive.org/details/gd81-07-11.senn441.munder.7370.sbeok.shnf/g…
Peace
Tacos, K-Tel & Love
I personally love All tacos. But, my favorite is a double layered soft corn tortilla filled with chorizo, cheese, guac, secret sauce....down the hatch.
VGuy, i saw your comment about your first album being a 'K-Tel'. Holy cow, I hadn't even thought about that moniker in YEARS. It brought me back to another time. My first vinyl album was the Star Wars soundtrack (no surprise?) followed by Kenny Rodgers Greatest Hits. I always had this dream as a kid of sitting with an acoustic guitar and playing 'The Gambler' to a little hottie and winning her heart....
Let's all try to deflect on some of these bad vibes and usher in some newer, better ones. Push back and offer Love. It can go along way.
Have a great day Deadfreaks!
Sixtus
Early Vinyl
I consider myself lucky to have an older brother and sister that were pretty cool.. but there was vinyl floating around early that I'm not proud of.
Sister Mary Elephant made its rounds though, as did an early George Carlin LP. I seem to recall some Partridge Family, Jackson Five and Osmond shenanigans floating around, but gladly these were not my purchases. K-Tel was represented.. but I don't recall which one.
Lots of Zeppelin, Floyd, Hendrix, Sabbath, Cream and the like was present. Very little jazz, classical, folk or bluegrass. No country. I guess that's typical of the times.
I'm not gonna comment on what we were wearing.. pretty dated threads.
I didn't see that coming...
Whilst it polishes my ego to be called sophisticated, I cannot understand where the assumption comes from that fast food chains that have been roundly mocked on this board should be considered American cultural icons by Europeans. I suspect that you are mildly confused, having first alluded to European's high intellect and superior cultural pedigree, then a mere two sentences later contradicting yourself by calling Europeans clueless. What may surprise you is that I am well aware that the Grateful Dead are an important part of America's cultural heritage. I am curious as to why you say that I "purport to appreciate" this fact. Furthermore, I would neither expect, nor want America to come to my rescue in the event of an intifada, though I doubt that you are in a position to be the one to inform Europe of this fact.
Toodle pip!
Away with your politics, I mean you no harm...
The funny thing about the political commentary, is that nobody I've read here has it right. Everyone cherry picks half a headline and then spouts off like it's cut and dry. And that's just the problem - there is no right or wrong, just varying spin on the same stories, none of which are presented honestly by either side of the news outlets (they just want supporters, any way they can get them). Just ignore it here, since you're all never going to accomplish anything except bring strife to this peaceful oasis. When did any political discussion "accomplish" anything here?Exactly, so let's agree to ban it, since it's noooo good.
Like Geometry, there are "givens" here at the dead.net message board. The "given" is not to discuss politics. This is not censorship, this is a request to not engage on certain controversial topics for the common upkeep of a pleasant Dead-oriented topic board. So I'm not suggesting anyone infringe on free speech, only to refrain from exercising it in an inappropriate forum. An exception would be like we had with the reactions to some political commentary from Nick Merriweather in the DaP 20 liner notes.
So if the "given" is to not bring it up, we have two possibilities: 1) Someone brings it up; and 2) Someone responds. My suggestion would be to avoid number 1 (if you don't, you were either uninformed or just don't care about the rest of the crowd here), and 2) avoid responding to anyone who violates #1. Responding only perpetuates the "bad stuff.
Cause really, very few people enjoy coming here when there's political strife in the air. We get that all day every day. Let us preserve this sacred oasis.
There is a great Taper's section this week, covering 8/21/68 (just days before the Shrine show that we have on Two From the Vault. It got me to thinking about a two-show Dave's Picks release, and by golly check out this set list from 8/21 and 8/22 1968. I would be all for this as DaP 24:
AUGUST 21
1) Cryptical Envelopment >
2) The Other One >
3) Cryptical Envelopment, Pt. II >
4) Good Morning Little Schoolgirl
5) Alligator>
6) Feedback
7) Dark Star >
8) St. Stephen >
9) The Eleven >
10) Death Don't Have No Mercy
11) Turn On Your Lovelight
12) Midnight Hour
AUGUST 22
1) St. Stephen >
2) The Eleven >
3) Death Don't Have No Mercy
4) Turn On Your Lovelight
5) Dark Star
6) Cryptical Envelopment >
7) The Other One >
8) Cryptical Envelopment, Pt. II >
9) New Potato Caboose
10) Alligator >
11) Caution >
12) Feedback >
13) We Bid You Goodnight
We get the mecca of triads before Help / Slip / Franklin, known as Dark Star / St. Steven / The Eleven; we get our Other Ones with Crypticals (and a 2nd Dark Star preceding it); we get a New Potato Caboose - and let me tell you, the Two From the Vault Caboose is spectacular - this one can't be far off - maybe even better!); we get plenty of grease: Alligator (2x), Midnight Hour, Schoolgirl...I'm ready for this one. AND it's from the Fillmore West.
first sensible suggestion I've read
Making political statements to condemn political statements is a big yawner, KF.
BUT, you said August 21-22, 1968 for Dave's Picks.
Too late to be an influence, but I had to come out of the woodwork to celebrate your suggestion. By the odds, unlikely to be soon, but we need this soon.
1968 GD is a partial antidote to what's ailing me in 2017.
tapers' section
Our first stop this week is on 8/21/68, when the Dead played this excellent sequence at the Fillmore West in San Francisco: Dark Star > Saint Stephen > The Eleven > Death Don't Have No Mercy
http://www.dead.net/features/tapers-section/july-10-july-16-2017?intcmp…
Did someone say plantains?.....
....I'm sorry. A DaP 23 announcement soon would be manna from heaven. C'mon Dave. Bust out that unbalanced rock you like to stand on at the beach and let's do this!!....
1968
Yes, it would be a blast if the next Dave's Picks came from 1968. When 30 Trips came out, everyone was blown away by the power of the November 1967 show-the previous year, but the same sound and approach.
I can remember reading a statement somewhere that if you oppose something, you can end up making what you oppose stronger by virtue of opposing it. I can't remember where I read it-but it seems in keeping with the acid test ethos.
First Vinyl
During a HS Latin/Spanish Club trip to New Orleans in ‘69, some of us slipped away from the Monteleone (pre-renovation) to stroll the Quarter. It’s amazing what you could get away with back then. At some point a kind soul in a sparkly head shop somewhere off Bourbon suggested Disraeli Gears/Cream and Ars Nova/Ars Nova. Still have both of those LPs – maybe one day I’ll be able to play ‘em again. The only Dead I was into then was what I could hear on late night FM. . .
7-10-81 - Another version
To That's Otis,
Think I found a version of 7-10-81 that is a bit better, CM transfer: Good show btw, Jerry is on
https://archive.org/details/gd1981-07-10.senn421.miller.32880.sbeok.fla…
Have a great day!
2/24/74
Giving DaP13 (2/24/74) a spin after seeing some '74 references on this thread recently. Hadn't listened to it in a while. Seemed somehow serendipitous that the first thing on disc 1 is Bill Graham saying "Whatever's going on in the world, whether its wars or kidnappings or crimes, this is a peaceful Sunday night with the Grateful Dead."
Ugh
I'm generally ok with any kind of topic here as long as the argument is well thought out and the message is delivered in a respectable way. There seems to be a handful of fans who can't manage that relatively low bar. A pity, really.
I too am ready for a Dave's announcement so we can get back to the usual tired arguments about the pick not being from the 80s or 90s.
Dave's Next Pick
I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that the release will be announced this Friday... Hoping its a '68 show
Well, I never...
...got into punk rock. When I was younger it was hard rock and metal, for that angst-driven sound. At least those bands could play their instruments. No offense meant to punk fans.
Y'know, Rancid does have one song that's pretty fun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhKHAopx7D0
Now, many years later, what I love about listening to the Dead so much is there's little if any anger in the music, and I love and can relax to that.
I'm not angry anymore. Disappointed in some worldly things, yes, but being angry rarely helps.
Peace.
@ Guit30...
... well yes, that DOES sound better! Thank you very much for the good looking out! :)
Peace
Vinyl & today's jams
1st vinyl was probably Beatles 45's - Love Me Do, etc. LP's? Freddie & the Dreamers maybe, with I'm Telling You Now? Maybe Hermits Hermits - Bigbro dug Hermits Hermits. I had that Snoopy & the Red Baron LP someone mentioned earlier. Was kinda musically puritanical until Grant Grosshaus turned me on to Cheap Thrills - always loved that guiro that starts Combo of the Two! Best of Cream (the white one with vegetables), Jimi "Smash Hits" import Bigbro brought me from Europa and my annual Led Zep x-mas gifts from granny.I played drums along with all these and then one day it happened - someone in the household snapped!
It was Bigbro. He was studying in an adjacent room and I was playing along with his Young Rascals album with Good Lovin and Mustang Sally when he burst forth, grabbed his disc from the turntable and smashed it over his knee. Tragic comedy at its best.
Best find was Zep's Houses of the Holy in a Mexico City Mercado in '73. I bought that and a switch blade. lol I miss vinyl.
Today woulda been Dad's 90th so from '58 theres Coltrane - "Standard", "Stardust" and "Bahia"; RR Kirk "Kirk's Works"; Joe Gordon "Lookin' Good" and John Patton "Blue John" - love all these and miss ya pops!
Well, and then there's Jerry & Merl @ Keystone, Marshall Tucker "Where We All Belong" and the companion disc to Lucinda Williams' "Car Wheels ..." Don't worry, be grateful.
I like Europeans
I have always enjoyed meeting folks from both the U.K. And Europe. Had many great talks and educated by many great stories. I have met people and one friend who saw the Soviet tanks roll into Czech in 68. Most times my friends from Europe have a very cool perspective and dare I say more culture than most Americans. Not to generalize but that's been my experience. I LOVE traveling there and seeing the sights and meeting people there. Paris is my spiritual home away from home artiscally. I have chased Hemingways ghost all through Montparnesse and the left bank.Im An American through and through and love it. My friends from Europe have helped my growth day understanding and I would never trade it.
First vinyl? Meet the Beatles!
Thinking of cutting loose Spring 90 Too box
I don't listen to it and I maybe letting it go for cost. Interest? PM the Bobaloo.
Oteil on Reddit....
....I know some of you reddit. I know some of you hate reddit. Either way, Oteil Burbridge is going to do an AMA session on the 14th. AMA stands for ask me anything. You post questions on reddit and he will reply. Kinda like a live Q&A session. Pretty cool....
my Dave 23 wish picks
* HJK Nov-87 compilation* 1/22/78
* 10/16/74
* 10/1/76
Gotta be in it to win it.
1st vinyl
Some hilarious comments lately, not to mention some disgusting sounding tacos. I for one enjoy reading the political stuff, as I want to hear as many peoples various arguments as possible, in order to better inform my own. Some of my closest friends are almost completely on the other side of the political spectrum from myself, they may not share all my beliefs, but it basically comes down to the fact that they are all just trying to have a happy life and want the same for others. At any rate it has been slightly more interesting then people saying the usual "I hate Vince, there aren't any 80s picks etc".
My first vinyl was a copy of John Lennon's Imagine, followed the next day by Santana's 1st, Donovan's Greatest Hits 1969, and 'Volunteers' by the Jefferson Airplane. I listened to Volunteers the most for sure, was fun to find out Jerry was the pedal steel on 'The Farm'. I was a huge airplane fan for years before I ever heard the dead.
As for punk, I enjoyed it as a small child until the age of about 10. I then moved on to "grunge" and really dug into that stuff for the next 4 years. I live in and grew up all around Washington state so it was always around and listened to by family/friends/teachers. But in highschool a switch was just flipped or something and suddenly most if not all "grunge" sounded like middle school juvenile music. I still enjoy the Screaming Trees and the occasional Nirvana, Love Battery or Tad tracks, but probably more for nostalgia then out of genuine musical interest. But I have no time for what is commonly labeled "punk rock", in my opinion it is one of the most garbage forms of music, up there with rap and autotuned R&B, (basically any "music" were "attitude" is more important than talent/skill)
Culture is arbitrary and subjective
I have a lot of European friends and they are no more 'cultured' than I am, they just have had a different upbringing, different experiences, and have different ideas about what 'culture' is. But what we all have in common is a love for beer! I was at a conference in Germany in May and got to see many of my European friends, we had a great time drinking Pils and Weiss.
FLBobaloo,
Walkers Wood, now that's culture in a jar.
SimonRob, don't be offended by Dantian (I don't think you were) he's just a little confused, he thinks that tacos were invented in the U.S., but they were not. Yes, they were invented in America, Central America.
hendrixfreak
That's funny that I'm putting you to sleep with my "yawner" of a comment. Just trying to make this a better place to hang out. If there were no political discussions (which is as far from the purpose of these message boards as if we discused astrology), there would be far less tension, and every day would be like the best day we've had on here (which are pretty good, yeah?) I'm puzzled that you would put someone down for delivering a message aimed at peace. Did I interpet your comment accurately? It was a put-down correct?
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