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42 of 42 people found the following review helpful
By K. S. Young
Format:Audio CD
A legendary gig from the indefatiguable Grateful Dead! This was the one where the classic San Fran venue Winterland closed its doors for the last time ,on New Years Eve 1978.The Dead took the stage just after midnight and finished off at 6:30 am.The whole event was rounded off with breakfast for all.
Four discs here , the whole gig.Classy first set as usual by the Dead , feeling their way. A stellar Sugar Magnolia leading into a brilliant Garcia led Scarlet Begonias,the maestro in fine voice and perfect guitar form.Percolating rhythms lead us into Fire on the Mountain , again showcasing the Dead on top jamming form. The set moves on to include a stunning Me and My Uncle and Big River , with Garcia starting to loosen totally , his fingers everywhere on the frets.A bit of a gripe here...a whole Donna Godchaux track but I never liked Donna anyway so it was bound to disappoint.Finsihing on Sunshine Daydream , they break for the first time.
Discs 2 and 3 feature a little help from ex Quicksilver members such as John Cippolina and Greg Errico , and we are in the course of this treated to a full Terrapin Station leading into Playing in the Band and then a fabulous Drums section that is hypnotic and delicious.There is some stunning harp playing on the disc and a cool Not Fade Away melding into Chuck Berry's Around and Around that ends on an ever building crescendo.Awesome stuff!
A real treat on the final disc with a marvellous Dark Star that is coherent and lucid leading into the Other One , back to Star and then leading us to St Stephen which is mind-blowing!Considering the fact that it was by now getting on for 6am the boys still sound fresh and lively , as Good Lovin demonstrates.
... Read more ›6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Worth the money just for the version of 'Ramble on Rose' on disc 2 but the everything else is brilliant too. Whatever the Dead were on that night was powerful stuff. Great sound quality is the icing on the cake. Buy it!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By Steve Keen
TOP 1000 REVIEWER
Format:Audio CD
This generous 4-CD set opens at close to midnight on 31 December 1978 with a countdown to "the eighties" by Dan Ayckroyd. Perhaps it's this late night start that means this session took some time to get going. The entire first CD, in fact, whilst carrying some good songs, is somewhat subdued.
This is my first experience of a Dead recording featuring Donna Godchaux, but although her voice contributes some worthwhile harmonies and depth elsewhere, her one lead feature, on this first CD, the self-penned From The Heart Of Me, doesn't add much to the repertoire or to the general vigour of proceedings.
In fact, for me, the collection doesn't really get going until a rousing version of I Need A Miracle in the middle of CD 2. This is followed by the excellent Terrapin Station, which features some great playing, and segues perfectly into Playing In The Band, which closes the side.
Be warned. In the middle of an invigorating Rhythm Devils, an outing for drums which opens CD 3, there is one single thump that comes over like an explosion. First time I listened to it I was driving and thought something had hit the car! The track, though, is on its own worth having the collection for, with some amazing exchanges between the two drummers. It's followed by a very laid back version of Not Fade Away, very differently paced from the version on Skull and Roses, which is played more or less straight, and the band then move into the first of two Chuck Berry songs in the set, Around And Around.
Dark Star heads up CD 4, and is reprised following a very reluctant-sounding The Other One (in comparison with the version on Skull and Roses), although the transition is very well executed.... Read more ›
This is my first experience of a Dead recording featuring Donna Godchaux, but although her voice contributes some worthwhile harmonies and depth elsewhere, her one lead feature, on this first CD, the self-penned From The Heart Of Me, doesn't add much to the repertoire or to the general vigour of proceedings.
In fact, for me, the collection doesn't really get going until a rousing version of I Need A Miracle in the middle of CD 2. This is followed by the excellent Terrapin Station, which features some great playing, and segues perfectly into Playing In The Band, which closes the side.
Be warned. In the middle of an invigorating Rhythm Devils, an outing for drums which opens CD 3, there is one single thump that comes over like an explosion. First time I listened to it I was driving and thought something had hit the car! The track, though, is on its own worth having the collection for, with some amazing exchanges between the two drummers. It's followed by a very laid back version of Not Fade Away, very differently paced from the version on Skull and Roses, which is played more or less straight, and the band then move into the first of two Chuck Berry songs in the set, Around And Around.
Dark Star heads up CD 4, and is reprised following a very reluctant-sounding The Other One (in comparison with the version on Skull and Roses), although the transition is very well executed.... Read more ›
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
What they saw before them was a performance of great songs from the Dead.
This recording captures the electric side of the band perfectly. What a great selection this was from their extensive back catalogue of originals and regular cover versions.
There are some tight pop tunes such as Me and My Uncle, Big River, Casey Jones and Johnny B. Goode and equally good are the many extended jams for example Not Fade Away, Dark Star and Terrapin Station. Ramble on Rose is awesome, Scarlet Begonias is gorgeous and Good Lovin' Good Lovin' is great fun.
The singing is a little weak in places and of course the performance is not perfect but overall this is highly recommended and definitely better than any studio recordings.
This recording captures the electric side of the band perfectly. What a great selection this was from their extensive back catalogue of originals and regular cover versions.
There are some tight pop tunes such as Me and My Uncle, Big River, Casey Jones and Johnny B. Goode and equally good are the many extended jams for example Not Fade Away, Dark Star and Terrapin Station. Ramble on Rose is awesome, Scarlet Begonias is gorgeous and Good Lovin' Good Lovin' is great fun.
The singing is a little weak in places and of course the performance is not perfect but overall this is highly recommended and definitely better than any studio recordings.
Format:Audio CD
This is not a bad album, it's just rather lacklustre at times. Not one of the essential Dead live CDs. The 'Dark Star' isn't a patch on those recorded during 1969-74. Perhaps the cause is Keith Godchaux, whose piano-playing is little more than comping in the background, holding the band back. (His lack of enthusiasm may be explained by means of the picture in the CD booklet with Godchaux's wife Donna and Bob Weir in a close embrace!) Dick's Picks Volumes 15 and 18 has this line-up of the band in a better form. To hear Godchaux at his brilliant best, listen to the band's live 1972-74 CDs.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Grateful dead
At the time of ordering couldn't find this anywhere else and wanted a couple of the songs to add to my iPod
Published 7 months ago by mrs julie leahy
2.0 out of 5 stars
Quantity not quite matched by quality
I was seduced by the perceived value for money - £18 for a 4 CD record of the end of an era.
Well, the Dead have never claimed to be consistent and this happened to be a... Read more
Well, the Dead have never claimed to be consistent and this happened to be a... Read more
Published on 4 Jun 2004 by Doktor Futtocks
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