Set 1:
Minglewood Blues , Dire Wolf , Looks Like Rain , They Love Each Other , Big River > El Paso , Brown Eyed Women , Let It Grow
Set 2:
Samson And Delilah , Sunrise , Terrapin Station > Playing In The Band > Drums [1] > Space [2] > Saint Stephen > Not Fade Away > Playing In The Band
Encore:
Passenger
[1] Includes Phil on bass
[2] with Drummers
The Minglewood opener is a hearty dose of fiery, focused playing to start off the show in promising fashion with Keith really laying in the keys. The DIre Wolf that comes out next is equally solid, but it seems the first set really begins to soar with the Looks Like Rain. On that tune, Jerry and Bobby’s guitar work is phenomenal, and they both feed off each other on a few nice runs. The sweet playing continues right into the They Love Each Other with Phil and Keith both adding a tasty element, with the latter fueling a mid-tune jam that Jerry ends up turning into a sizzling, resplendent soundscape. Jerry’s voice is still recovering from his laryngitis of a few days prior, as it would be for the next few weeks, but his characteristic tone comes through despite the delicate and labored nature of most of his vocals. The next three songs in the set - Big River, El Paso, and Brown Eyed Women - are all excellent, keeping with the tight and spirited play of the previous two tunes. The Let It Grow that caps off the set, though, is a beast of a different order. It starts off in fine form and gathers steam as it goes. Eventually, the band gets locked in a ferocious jam with the drummers pounding away and Jerry scorching off on a powerful cascade of ridiculous guitar licks, barely pausing for another verse before launching off again.Samson out of the break is heady, providing some serious ensemble jamming in the latter half. Then, the Sunrise delivers; Donna renders the vocals perfectly, Jerry provides some streaking guitar runs, and the tune blends so well with Terrapin, which emerges afterwards. And we get a top-notch rendition of Terrapin, leading to an awesome, inventive, and charging Playin’. The Playin’ goes into some spacey territory, sounding almost like bugs scurrying about, before turning into a bass and drums exploration. Then the rest of the boys return for another turn at Space. Before too long, they sidle into a rousing Stephen, which lifts off in a stratospheric jam in the second half that circles around the theme and then comes back for the final vocals. From there, the boys head right into Not Fade Away, which is righteous in its own right, especially as it settles into its own deep jamming exploration towards the end. After the bass-heavy noodling into which the NFA descends, the Playin’ reprise comes as a total, exuberant release, putting a fine cap on both the set and the incredible, inspired journey from Terrapin onwards. And, the entire night is topped by a full-on Passenger encore that is not to be missed.
Credit: Gratefuldeadshowofday.com
Reviewer: c-freedom - Subject: They Love Each Otherreally nice laid back jam on T.L.E.O, good to hear Donna singing on the Dire Wolf. Big River has some jump to it. Garcia is tearing it up. Interesting that they would take this into El Paso not two songs that I normally associate with each other. (Perhaps Weir wanted to make up for not playing El Paso the previous night) Garcia is loud and over the top even the Looks Like Rain was riff laden. Nice El Paso with Jerry throwing in some added backing vocals pretty early in the song. Phil with those bass lines,,, Hear the drummers keeping time. "One little kiss!" What in the world is Jerry strumming at the end of El Paso??? B..E. Woman-Pretty much one of my favorite dead tunes. this one is pretty complicated. Rhythm section really on it. Jerry blazing away. This is usually way laid back, not tonight! Donna puts those pretty oh-s and ah-s in there. They are beating the crap out of those drum kits. Pretty interesting Jerry and maybe Bobby conversation on Track #9 -Tuning Let It Grow is everything all the previous reviewers have said it would be. It was Garcia that ripped a hole in the ozone. Wow, Almost like a meltdown inside of Let it Grow! And the second jam is even more freakin hot!!! No break for me --Set Two Samson and Delilah- for as rowdy as they are playing this is the perfect set two opener. Dig the Rhythm section!!! Hear Phil!!! Jerry in every empty space,,Weir singing as Phil thunders! Sunrise-perfect after that epic jam. "HE plants the tree of life on our foreheads with water" Jerry groovin' Here comes the TERRAPIN,,, The drummers and Phil are just killing it. Weir taking it out in all directions. Jerry's voice is raspy but not destroyed. Play that guitar Garcia! "You decide if he was wise" No meandering they head straight into P.I.T.B Drummers are picking it up like they are going to take it but no drums listed. Can finally hear Keith well defined in the mix! I like the way the jam is spreading out. Where do they go from here? Who will be the last musician standing? Very trippy! sort of like a million grasshoppers,,"Ziggy played guitar" Drummers, Phil and grasshoppers,,, Well defined jam emerges and it leads to St. Stephen. (Now this is why this music will be cherished beyond our time.) You gotta love Garcia's attention to detail. Donna real nice in the ensemble singing. "One man gathers"-everyone on it... This jam is mighty high :-) "Yes, I can" a full force N.F.A. THE BAND HAS MY COMPLETE AND UNDIVIDED ATTENTION. Weir has some really cool stuff going on here as well. Phil,,,Jerry,,,Heading back into P.I.T.B the reprise.HOW SWEET!!! Bringing it on almost like the way they jam into the Wheel sometimes... I dig that Main Ten theme,,, It is Native American to the core, Sheeze they are just blowing the doors off the place. One of those nights where the EVENT STAFF become instant heads... e) Passenger-sure why not??? and it rocks too.
Reviewer: clementinescaboose - Subject: More Awesome Early '78Said it before and I'll day it again, early '78 is where it's at for this band in this year...this show has a lot that will keep me coming back...but my favorite parts, as mentioned heavily already, are definitely the Let it Grow and the St. Stephen.
This LIG is just ridiculously powerful, some of the heaviest sounds I've ever heard on this song, and Jerry's playing during St. Stephen is also easily some of the most inspired I have heard of this era. It's just as good as 1/22, but in a different way; more like noodling nirvana vs. melodic paradise. This, 1/22/78, and 10/15/77 are the trifecta of great post-hiatus St. Steves for me.
Reviewer: EyesWereThere - Subject: My Favorite TapeI had all the classics in my collection..Hartford, Binghampton, Fillmore and so on and this little known gem was by far the most played tape of any show I didnt go nto (a shame since I was 5 years old and 20 miles away at the time..lol). The second set is as perfect to my ears as any I have heard. There's my 2 cents. Download it!!!
Reviewer: Folkhippy -
Subject: Sickly Jerry...Man you gotta hand it to Garcia; he was playing these shows with full blown laryngitis, but he was RIPPING inspired solos on song after song! He must have been wanting to make up for not singing to the audiences! The Terrapin, Let it Grow, St. Stephen, and one of the best They Love Each Others of '78 are amazing! Must have been the Persian helping him feel better :)
Reviewer: jamiejoon - Subject: St Stephen!Wow. That's amazing stuff. Just listened to the Jam before St Stephen through the end of the Set. Extraordinary. I cannot imagine someone hearing that and not giving it 5 stars...but to each his/her own. Beautiful sound, brilliant playing, lots of weird inventive touches from various members of the band. As someone else said, 4 stars for recording but 6 stars for performance. This is a new favorite for me...wish I could download.
Reviewer: gortiz74 - Subject: St. Stephenthe St. Stephen is amazing, one of the best I have ever heard.
jerry's soloing at the end is too much. what energy...
Reviewer: walterbedingfield415 - Subject: LIG and Playin > stephenLIG is very good as mentioned. The playin' is the best of 78 IMO. Goes lots of different places before landing smoothly into the best Stephen of 78 (again IMO) jerry's voice is still a little creaky...though I think in some songs it makes him sound very emotional.
Reviewer: fireonshakedownstreet - Subject: Let It GrowEpic Trilling.
Reviewer: capn doubledose - Subject: Show kicks butt - one of my all time favorites of 250 tapesHave never heard a bad Shrine show and this is no exception. Big River & Let it Grow are ridiculous. BEST LATE ST STEPHEN hands down - never played this hard again. Need a better copy of this though.
A must.
Reviewer: jeffsetz - Subject: rocking showThe show really rocks. I listened to it in it's entirety w/headphones today and had a big grin on my face the entire time. Jerry still suffers from laryngitis he came down with earlier in the tour but gives it his best on the vocals. What he lacks in voice, he more than makes up for with some seriously blistering fret work. 1978 has always been underrated. This show might make some reexamine their opinions. The quality of this recording is decent. I'll give it a 4 for sound, a 6 for performance.
Reviewer: TimePilot - Subject: Nice setilist. Where's the AUD? It's better!This show has a nice setlist and sound. Highlights, as stated previously, are Let It Grow and Terrapin. There is, however, an audience recording out there somewhere of this show that I have heard that FAR SURPASSES this SBD version. In fact, I remember it being one of the best '78 AUD's I had ever heard. Anyone know where it is so we can post it??? For this one: 3.5 stars performance, 3.75 stars sound = 3.625 stars overall.
Reviewer: jillymom - Subject: goodgood sound
Reviewer: Jim F - Subject: Dont overlook Let it Grow.I don't have this show (yet), but I do have the Let it Grow. It was one of the first things I ever heard of the band live, which I got from local radio at the time. It has a rushed, yet determined attack with plenty of fanning crescendos from Jerry and co. Star rating is only for Let it Grow.
Reviewer: Jack Straw from Carolina - Subject: PossibilitiesMaybe it was my mood this day, but I don't hear anything special in this show, though the set list is attractive. "Terrapin" and "Not Fade Away" are the best songs; as is typical of this year, the band is tight and provides nice punch, but there just isn't that much magic in any of Jerry's ideas or interplay. Sound is great.