GD Cornell 77
- Thread starter mavuser
- Start date
I was at that show. Was it the best ever, like a lot of folks seem to believe? I don't think so.
mavuser
Enlightened Member
set 2 is pretty strong. the scarlet>fire is regarded by many as the best one, or one of the best at least. the morning dew closer is also pretty epic. amazing u were there! i was 5 weeks old
anniversary show tommorow *at Barton Hall! Dead and Co. with possibly Phil, Donna rumoured
Unfortunately, I was too young to see what I think were the best dead shows, when Pigpen was still alive, and Jerry was playing off the shelf guitars through a Twin Reverb. They had a rawness to them back then that was missing in later iterations. I saw a ton of shows in the late seventies and eighties, and while the Barton Hall show is excellent, I don't think I can call any single Dead show "best". One that really stands out for me was the 2/18/70 show from the Capitol Theater. It was a watershed show, with the live debuts of "Bertha", "Greatest Story Ever Told", "Loser", "Johnny B. Goode" and "Wharf Rat". There's also a killer "Dark Star". That was part of a five show run at the Cap, and they were at the height of their powers.
Midnight Toker
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Cornell is a great show, but I think it's "legendary" status stems mostly from the fact that a really great sounding board was making trader rounds back when most shows being traded were still audience recorded....so it really stood out sonically. Now that there are entire runs available in great Betty Board quality, I'd say it barely makes the top 10 lists, if even, of die hards that collect and listen to every show they can get their hands on. In fact, it wasn't even the best show of 77. Maybe 3rd. 
In fact, just about any show from May 77 is a gem, as are a few from March.
Same thing happens in the Zep boot worldwhere something in fantastic recording quality has gotten decades of repeated listens and the familiarity to give it "legendary" show status when there are many other shows from the same tour that are much much better. Even the film soundtrack The Song Remains The Same is a below average show overall for the tour. Baltimore from just a few nights before blows it away. But, my heart is still tied to those "legendary" nights at Madison Square Garden from having cranked it a thousand+ times. It does have my alltime fav Page solo from No Quarter though.
In fact, just about any show from May 77 is a gem, as are a few from March.Same thing happens in the Zep boot worldwhere something in fantastic recording quality has gotten decades of repeated listens and the familiarity to give it "legendary" show status when there are many other shows from the same tour that are much much better. Even the film soundtrack The Song Remains The Same is a below average show overall for the tour. Baltimore from just a few nights before blows it away. But, my heart is still tied to those "legendary" nights at Madison Square Garden from having cranked it a thousand+ times. It does have my alltime fav Page solo from No Quarter though.
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Just saw Dead and Co Saturday at Jazz Fest in NOLA. They were a bit slow but surprisingly good. Played a really good Cumberland Blues. No Bill K. Though he was gonna play that one show with them.
I agree with Sandy regarding Jerry Garcia's tones. I loved him best when he had that raw, unprocessed Strat sound.
I agree with Sandy regarding Jerry Garcia's tones. I loved him best when he had that raw, unprocessed Strat sound.