Grateful Dead - The Closing of Winterland

SET ONE
1 Sugar Magnolia >
2 Scarlet Begonias >
3 Fire On The Mountain
4 Me and My Uncle >
5 Big River
6 Friend of the Devil
7 It's All Over Now
8 Stagger Lee
9 From The Heart Of Me
10 Sunshine Daydream

SET TWO
1 Samson and Delilah
2 Ramble On Rose
3 I Need A Miracle>
4 Terrapin Station >
5 Playing In The Band >
6 Rhythm Devils >
7 Not Fade Away >
8 Around And Around

SET THREE
1 Dark Star >
2 The Other One >
3 Dark Star >
4 Wharf Rat >
5 St. Stephen >
6 Good Lovin'

ENCORE
7 Casey Jones >
8 Johnny B. Goode
9 We Bid You Goodnight


Why it sounds so good   February 28, 2007
B. Borgerson (Ashland, OR United States)
18 out of 18 found this review helpful

I won't add to the other raves on the performance. It's a great show by the Dead in their prime. 'Nuff said.

But I will add a note on the sound, since I have some expertise on the subject. When this was taped in 1978, analog recording had reached full technical maturity. Despite all the digital hoopla, many of us in the biz know full well that the best of 70s analog was better than most of 80s digital...and you could take that into the 90s as well. So the sound capture that night was far superior to many of the later Dead releases done on early generations of digital gear. It's most apparent here in the gorgeous sound of Phil Lesh's bass. It's never sounded better on any release in any format. Of course, by the time they got around to remixing the original analog masters for DVD, digital technology was well into its third generation (24-bit resolution, 96kHz sampling or higher) and thus able to fully reproduce the gorgeous analog sound of original. So, crank it up and enjoy the best of the analog and digital worlds.

One final note: The only sonic disappointment here has nothing to do with the recording. It's the instrument. Why was Keith Godchaux stuck with the rinky-tink Yamaha electric? I sorely missed the gorgeous tone of a real concert grand as heard on Europe '72, where his work shone through spectacularly. You can see what he had on the cover of the Europe '72 booklet at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and I expect something similar was on the rider for each show. Was Bill Graham pinching pennies in '78 or what?


This is the one   January 27, 2007
Pete C. (Raleigh, NC USA)
13 out of 13 found this review helpful

This concert was and is incredible. As with all the things that Grateful Dead productions put out, this is money well spent. The Dead organization has always been loyal to their fans and this is their way of giving back. The show on it's own is mindblowing. But the extra goodies with this make it more of an experience than just the amazing performance.
This is my most prized Dead DVD. I watch it on my portable and am always amazed at how well they cleaned this masterpiece up. You get the whole story included in the set. I could watch "DARK STAR" till the next millenium.
All in all, The Dead organization gives back to the fans musically in the most gratifying fashion. Giving us little momentos(in superbly packaged products) of the boys in action that will always stand the test of time and let us fully realize why they gave so much to the music world in their 30 years. A MUST HAVE from the casual to obsessive listener.


Their Biggest Release In Years.   September 17, 2003
Spackler
54 out of 65 found this review helpful

After two huge high-profile meltdowns for whatever reasons at Woodstock (bad) and Egypt (not all that bad) we will finally be able to hear and see them play at their best New Year's show. This easily eclipses anything from the past 4 or 5 years including 'Steppin' Out'', 'Ladies And Gentleman'' , any 'Views' and perhaps the 'So Many Roads' and "Golden Road" boxed sets. After listening and wearing out tapes of aud/sbd/fm-sbd mixes for years and seeing little of the footage that circulates it will be good to hear something in 5.1. Monumental versions of 'Sugar Mags>Scarlet>Fire', 'Terrapin>Playing>Drums>NFA', everything in Set III and all the rest. Not only one of their best shows but one of the best concerts, and acts of communication and performer-audience symbioses ever by anyone thanks in large part to Bill Graham. An historical document capturing the closing of a venue and a moment in time that was possibly the last hippie hurrah. Obviously essential. Breakfast after the show. 'Nuff Said.