Rating: 
Summary: Yum yum yum
Review: In the land of the dark, the ship of the sun is driven by the Grateful Dead.
Grateful Dead-- the religious experience.
Who are the Grateful Dead and why do they keep following me?
Who are the spinners and why do they keep spiling my beer? (Later sticker, but I love it anyway)
Paradise waits, friends, on the crest of a wave. If you don't have this dvd, don't wait any more! They did an awesome job with the sound (certainly better than any sbd I've ever heard), and for a 1978 video, great job visually, too. I agree with some others; Ramble on Rose is just the sweetest JG nectar. But who can choose when you are talking about this show in particular?
If you didn't know it, this show has been a staple for collectors since, well, New Years '78. Every year in Deadbase, pre 95 of course, this show was consistently voted among the top few shows they ever performed. All I can say is, get it. And to add one more of those great late 70's early 80's stickers: "If I had to explain, you wouldn't understand."
Statements just seem vain at last.
Rating:
Summary: This Will Be On All Available Dead Videos
Review: I guess there are 2 types of fans of the Grateful Dead: Deadheads (really diehard types that would enjoy the video even if the quality was at a half a star, and the Dead were having an off night). Then there are non-Deadheads (casual fans that want the best concerts available of that group). I have all available Dead videos (didn't get GD movie - waited a little too long), and love them all (guess which type of fan I am). To the non-Deadhead fans, I would say get The Closing of Winterland, Downhill from Here, and (maybe because of Bruce Hornsby) View from the Vault 2. Then continue your quest for the perfect concert video (my personal choice is a toss up between The Last Waltz, and Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense).
Now. For the Deadicated, Deadhead fans, I would recommend anything & everything available (including Grateful Dawg). Forget the reviews from some of the others about the cheesie psychadelic effects, forget the comments of "this concert wasn't as good as", and forget the "it was better live becase they edited" comments. When it comes to Garcia and The Grateful Dead (in the illustrious words of Robert Hunter)"Like a Steam Locomotive Rolling Down the Track. He's Gone, He's Gone and Nothings Gonna Bring Him Back" so enjoy what's out there. Kudos to Monterey Home Video for making these concerts available.
Rating:
Summary: I can't get enough of the Grateful Dead!
Review: Bob and Jerry look like they are having a good time. When Bob sings "Good Lovin'," at the end of Set 3, the Grateful Dead's ability to add life to a cover of a familiar song sparks some of the excitement that every great act would like to achieve near the end of a long night. I like Jerry best on "Ramble On Rose" near the beginning of Set 2, but he also had an inner glow that seemed to reflect "the engine just gleams" in the "Casey Jones" encore. It was dark inside after midnight, and the concert was merely being filmed for live TV broadcast without studio lighting, so the clearest picture of anyone on this DVD are the few flash bulb instances when someone took a snapshot and lit a face from a different angle than the incredibly dim spotlights. There were a few extra people playing a song or two with the Grateful Dead that night, and someone on harmonica had a few great moments.I did not take myself to any live performances of the Grateful Dead in the sixties or seventies, so this DVD is as young as I ever saw any of them play. Listening to them later, I came to appreciate a few unique elements of their sound. As much as anyone, the Grateful Dead has shown the ability to produce a body of work that defines them as an entity significant enough to make the question of what they were doing at any particular point in time interesting. Phil Lesh on bass guitar seemed to spend his time with the drums, but he could be seen enjoying himself on "Terrapin Station," when he finally had some notes that meshed well with the other guitar parts. Jerry Garcia plays so many notes in his concerts that I marvel at his ability to remember when he is supposed to play them. During the chorus of "Ramble On Rose," the guitar interludes provide as much of the melodic flow as the singing, and the words on paper suggest very little of what is going on: "Did you say your name was Rambling Rose?
Ramble on baby,
settle down easy Ramble on Rose." The typical popular song makes enough sense musically to keep seven people heading in the same direction, but the fun of "Terrapin Station" seems to be in wondering how such music is even possible. Such instances of multiple inspirations remind me of how JFK's boat PT-109 was rammed by a Japanese destroyer in WW II: it would not be fair to blame such an event on the activities of one person. Anything that complicated requires teamwork. There is another instance of multiplicity which makes this DVD worth owning. The song "B Movie" by DELBERT McCLINTON is a psychological study in transference unlike any other, and the Bonus material on this DVD includes a live performance by the Blues Brothers in which Jake and Elwood bow most notably to guitarist Steve Cropper as co-writer of the San Francisco song "Dock of the Bay" while they introduce members of that opening act. Jake and Elwood overdo the dancing in their frenetic fashion, but having easy access to "Soul Man" and "B Movie" from a famous bunch of great musicians makes more sense on a DVD than the TV interviews with personalities involved in every aspect of putting on a show.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Awesome
Review: This is the first Dead DVD I have purchased. I had a old New Years Eve VHS from 87. This DVD however blows anything I have ever seen away. The sound in my home theater is mixed so perfect in surround sound that my floor shakes from the Phil's great bass playing. There is so much on here for such a little price. My favorites are Teppapin, Magnolia, Me and my Uncle, and Other ones. This is the only one I have seen with Keith and Donna as part of the band. Great jams, great sound, and so much extra footage makes this a must have for any rock fan. A magical experience.
Rating:
Summary: It's almost too much...
Review: A great show, fantastic hippie-dippie sorta groove, excellent sound quality. Watch the disc and (to me, anyway) it becomes abundantly clear just how much the GD were Jerry's band. I don't know who proposed those stages of greving, but I'm still stuck in the Anger phase... Seeing and hearing the Dead like that (especially when you turn the stereo WAY up) can get a bit intense, and I get pretty miffed at Jerry for being Dead. Be prepared to move the furniture - you'll need some room to dance!!
|
