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Category: Music
There is much to be said when a band hits their 'peak.' Usually it's when the band themselves are playing on a level unheard of in their careers. Much of the time, fans won't notice this until way later when they look back on the material they were left with. Phish had theirs in the mid 90's. The Stones in the early 70's, and Clapton with Blind Faith and Derek and the Dominos. But none compare to what the Grateful Dead did in May of 1977.
Ask any knowledgeable dead head and they will tell you only one show to start with to find out what the Grateful Dead were all about: Cornell University, May 8th, 1977. This show is so revered as the best Grateful Dead show ever played that two years ago, the city of Ithaca (where Cornell is located) actually began celebrating May 8th as 'Grateful Dead day.'
Now what makes May 1977 so great? Well to be honest, there really isnt much that stands out. The setlists all look the same from that year, nothing major really happened to them, but there must have been something in the air because for that month, and only that month, the Dead were clicking on unheard of cylinders. Jerry's solos were phenomenal, stretching eight nine minute songs into twenty minute masterpieces. Bobby's rhythm was trance like, keeping pace with everything that Jerry was doing with surprise and vigor. Phil's bass was finally coming into it's own, starting to become what is now known fondly as the 'Phil Zone.' Billy and Mickey's drumming was so in sync, so connected, that its hard to tel that there were actually two drummers. Finally Keith's piano playing brought it all back home with that soft mellowness that is commonly associated with him.
But my favorite show isnt Cornell (although it is up there) my favorite Grateful Dead show is May 28th, 1977 at the Hartford Civic Center. Again nothing really 'stands out' as far as the setlist goes. It's a typical show for that era with the first set being a few jams but nothing spacey, and the second set really letting loose to go into unknown waters. Except this show is different with a Bertha->Good Lovin'-> Sugaree all melting into one another with no rests. Already three songs deep and the Dead establish their dominance with over half an hour of nonstop playing. The rest of the set contains the classics like Jack Straw and Row Jimmy as some other highlights. A few more regulars end up finishing out the first set but the second set is where all the magic is.
In Grateful Dead terms, the second set is considered the gold of any show. It's where the band flexes it's jamming muscles and goes into deep jams, and this show is no different. It starts with an amazing Estimated Prophet that slowly blends into Playin' in the Band. What makes this so different is that they are both Bobby songs, usually Jerry and Bobby trade off singing but you can feel Bobby is taking the lead and bringing it into Playin', a signature Dead jam.
Then, just as the jam feels like its about to take life, they switch it up and go into Terrapin Station (my favorite Grateful Dead song). This song is the staple of the whole show, with Jerry singing to PERFECTION and soloing that makes your heart beat faster and faster. Out of nowhere, Billy and Mickey take over with their awesome drumming and lead us into a very different Not Fade Away. It has an R&B feel in it, with very long solos and funky piano sounds. You really can't tell its Not Fade Away until 'I'm gonna tell ya how it's gonna be' comes rumbling out of some jam forest. By the time you start to let yourself get use to it, the opening notes of Wharf Rat start.
Wharf is the 'Homeless man's lamenting song' as Jerry once called it in an interview and once it starts you can tell its gonna be killer. Jerry turns into August West and starts to tell his tale of love and 'doing time for some other fucker's crime.' Just when the jamming starts to happen, you can feel Bobby take the reins and go right back into Playin' in the Band, as if nothing has changed. All the sudden the beat gets quicker and quicker until they finish with a thunderous ending of the second set. All in all it is almost and hour and a half of nonstop precision that is the Grateful Dead.
What made me really excited to write this is the fact that the Grateful Dead are actually releasing a mastered version of this show called 'To Terrapin' coming out next month. They are using Betty Cantors 7 inch reels that she is famous for using to record shows with. But you can check out the whole show here:
May 28th 1977: Hardford Civic CenterAnyways thanks for reading and hopefully I'll see you out on the Dead tour this summer.
10:27 PM
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