Live Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison CO

CD1

1. Bertha
2. Good Lovin’
3. Dire Wolf
4. El Pas
5. It Must Have Been The Roses
6. New Minglewood Blues
7. Ramble on Rose
8. Promised Land
9. Deal

CD2

1. Samson and Delilah
2. Ship of Fools
3. Estimated Prophet
4. The Other One
5. Eyes of the World
6. Rhythm Devils

CD3

1. Space
2. Wharf Rat
3. Franklin’s Tower
4. Sugar Magnolia
5. Terrapin Station
6. One More Saturday Night
7. Werewolves of London

In the history of Grateful Dead performances, 1978 is widely praised as one of the group’s finest years. It was certainly one of the busiest with the band playing more than 80 shows, including a trio of historic dates at the Gizah pyramids in Egypt, as well as releasing its tenth studio album, Shakedown Street.

The band’s next major boxed set focuses on five unreleased shows from July of that epic year and marks the first official release from the long lost “Betty Boards.” Among the sonic treasures found on this 12-CD set are three soundboard recordings from July 1, 3, and 5 that have never been in circulation, even between the most diligent tape collectors. In addition, the set also marks the official debut of the Dead’s first-ever performances at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre, two shows that are also highly sought-after by Dead Heads. 

“As an archivist and Dead Head, this boxed set is about as exciting as it gets,” says Grateful Dead archivist and boxed set producer David Lemieux. “Musically, it features five exhilarating, dynamic nights in the summer of 1978. The sound quality is impeccable, as would be expected from Betty Cantor-Jackson’s always-pristine recordings. The rarity of the first three nights, and the hall-of-fame pedigree of the last two, makes this one of the most astonishing Grateful Dead releases ever. Collaborating with the owners of these tapes, we are very pleased to see these important historical documents returned home and now shared with the world.”

JULY 1978: THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS features original artwork by esteemed cartoonist Paul Pope, whose work includes both D.C. and Marvel comics, among others, including the award-winning Batman 100 mini-series. The collection also includes in-depth liner notes written by Nick Meriwether, who oversees the Dead archives at the University of California, Santa Cruz, as well as a producer’s note from Lemieux.

When the shows heard on JULY 1978: THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS were recorded, the band consisted of: Jerry Garcia, Donna Jean Godchaux, Keith Godchaux, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh and Bob Weir.

All of the performances on this collection are drawn from the band’s master soundboard recordings each newly mixed and mastered by Jeffrey Norman, and include many of the songs that define this era of the band: “Eyes Of The World,” “Friend Of The Devil,” “Wharf Rat,” “Playing In The Band,” “Sugaree,” “Franklin’s Tower,” “The Other One,” and “Candyman.” The shows also spotlight music from the band’s ninth studio album, Terrapin Station, which was released the previous year, including the title track, “Estimated Prophet,” “Sampson And Delilah,” and “Passenger.” Another treat included here (twice) is the band’s cover of Warren Zevon’s signature hit, “Werewolves Of London.”