The SBD for this show was never uploaded on the archive, though it has since been OFFicially released, including the Samson (that was missing from the SBD in circ). Conversely, the AUD is missing the Cassidy. The following night in this theater is one of the tour's greats, with this show being average (for a May '77!). Still, it's another fine representative of the era.

First Set. A rather mellow Bertha opens. Bobby inserts a St. Stephen lick [~2mins]. After an energizing Me & My Uncle, Tennessee Jed builds into X factor. Listen to how good Bobby is here (and in this show). The next few are average '77, with They Love Each Other just a bit flat. A tight Minglewood precedes a Mississippi Half-Step that opens up huge (and Donna is good here). Dancing in the Street would seem better if this wasn't the tour with a few of the greatest ever.

Second Set. Bow to the gods of this beast of a Samson (Terrapin Station had not yet been released, and on the AUD somebody mistakes Samson for Alligator). Bobby is so good and the drummers are tight from here and through the perfected Brown Eyed Women. The next couple are above average, as is this Terrapin. But though there are ten others on this tour, none match 4/30, or especially 4/25. Playing in the Band has a 23sec edit @3:27 on the version on May 1977 (Winterland June instead has a 17sec cut @3:20). These (or the SBD cut) can be patched with the AUD. The rest is average, but the pinched & squeaky notes at the end of Comes a Time are kind of cool, and check Keith on Johnny B. Goode.

1st Set:  B
2nd Set: B-
Overall = 3¾ stars

Highlights:
Tennessee Jed – you can tell Bobby is going to have a big night
Mississippi Half-Step – opens up huge and Donna is good
Samson & Delilah – a beast of a Samson
Brown Eyed Women – Bobby again the extra ingredient + drummers

SOURCES: The complete show (save an edited Playing) is in the May 1977 box. The Winterland June bonus has eight: Mississippi, Brown-Eyed, Terrapin, an edited Playing, and Drums>Playing reprise. The clugston_6484 and the gatto_110253 are the same AUD. The former sounds a little better but they both have pitch errors, needing -1% correction through Sunrise. Terrapin through Drums needs -2% as does most of JBG. Starting at Not Fade there are extreme pitch wobbles, needing -1% to -3%. Comes a Time has too many to count, going from needing -2% to +2% several times. The unsalvageable 2nd Playing repeatedly needs anything from -1% to -6%, at its fastest.

honestly this show is great. keith is hot, moog is so dope, you can hear the moog AND piano!! amazing! the sound is not bad honestly. some annoying crowd noises and conversation (but always some gems) and the speed/pitch stuff is too bad but hey im a deadhead. band sounds good. im just grateful to have so much access. mad repsrct to all tapers, archivists, librarians, etc.
1st set jed, jack straw (maybe fav of the year/tour so far), half step are fucking excellent. no this half step is heavenly.
2nd: sick samson, sunrise is great (donna sounds excellent tonight - she is so impressive with growth this tour), great bew, and then the playin>nfa jam>comes a time (one of my all times?)>playin is a must hear.
im giving 4 stars for this show because keith and jerry have such great nights and because this is now show 17 of the tour and after a "legendary" several nights, every show gets better and better.
every show is the best show. i love the grateful dead

serious issues with the sound of this recording.

the playing in the first set is actually pretty hot at times. the second set just isn't up to the energy level of the first, and definitely not of the entire tour.

but i put up with the tape slowness, the low-end clipping, the poor house mix, but then when the nfa sped up, i had to give up, great comes a time be damned.

the only real reason to listen to it is for completeness sake. i'm going through all spring 77 shows. but like i said, had to give up half-way through nfa because it's not worth it any longer.

Both posted recordings distorted by dead batteries or tape melt in spots. Sounds like a mostly awesome show.

@Mid-Maine has a point about some aspects of '77. The band was super tight during the spring, but that didn't always translate to musically superior. There are better shows in '72, '73, '74 for sure, but with '76 and '77, it's all about the evolution of the sound. '76 still maintained many aspects from '74, but in '77 Jerry broke out the Mutron III envelope filter, the Mutron Octave Divider, and MXR distortion pedal. The band began to experiment with new material, or played older tunes in a new way, and this high-energy, super fluid transition was a miracle to catch on tape. As a result of the changed, some song performances are strong than others when it comes to catching the vibe. For example, the May 1st Dancin' is good, but lackluster. Then on May 8th, they would pull out the most impressive performance they ever did of it. By May 8th - June, they were peaking though. There is not a bad or weak show among them. They just needed some time to get going. Fall '77 is good, but it leans more toward the sound of '78. The magic of spring was with us for a short season.

Okay tape. Thanks for posting!

While I agree that May 1977 has something magical about it, I'm not convinced that it garners the right sort of praise. It's telling that some of the hottest jamming of the year invariably comes in Not Fade Away packages. '77 is a "rocker" of a year. That said, of course there are some beautiful, spacey jams out there from '77 (the Swing comes to mind, and the Playin' Reprise, here, which has a distinct, '76 tone to it); there are liquid Jerry solos in certain Peggy-Os and Row Jimmys; there are some rippin' Terrapins. Don't look for that, here. Dig the NFA (even though it is in need of some SERIOUS pitch correction in places) and Comes a Time; but don't believe the hype. There are better shows to be had out there, and yes, some are from earlier years and some are from later. Playin' jams, for my ears, are far more interesting in '73, '74 and the early- to late-'80s (no not all). Even the 1990 MSG run has some interesting material to sink your teeth into.

Perhaps the allure of '77 is that it is arguably the final year in which the band was reinventing itself while keeping the past alive, too. Change came more slowly after '77 (and disastrously '91), despite the shift in sound in April '79. Compare the Terrapin-> Playin' from 11-6-79 to the one, here, and then argue that this one is superior. I can't.

(Of course, the '79 Spectrum show doesn't contain the sinewy Comes a Time, which for my $.02, is the highlight of this show. Nice harmonics.)

i have no idea what possessed the band the second week of may in 1977, but it's unworldly, spiritual, and just freakin nuts!!! and i wish it would all happen all over again... thanks cheers smiles !

.....for posting this show!! Yeah, I was there but just do not remember it...... Maybe Mr. Microdot and the 70's had something to do with it.......Thanks again!!

it sounds like basically the vocal is in tune, unlike the other source where it definitely sounds fast, so
this wins, of course i've only compared the comes a time, but this of the two seems to me like where jerry's voice was, not any higher, which i believe the other one was
of course i'll have to check out more of the show, but the strength of any performance of this song earns all the stars in the know galaxies of shebaba