You had me at Deal. Sometimes it takes me a few songs to really 'hear' what the band’s trying to get at. If there’s anything to discipline, I’m sure you could make the argument they’re always playing their best. Spare for the occasional three-and-out. Thankfully, what you’re listening to right now is some of their absolute-best, rated by none other than DeadHeads. Addicting to the sound of stadium echoes. What the spring of 77 has given us, is something of a threshold toward our fascination. If 1971-1973 was any indication of bookmarking sound expansion, 77 seems to be the band’s rebuttal. I’d throw 78 into the argument, kind of like a short epilogue. Of Course, this is speaking from personal experience. Form your own opinions. Highlights; the whole show. Peggy-O (also love the rendition from 1977-05-11), Mississippi Half Step, Terrapin, Friend of the Devil, Estimated/Eyes. And, of course what always brings me back….The Wheel into Wharf Rat. I can’t really explain the exact feeling from this segment, but my notes from the first time I listen recount the experience as like, “touching the warm part of a window-pane on a cold morning.”

— Nick.

For example, Bubba was 2 years older ,but I doub't he made t to this show. The Grandfathers of these rats were subsequently displaced due to construction. When the fleet center was being builty, several of the mhad hiched a ride to what was then the Oakland auditorium, after 81-82 they went bac k,but the fleet center hadn't been built, they saw 9/18 and live underground Thanks Bog Dig) until the fleet center was completed. This is often forgotten but true, story aboyut how their ancestors paved the way all the way until The Other Ones played the fleet center in 2003. I read this in national geographic, after it was purchased by Rupert Murdoch, so I know its true. They'll be at Fenway but probably leave after the 1st set. They don't dig seeing wharf rat without Jerry.

The space between 1st and 2nd verses of peggy-o from 3:50 to 5:38 is to my ears truly a thing of beauty .

inside the ropes for this one.. melt down with the Gallery Gods.. One of the best ...yet they weir all good... nearly 37 years have past.. what a time in the ole Garden.. Deja Vu all over again.. smile smile smile... no regrets here..

One of the best Half Steps. Jerry makes me cry at ~6:10 and ~11:04.Phil wraps it up in a nice bow around ~11:04. Beautiful.

but i like the halfstep from 4/30/77

dude is ALL OVER this shiz

this is the show that started my long strange trip i was in high school knew little of live dead i was blown away and knew walking out of the garden that night i would be back since that day i have either listen to or was at a show we all have a soft spot in our hearts for the first show no ratting needed

..yeah..I'll give this one 5 stars..just like I did when I saw the original with my pals...man!

This show stayed with me through many nights. The 2nd set is just classic, in particular my favorite Wheel and Wharf Rat.

Yeah..

Anyone that gives this show less than 5 stars needs to have their head examined!! There is a reason why this show has been downloaded 308,000+ times (2nd download for this show on archive.org). The 1st download (Bertha remaster by Rob Eaton, The Wizard, and Jay Ashley) is the best-sounding version, so download that one. There is some extra tuning/equipment problems before and after some songs, but that only makes this concert better than all the others. And believe me, this was no warm-up for Barton Hall. In fact, the Boston Garden and Buffalo Memorial Auditorium book-end shows were the best shows of the 3-night stand, IMHO. Yes, Barton Hall is good, but the audio and quality of the Boston Garden show is off-the-hook!!

The Barton Hall show was downloaded 126,000+ times. Compare that to the Boston Garden show that was downloaded 308,000+ times. I have the Palladium 4/30 flac (lossless) show that I purchased from the deadnetstore.com. The quality is out-of-this-world! Guess what? The quality from the Boston Garden show sounds almost, if not as good, IMHO (and its not even lossless).

Now for the show First of all, forget about the equipment repairs that last several minutes in between some of the songs. They only helped the perfection of this awesome concert, as well. When you burn your _vbr.mp3s to disk, you dont have to burn the equipment repair fillers, anyway. The 1st set is as good as any 1st set Ive heard. Bertha Cassidy Deal Jack Straw is smokin! Peggy-O is definitely a top-3 of all time, and New Minglewood Blue sounds better than the Barton Hall version, without a doubt!

Now we get to Mississippi Half-Step. Another user stated he thought the best Half-Steps were from 80 and 81 until he heard this one. I couldnt echo that any more! This Half-Step is without a doubt, the fucking bomb!! I have NEVER heard Garcias guitar transcend my mind like it does on this song! Absolutely, breathtaking! If anyone can find a better Half-Step, then Id sure like to know! It actually reminds me of Jerrys guitar on the Dark Star from Live Dead. Its that good, folks!! Big River, Jed and TMNS round out the 1st set, that just doesnt let up!

And the 2nd set is about as good as Ive heard for a 2nd set. Terrapin into Sampson just blows me away! Friend of the Devil and Estimated Prophet will have you jammin no matter what you are doing. Eyes of the World is very good and Drums is not drawn out, but Eyes is certainly not a top-10. However, The Wheel leading into a 15-1/2 minute Wharf Rat is ridiculous and one for the ages! Around and Around is solid, but the U.S. Blues culminates this show into a top-5 show of all time, IMHO. By the way, Jerry breaks a string before U.S. Blues, but fixes it before the finale.

People have commented on the equipment problems during this show. As far as Im concerned, it only made this show better because so much tuning was done before most songs that only made the songs sound that much better! The only minor flaws in this show is a slight feedback at the beginning of Bertha, and Jack Straw only lasted 5 minutes. But that is me just being picky! LOL

Go listen to Barton Hall, and then listen to Boston Garden. If the 5/7 Boston Garden had a version of Scarlet > Fire from the 5/8 Barton Hall show added to the 2nd set, then this Boston Garden show may have been the best show of all-time! Definitely would have been the best show in 1977. If they only could have played Good Lovin after Bertha before Cassidy! OMG!! Can you imagine that??

Danny from Northern Virginia outside of Washington, D.C.
East-Coast Deadhead
rfkrox44@hotmail.com

PEACE-OUT!

Never Mind, I've got retreads!!!!!

This Half-Step alone is worth 5 stars!!

Absolutely incredible. Inspired. Tight. Rockin'. And so meaningful in Boston, MA!!! My hometown!!!!

Epic!!!

Were any of you at the week-long run by JGB at Paul's Mall in the Fall of 73? I caught 2 of them. Stellar.

The beginning of the first set is nothing special, not bad, just average. Average that is until the Half Step>Big River jam when the boys stoke the firebox and pick up steam. The show from then on just keeps getting better. A rowsing version of The Music Never Stopped ends the first set with a bang. The second set opener Terrapin is appropriately majestic and the following Samson is as powerful as Samson ever got in the wonderful year of 1977. From then on it's jamming bliss, the highpoint of which for me is The Wheel and Wharf Rat jams, just stellar. Not to mention the chills down the spine moment when Jerry first solos in Estimated Prophet, wow. Throughout the show the playing is dynamic and spot on. There's a reason why this show is so highly praised.

This is definitely a classic show - super hot Sampson and Delila, excellent Terrapin 2nd opener. Sound is excellent, though Jerry's guitar could be a bit louder.


I am seriously enjoying the living daylights out of this archive!!!!! Thank you again and again:)

music never stopped (opinion)

This show is sweet as, bros. A real crispy. Crispy, crinkly even. Sesh up some sweet heebie-geeblers, lay back, and let it wash. The uninitiated will trip, see the light for the first time...and the crunch burn old schoolers? Hell, theyâll trip too.

âThe Wheelâ - Transcendental. âEyesâ - Mystical, bro. Terrapin - ON! âSamsonâ? - Absolutely, tenaciously Phil-licious. Then thereâs Sweet Pearly, whoâs always, always been true to me. And the âPeggy Oâ? Well this tune is, as other Jerry freaks are no doubt aware...tender, gentle...like your first frisky frolic in the back of a D-tour schoolbus...

Share the love - and the vault gems - friends. And let the 5/7 keep those thought jewels polished up like the finest silver...

This is a smokin' show, top to bottom! Every song is a homerun, out of the park. You can tell the band is having fun, the sets have a loose feeling, but the playing is very tight, the interaction between the group is just amazing. It's wonderful! A magic time and place, never to happen again,(quite like this) but can be revisted in the tapes, songs, memories. Remember the jams, remember Jerry Garcia, remember what the Grateful Dead achieved!

Just DLED this off the Nugs. THis may have been the best week in GD history. The first set rivals the second it's so good. Performance and song selection, make this a perfect first set. Friend was rare for the 2nd set a believe, a very nice jazzy Eyes, and a classic Wharf Rat. This show is right up there with the others of this run.

This show is mind blowing. The boys are dead on and the sound is awesome. But what really shines, as with many other shows, is Jerry's playing. Half step is one of the best, but make sure you LISTEN to Sampson, and how Jerry's rythm just makes you want to jump out of your car at a stop light and groove. Big River has the same feeling! Enjoy friends!

beautiful show. if anyone wants to actually download the show, go to stash.nugs.net and go to the section for the grateful dead. they have very high quality posts for all four shows between may 5th and 8th. check em out.

This was an amazing show. During the intro to Eyes, Jerry had just finished soloing and was moving around shaking his head back and forth and he looked over at Phil and nodded to tell him he was about to sing. Phil stepped up and leaned over towards Jerry and hit a swooping Dwoooooooo on the bass. Jerry broke into a huge grin and began the first verse. That just exemplified how much interaction went on between the band back then and how much fun they had as a result.

Yep, The Mississipi Half Step is Let Loose, I was a skeptic , as not all 76-77 1/2 Steps sound this good, but I'm impressed, not to mention, Peggy-O, Friend Of the Devil and Terrapin are choice cuts. In 1977 #4 Bobby Orr left the Ice of the Garden, soar knees? dought it, This band kept melting the ice!

By the way the June 9th Winterland 1/2Step is better! Involentary smile!!

email me at fieldhouse11277@hotmail.com happy to share/trade with responsible fans.

This show is hot! The keyboards in Minglewood Blues? Please! Bertha, Terrapin, The Wheel...Boston Gsrden...Enough said. This show cooks and it's definitely worth a listen.

This is one of those shows where the first set is every bit as intense as the second. All the usual suspects here are done beautifully, and Music Never Stopped is argueably the best, most groovin'ist version out there. Jerry's solo is sublime and when he starts on the buzzsaw an involuntary smile will spread across your face, guaranteed.

I'm casting my vote after many, many listens of many, many Half-Steps. This is my fave...w/ Binghampton and Englishtown close behind.

Jerry is indeed on his way at the 4:16 mark, shooting off rockets left and right, but this one gets my vote because the entire band comes together and literaly POUNDS this thing, as one, into the floor at the 7:10 mark. They could have gave it up at the 6:48 mark but Mickey/Bill ratchet it up, Phil drops in effortless set-up notes and Jerry takes the slam. The band slam isn't all though- Jerry does scrambled eggs before giving it up. Absolute perfection.

Jerry gets lost once on the second section vocal for a sec but what a killer solo to close it out. And Donna doesn't quite "round out" Grande-dee-OOO but the first half perfection is so rare that these bits are easily forgotten.

OK TO ALL !!! ALL YOU HAVE TO GET THESE SOUNDBOARDS IS HOOK UP YOUR RADIO/TAPE DECK TO YOUR COMPUTER AND RECORD THE SHOW WHILE ITS PLAYING !!ALL YOU NEED TO DO THIS IS A MIC TO AUDIO CABLE OR A HEADPHONE TO AUDIO CABLE. EASY AS CAN BE !! THEN YOU CAN GET A PROGRAM TO RECORD THE PLAYBACK OF THE TAPE THROUGH YOUR MIC INPUT ON YOUR COMPUTER AND THEN YOU CAN SPLIT THE SONGS YOURSELF AND THEN BURN THEM TO A CD!! HAHA I SUGGEST SOUND FORGE 7.0 OR LOWER TO DO THIS, IF YOU NEED THE PROGRAM CONTACT ME AND I'LL GET IT TO YOU !!!

GRATEFULDEAD2777@SBCGLOBAL.NET

THIS IS STILL BETTER THAN THE OLD DAYS WHEN YOU COULDN'T EVEN FIND TAPERS OR ANYONE WITH TAPES, SPREAD THE WORD !!! SEEMS TO ME THAT PEOPLE ARE GETTING A LITTLE SPOILED AROUND HERE, FORGOTTON ABOUT THERE ROOTS !!!

The Half-step is so amazing on this show that I feel many listeners miss out on an amazing Big River. "Amazing" and Big River in the same sentence--is that possible? Check it out...Jerry has ferocious, tight picking that will stop you in your tracks.

The sound quality is of highest quality, really top notch. Music Never Stopped is GROOVIN. Vocal harmonies, especially on Deal are TIGHT. The band's crescendos and decrescendos of intensity are ELECTRIFYING. The time they spent on technical adjustments was well worth it. Overall, GREAT show

Once again, that was NOT an organ Keith was playing, it was his PolyMoog synthesizer he used in 1977.

2 things spectacular to look at:

1.The Peggy-O solo...............Fabulous. has never quit! So beautiful, flows so smoothly.


3. The half-step that I fell in love with..... Best, Best, Best, may I say it one more time BEST!

Yes, Keith was on for this show. I love the organ on Miss 1/2 step...which is now my favorite Miss 1/2 step ever! Damn Jerry just blows the roof off the place with his pre and post "across the rio grandio" solos. Wish I were there...I was only 3 years old at the time. Damn! If anyone knows of a better one please let me know.

The whole show is kick ass...the chemisry is tight. Sound quality is excellent. I have to say again as I've said before...Jerry's tone is amazing! March - June 1977 Jerry had the best tone I've ever heard from anyone to this date. I would recommend all shows from the MArch Winterland run through June 1977 to all deadheads...and to newbies looking for the reason this magnificent band had/and still has so many devoted fans.

The biggest highlight for me here is the Terrapin!!! I love the up tempo feeling and Jerry's solo is perfect note for note. His tone is superb. Damn, what a night!

You can download the U.S. Blues encore from the other source. I guess it's good for something. I always had this copy, but never knew the encore was actually circulating. Rock on. Oh, by the way, at the risk of sounding redundant, this show is really freaking amazing.

This is actually a really great Keith show. His piano playing is strong and fabulous throughout the entire show. Highlights are Minglewood Blues and S&D. also, a great, kinda funky version of FOTD. Interesting style for this song, less folksy and more groovy. But the best part of this show is still Keith; if you are a fan of Godchaux's playing and controbution to the Dead this is a show for you. good sound quality too!

Like many others, I think some of the bands most inspired moments occured in 1977. It's amazing how huge the band's sound was during this period. At times it sounds as though they are standing at the edge of the earth and the music is just ringing through the canyons of time.

I always thought 11/6/77 offered the end all and be all of Half-Step and Music Never Stopped, but this show knocks them dead. Those first chords of The Wheel always give me chills, and Jerry's fluttering along the fretboard on the Jam from Wheel>Wharf Rat will take you where you need to go.

one of the HOTTEST Music Never Stopped my ears have ever heard. The energy and emotion in Music tell you what kind of a night the boys had! The entire show is simply magical.

I'm not going to comment too much, one can read the positive 17 reviews ahead of mine to determine whatever. Anyways, this is 5 stars. I reccomend it to anyone who seminally enjoys '77 dead. In particular, I would say the peggy-o is awesome, one of the best may '77 versions, and the terrapin station is excellent. The overall tightness is incredible. This version of terrapin is one that I listened to at least 5 times in a row. The rest of the show is excellent, as well as the recording is. Do not hesitate to download this show.

as a phish fan discovering the dead i must say the dead were awsome for letting all of the high quality soundboard recordings of these outstanding shows out for the masses. im used to hearing lots of hissy AUD sources, and 2nd gen. tapes.WOW more music to drive to.and oh ya the show is smokin hot and 77 and early dead are my fav.

Best version of Half-Step I think I've ever heard......simply beautiful....May '77, a historic time.

I downloaded and listened to Samson and Delilah from this source and the remastered source, (as a sound quality comparison).

To my ear, the remaster is much better. The sound is much more up front and clear. Yeah, Phil is louder in the source here, but you can hear the tones of his bass much better on the remaster. There is no lack of Phil on the remaster. But don't take my word for it.

Thanks to the masters of the remaster.

this show features some of jerry's best, clearest, purest vocals. check out the peggy-o and the mississippi half-step, especially.

Glad to hear everyone going nuts over my first show. :)

Soon to arrive here at the LMA: Rob Eaton's re-dbx-decoded remaster of this BettyBoard source, with edits etc. performed by The Wiz. In addition to the improved sound and Aud patches filling in tunings and the cut in Around and Around, the new version features inclusion of the U.S. Blues encore, albeit from a different soundboard source.

Garcia really shines. The mix is very clean. The piano/organ is very outfront and gets annoying at times when competing with Jerry's leads.

Overall a smoking show!

This is one of my all-time favorite Dead shows. The first set is even amazing. The Deal, Minglewood, Big River and Music Never Stopped are some of my favorites, but I think they played the best Miss 1/2 step of their careers!

Everyone else said how great this show is, so I'll just add that the Terrapin second set opener and the Wheel->Wharf Rat are some of the best versions you'll ever hear. An excellent Jerry show all around with a sound quality that sounds good on expensive stereo systems. Download it now!

Of all the Dead shows I've downloaded here, this one is my favorite so far. I'm looking forward to also hearing 5/8 & 5/9.

A remarkable performance. Very high energy. Garcia is fluent and articulate throughout. His two major solos in Half Step are astonishing (equals and perhaps exceeds 11-5-77). It's so big, you feel they could understandably end the set right there. But instead, they launch into Big River (in his main solo, Garcia is so revved up he takes off and nearly leaves the drummers a beat behind him). The sound quality is exquisite; from song to song, you can hear well at least a little from everyone. Clearly a band at the top of their game.

Of the three shows in this little triumvirate, I listen to 5/9 the most, but they're all outstanding. This one I always come back to for the 1st set and the Mississippi Half Step, which is probably the best version I've heard, with some of Jerry's best ever soloing. Great stuff!

If I were stranded on a desert island with only May 7,8,and 9 1977 I'd be happy. These 3 shows would make a nice box set. Okay, so Cornell is legendary. But this show tops it, in my opinion,if just on the song selection alone. One of my top 5 for 1977.Highlights - a HOT HOT Music,a sweet Terrapin,a near-reggae FOTD and a rare Wheel>Wharf Rat seque where Jerry's playing is over the top!! A show that never gets old.You've got Cornell, now listen to this show.
Dr. Flashback

They even hit a peak in Mississippi 1/2 step. Best version of this ever (at very least post-74). The Big River that comes out of it sounds like it's about to be in disco time.

The legendary cornell 5/8 pointed me to this show, and now I like it as much. The sound is perfect, and the music bubbles. The wheel feels so good when they start it. Close your eyes and listen:)

everyone is always talking about the next night in cornell, which is in fact an amazingly good show, as is every single show from 1977 especially may, but i feel that this show is just heads and tails above it. the song choice is inspired, the eyes is the best version ever (IMO) and everything else is sure to please. listen to the next night by all means, but listen to this one as well.