Grateful DeadGrateful Dead Live at Barton Hall, Cornell University on 1977-05-08 (May 8, 1977)

Collection: GratefulDead
Band/Artist: Grateful Dead
Date: May 8, 1977 (check for other copies)
Venue: Barton Hall, Cornell University
Location: Ithaca, NY

Source: Audience - Sony ECM-990
Lineage: Sony ECM-990 > Sony TC-152 (aud master) > First Gen Reel > played directly to hard drive
Taped by: Steve Maizner
Transferred by: Karen Hicks
Keywords: Live concert

Description

Minglewood Blues, Loser, El Paso, They Love Each Other, Jack Straw, Deal, Lazy Lightning-> Supplication, Brown Eyed Women, Mama Tried, Row Jimmy, Dancin' In The Streets Scarlet Begonias-> Fire On The Mountain, Estimated Prophet, Saint Stephen-> Not Fade Away-> Saint Stephen-> Morning Dew, E: One More Saturday Night

Individual Files

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Reviewer: BVD - - May 9, 2008
Subject: C'mon!

This overrated POS sodboard is still available at nugs

Reviewer: Tedward - - May 9, 2008
Subject: Overrated

This show is what introduced me to the Grateful Dead. Flying back from the Keys in Florida, I stumbled across the Morning Dew shuffling my Ipod. Beautiful and cherished moment. I listened throughout, great versions of brown eyed women, estimated, scarlet>fire (was there a bad one in 77'?), and dancin. I could not believe this show would be surmounted. Searching through Archive, the month of May alone had plenty of competition. Arguably, the night before and after are much better representations of the time period. I view Cornell as a stepping stone to the promised land of endless material. I believe that its sound quality is what led so many people to have held this show in such high regard. It is the most reviewed, and highly reviewed show on Archive...does it really deserve such notoriety?

Reviewer: t-dub1959 - - March 26, 2008
Subject: top 10 shows ever!

This was my 2nd show and one of my favorites all time. I must say the late 70's and early 80's is for me the peak of the Dead years. I love Keith and his piano with the band... This is also about the time Donna's singing started going downhill but she is alright in this show. (it's interesting to note that Jerry much preferred to play along with an organ sound as it gave him more "sonic space to create his magic, but I have to say the piano riffs sound so much better to me!)I remember standing to side of stage not more than 10 feet away from Keith - can you believe this was general admission? I never thought Brent and Vince contributed as much to the sound. Jerry's voice is still quite strong in this era, and for me the later years 80's and 90's were hit or miss vocally. The opening intro to St Stephen is beautiful - it never seemed the same when the Dead jammed into St. Stephen. The weather was amazing that night; I remember the afternoon of the show it was around 60 degrees and sunny. By the start of the show it was 40 degrees and sarting to rain. By the end of the show it was snowing! I will never forget all the deadheads in t-shirts, shorts and sandals huddled everywhere around Cornell trying to stay warm. I think a lot of kids just showed up with shorts and t-shirts and didn't think about the weather. The next day I returned to 14 inches of snow in Ct! When I meet younger deadheads these days they all are amazed to talk to someone who was there. And yes, Jerry did actually say something during the show! At the time it wasn't audible but it seems like he said "thanks Mom? "One of the few rare times I remember Jerry speaking at a show - a sure sign he was enjoying himself. I remeber wondering about the song Fire and no one knew anything anbout the song - we had to wait a year for the record to come out.

Reviewer: shortdude123 - - January 10, 2008
Subject: Terrible quality..

compared to the stream that's on archive, this copy's quality is god awful. Can't even hear phil banging out the basslines.

Where can I download a copy of the show that sounds like this: http://www.archive.org/details/gd77-05-08.matrix.dan.26856.sbeok.flacf

?

Reviewer: gazzellioni - - December 29, 2007
Subject: frusturated

question:

im new to the archives and i have been downloading usually single songs from soundboard shows but know when i try to download anything, firefox tells me it cannot find the song file. is there something i can do to fix this?

yes, i dont really know shit about computers but i love the dead so any help would be great

Reviewer: oneness. - - December 25, 2007
Subject: NOODLING & SLIDE PLAYING.

SOUNDS TO ME LIKE THEY PLAY THIS GIG FAIRLY
SAFE TOUGH AND STLL GOT SOME REUNION DICIPLINE.
LIKE SLOWER THAN 76,BUT FASTER THAN 78.
CANT REALY JUDGE ENERGY LEVEL TOO POOR SOUND
QUALITY FOR THAT, ALL TOP AND NO BOTTOM.
TO MUCH ROOM AS WELL. THE SLIDE SOLOS INTERESTING
AS USUAL LIKE CANT HIT A GOOD NOTE JUST HIT EM ALL. THE CONTRAST WOULD BE JERRY PLAYIN STEELGUITAR WICH HE MANAGED QUITE WELL I THINK.
SO NOT THAT BIG DEAL TO ME I STICK TO THE MIDDLE.

Reviewer: Chris U. - - December 18, 2007
Subject: Overrated

Always was, always will be.

Ten million people for whom this was the first decent "modern" sounding board tape they ever heard can be wrong.

This show is too noodly, with extra cheese.

There, I said it.

Reviewer: mrriphanburg - - December 18, 2007
Subject: Ithaca is Gorges!

Sorry I was not there to witness in person....Anyways, I remember the first time I heard this tape and it was the second set first. Phil's bombastic's would shake the foundations of our house. The first download from the archive I looked for was this show when I finally bucked up for internet access.

I can't say it was the best I ever heard? My first show I went to was probabally the best but who is to really say? Perception is tied to memories of that moment of music and phriends as much as the quality of performance.

Reviewer: TruthSpeaker - - December 12, 2007
Subject: incredible

This is amazing I have been trying to find this version of "deal" that I heard when I was still in high school. My buddy actually left it in my car one day and he didn't want it back because it was a burnt-cd. He told me how the Grateful Dead always allowed people to record their shows for free so you could always download any of the shows they played in.

No wonder I ended up liking the Dead so much... there was something magical about this show....

Reviewer: rkilmon - - December 6, 2007
Subject: this was the best tape!

you know it, we all had this one and loved it.
cornell '77 with the great scarlet fire.
doesn;t compare to the 73 shows, but not too shabby.
:-)

Reviewer: nightrain31 - - November 8, 2007
Subject: Grateful Dead Day

As of May 8, 2006, the beautiful college town of Ithaca, NY declared this day "The First Annual Grateful Dead Day". In honor of the incredible celebration the tribute band, Dark Star Orchestra played this exact same show, word for word, lick for lick to perfection. Recently graduating from Ithaca College, this whole show changed my life on how I view music and life is my all-time favorite GD concert to listen to of all time.

Reviewer: Ivan.Balakhonov - - October 7, 2007
Subject: Barton Hall – 77

So many reviewers (in Matrix version reviews) wrote that it’s the best show ever… I can’t agree with them, they overrated this concert, though it’s a 5-stars show. The first set would have been fantastic if it were not for these long tunings between songs. “TLEO”, “Jack Straw”, “Deal”, “Mama Tried” and especially “Brown-Eyed Women” are great. This “BEW” differs a lot form those, played in 73-74, and I like its jazzy, mellow sound. Also I like the way Jerry sang the third line of the chorus.

“Lazy Lightning>Supplication” was much better in 1976. I would like to abstain from commenting “S>F”, because I can’t say, whether it’s the best version ever or not (I like 1993/9/13 version more or “Closing Winterland” version). It has some special moments, and great transition though.

The latter part of the second set is incredible. “Stephen>NFA>Stephen”. Never heard better intro, and development of the melody before the first verse is wonderful. Transition to NFA is quite a surprise and jamming in the middle before returning to the main theme and then “Stephen” is beyond description! But I can’t understand one thing: what these two songs have in common to be united? And the show’s peak – “Morning Dew”. There were so many great “Dews” that it’s almost impossible to determine the best one. However, I shall say that Cornell’s version is very special

Reviewer: was16myfirst show - - September 16, 2007
Subject: it alright

sounds like they are trying to make a living. A very good sound. Not yet superstars, sounds almost cave like, fireside jam. Like they always sound. Good show. quality could be better, but it was 77' I

Reviewer: sprouting wings - - September 13, 2007
Subject: wow

wow i just discovered this archive- and after recently losing most of my cd collection this is a lifesaver. i noticed a lot of the good shows on here are stream only. and ive never been known for my techno skills but that means i cant burn them on disk right? is anyone who has hard copies interested in burning/trading cds the good old fashioned way or any tips on how to get certain ones online? a few favorites i want to own again- 5-7-77, 5-17-77 ..that whole may run is incredible ..and any more...
thank you boys for bringing joy into my heart!
with love...rena

Reviewer: spikedriver - - August 23, 2007
Subject: "qedbob", you don't have to embelish.

When "qedbob" took a step back I took a step forward.There I was on the front rail! Yeah that's right.Right smack dab in front of Jerry! WOW! That's when Jer leaned down and asked me,"What should we play?" I paused for a moment and it came to me.I replied Scarlet Fire would be sweet! Jer concurred. Oh yeah, did I mention that I was surrounded by wet wriggling babes that couldnt keep their hands off of me.That show was one of countless epic gigs that I personally inspired.I was given the game ball from the band at the post show press conference.I could not accept it and I gave it to "qedbob".Hey Qedbob do you freakin remember the snow on the ground after the show? unbelievable.

Reviewer: buckscountyjason1979 - - August 14, 2007
Subject: wow

something magical was def in the air that night...the boys hit evrey note in evrey song just about perfect:)

Reviewer: gr8flmark - - May 10, 2007
Subject: Happy 30th to an old friend

I have loved this show from the fist time I heard it and after all these years its still getting better. We all know how good it is so Ill leave the details out and you can fill in the blanks for yerselves. Enjoy the good old gr8fuldead and check out the Dew its sick.

Reviewer: qedbob - - May 3, 2007
Subject: 30 years later- still grateful

i am joining this venue to wax about this killer concert- which i saw almost 30 years ago. i was 20 years old, had loved the dead for 2 years, but never had a chance to see them live until this fateful, blessed day. continued to see the dead (50 times??) through the 90's but this was always my favorite- experienced standing only 2 people removed from the stage, equidistant from the pa system on my left and jerry on my right-- both perhaps 15 feet away. and when bobby (?) asked everyone to take a step back (and another-- and another) because of the bug eyed people up front--- well, i was one of them but i was going nowhere but forward. i was in heaven, in the presence of god, and i only wanted to get closer!

i mostly remember the BEAUTIFUL music, fire>scarlet, st. stephen, morning dew- drinking in the beauty and energy, realizing that there truly was nothing like a dead concert, and after the show passing by the sound board and thinking how all the music i just heard went through it (and am so thankful now for the crystalline recording of this inspired performance that i can now, and do, relive regularly)- and walking out into the cold- well- just snow!! (it was a warm may upstate evening going in) and getting marooned overnight in the car with friends after driving off the side of the country road, waiting for the morning sun to show us the way back to buffalo, where i was then going to school.

playing with the idea of seeing dso in ithaca for the 30th anniversary, but in some ways the pure experience lives most clearly in my mind and whenever i play it on cd or ipod walking in central park or driving in the car.

Reviewer: cretin - - April 24, 2007
Subject: BIG spring '77

crazy great show from one of the best runs in history! another great one from this run is 5/22/77 Pembroke Pines...aka DP 3

Reviewer: yasgurstu - - April 10, 2007
Subject: Snow

I live just outside of Ithaca and it snowed like crazy that night. We got five inches at my place.

Reviewer: stilldead57 - - April 10, 2007
Subject: cold snow

what no one mentions is that, on may 8, upon exiting barton hall, we were met with a huge snow storm that lasted the next day. and may 77 sure got hotter from there. check out DP29 for the best of that (best) month

i also remember seeing steve mayzner there, so this one is special.

Reviewer: moeron4life - - April 8, 2007
Subject: Wow!!!!!!

Over 2 hrs of nothing but goosebumps. Long thrive the Archive :-)

Reviewer: jackiestraw - - March 25, 2007
Subject: row jimmy row you b*****d

This my favourite jimmy, absolutley brilliant!!!
This is a wonderful recording, very easy to put in the car deck and not change ....for a week!
I think this is one of those cases when the aud is better than the sbd,imo. It has alot of range and everyone "is in the mix".
The band were on this night and the double drummer shuffle style was nailed down perfectly.
Nobody could tickle the ivories like kieth, infact i don't listen to much post kieth stuff,
too much organ "fill".
Anyhoo, highly recommended both for sound and band performance.

Reviewer: tonedef - - November 5, 2006
Subject: Really glad I found this site

I had this tape back in my college days doing sound (a gig that got me the pleasure of doing a show with Mickey, Baba and Ramrod) and must have played it to death. When someone refers to Jerry as a "monster" they are referring to the supernatural effort that he was able to conjure on this version of Dew. Uncle Bobo was right. They were the only ones who did what they did. My sincerest appreciation to whoever was responsible for posting these files. Rock on!

Reviewer: pgkblue - - November 2, 2006
Subject: Three point seven five stars - Tepid Scarlet Fire???

How anyone could possibly say this Scarlet Fire is average is beyond me. That is one I have never heard. I don't know if it is the best SF ever, but it is the iconic standard by which all SF's before and after are measured. The interlude is possibly the best example of the pure, smooth beauty in transition that made this band so special. Aside from Jerry being in perfect form, listen to Bob and Phil in the two minutes before Jerry sings the first verse of Fire. The only question I can ask about this show is "Were they ever better?" Listening to it as I write this review, I have to conclude that the person who wrote that review is just messing with us, sarcastically trying to provoke a response with wild, crazy rambling.

Reviewer: dyermaker81 - - November 1, 2006
Subject: Thanks Mom

I will have to listen again to see...either way it was funny.

Reviewer: jhender501 - - October 31, 2006
Subject: Thanks, Mom

I always thought the "Thanks, Mom" was Phil.


Jim

Reviewer: dead phish - - October 31, 2006
Subject: Brown Eyed Women

Best brown eyed women and Minglewood blues i have ever heard
great loser
One of the best shows ive ever heard.
Great download

Reviewer: gruUbic - - October 10, 2006
Subject: Barton in the Snow

My first try at this was unsuccessful - thanks archive-- let it be knownto non-heads wanting to dub this tape --

it is like gold...
coveted by the poor
taken for granted by the rich

--- it snowed during this show?
-- in May?

thank you b cantor
there is NOTHING like a gratfuldead show

Reviewer: Zaorish - - September 22, 2006
Subject: Three point seven five stars.

There's no denying that this show is special.

The first set is pure magic--all the way through. I always hated Minglewood Blues until I listened to this show--now that's changed. This Row Jimmy is really a classic. The Morning Dew at the end of set 2 is also outstanding.

It's only that I really consider myself a Scarlet->Fire kind of guy, and this Scarlet->Fire just strikes me as a really average, tepid rendition. Doesn't hold a candle to Dick's Picks 18 or even 84-10-30 on this archive. I like to have only really hot Fires in my collection and this one...eh.

Reviewer: cdub77 - - September 13, 2006
Subject: one for the vault!!!!!

This show was sick shit!!!! Used to have it on cassette back in the day. Have'nt heard it in a while, glad to have it back. Quality is great. Thank you archive...

Reviewer: gr8fldad97 - - August 27, 2006
Subject: REGRETS

I was fortunate enough to have seen the Dead, (or unfortunate to have only seen them), 58 times. My wife once asked me if there were any shows I regreted. To which I replied "I ONLY REGRET THE ONES I DIDN'T SEE" THIS ONE I REGRET DEEPLY! Many thanks for a great recording of an outstanding show.

Reviewer: cringle - - August 18, 2006
Subject: smokin show, good quality AUD

even donna is good

Reviewer: bingademus - - August 12, 2006
Subject: smilin'

Years ago I got this show on tape and I could not stop smiling for a week. There are lots of great shows out there, but this one is magic. Is it the best ever? Don't know, haven't heard them all. But it makes me smile and dance every time I play it. The boys were peaking this night--a special time in a special place. Enjoy it.

Reviewer: habalushy - - July 8, 2006
Subject: as i've heard

i've heard that this is arguably the best dead show. When my friend followed them for a summer, he saw this show and said it was the best dead show he had SEEN (not just listened to), and he has seen about 60 shows of theirs.

Reviewer: Lesh is More - - June 13, 2006
Subject: Phil in the Blank

Hands down the best show of the era and certainly my favorite of all time. The Scarlet>Fire is second to none. I think Phil turned all the knobs to 11 on this one.

Reviewer: rgut - - May 23, 2006
Subject: my first review and show

this was the first show i ever saw. i was pretty buzed and the one thing i remembered was trying to find a copy of Fire On The Moutain on a album after the show, wasnt recorded as of yet. its a shame i was so buzzed, because it seems like a imissed a hell of show. Im grateful for this sight because it allowed me to relive my days of old. what a pleasure to hear some of the great sounds the Dead have put out over and over again. It was a great show and thanx again for this archive.

Reviewer: Riesling - - May 8, 2006
Subject: un grand merci ! big thank you !

merci, je ne suis pas un specialiste mais j'ai ce concert en tete depuis 20 ans et je l'ai retrouv merci ceux qui le font vivre ! Ric de Paris (France)

Reviewer: Mohawk Nation - - April 5, 2006
Subject: Daddy Took the Car Keys Away

Said the wrong thing to my old man the afternoon of 5/8/77 and he said I couldn't go to the show. Being only 17 at the time, I had to go along with it. Didn't realize I would miss arguably the best Dead show ever (and would have been my first). My sister, her boyfriend and about a dozen friends went without me and still talk about it. Oh, well.....

This is a great show and although I miss the soundboards, I love a great AUD source, and this is outstanding.

Reviewer: Mt700 - - March 21, 2006
Subject: Pure Magic

Words don't do this show justice.
Perfection

Reviewer: SpiderBaby - - March 14, 2006
Subject: Wiping drool from keyboard

It's hard to add anything to what has already been said, but I feel like I have to say...ahhhhhhhhhhh. Ok, that's it. This definately is one of those shows you can drop on someone if you want to hook up on the Dead. The Scarlett to Fire is so smooth, it is almost like a dj mixing two records together- of course a dj couldn't pull it off like that. These guys were so ahead of their time.

Reviewer: Half-wheel-hell - - February 19, 2006
Subject: Excellent Recording.

Sometimes I really lament the addition of Donna Jean howling in the background and really lament it when she is in the foreground.

Reviewer: DavidGlasses - - January 18, 2006
Subject: Well, here's a question

Much has been made of this show. And the second set is definitely stronger than the first. But in all that's written about this fame dnight, I never see anyone touch on the fact that the start ofteh jam into Fire is backward. It sounds like Keith (whose playing I typically love) has the chords reversed and it takes some concerted pushing by Jerry to turn it back around. Anyway, everyone should study this show because it's become such a widely disseminated artifact that it's now a cultural document.

Reviewer: Bobstopper - - December 12, 2005
Subject: woo = woo

This is exactly why I bought a computer. At LAST, there is a crispy crystal aud version of this (drool) show within my GRASP!

...wonder what I'm a'gonna listen to while looking for that lighter...

Jerry Christmas and Happy New Weir, y'all.

Reviewer: Packy - - November 30, 2005
Subject: nice aud of a classic

I just wrote a little review and it got erased. awesome. basically, we all know about the show, this recording sounds quite good. Basically sounds like a dull version of the sbd, but with crowd reactions, a nice touch. I've only listened to the scarlet-fire so far though. Only real problem with the recording is it's a little left-heavy.

Here's some uplifting news considering the whole debacle...does anyone know any more about this?

http://www.relix.com/cgi-bin/content_list.cgi?type=news

one can only hope...

Reviewer: Kola67 - - November 30, 2005
Subject: here's the place to go sign a petition

for everyone who is like myself and doesn't understand the shift in the band's mentality, and how they could take away a website that embodies the sharing of music so special it changed our lives, here's a website you can sign a petition

www.petitiononline.com/gdm/petition.html

the music will always be near and dear to my heart, but i know someone at Grateful Dead Merchandising well, and this decision is nothing more than people trying to figure out how to make an additional dollar. it's just sad, and I will probably not patronize GDM again. 5 stars forever to the music

Reviewer: f@!^yeah - - November 30, 2005
Subject: too good to be true

alas, business prevails. I guess GD profits were down. I've spent a lot of money on the GD in the past. To be prefectly honest, I have been very disappointed by the GD several times and never complained. I believe this move is a sign that some of the band members have now officially lost their minds. I don't know for sure, but having a liver transplant tends to spawn some mental issues that might cause suspect decision making.

Reviewer: Jeffrey-O - - November 23, 2005
Subject: They forgot 11-1-79 & 5-15-70 sbds

Get them while you still can!!!!

Plus 6-8-74. Still has 2nd set sbd....

Reviewer: justoldalph - - November 22, 2005
Subject: End of an era, are a retrench

These shows are not downloadable any more as of today, November 22, 2005. Darn!

Reviewer: Half Man Half Amazing - - October 12, 2005
Subject: THE BEST!

This is my favorite Dead show for sure! Any time I have a road trip, this concert fuels me up as I'm truckin' down the highway. Not much else to say that hasn't already been said!

Reviewer: Half Man Half Amazing - - October 12, 2005
Subject: THE BEST!

This is my favorite Dead show for sure! Any time I have a road trip, this concert fuels me up as I'm truckin' down the highway. Not much else to say that hasn't already been said!

Reviewer: Fuzzatronic - - September 27, 2005
Subject: In Tune

all has been said about this show and others of 77, but i dont hear people mention that Donna is "IN TUNE" how many times have you listened to show and they just hurt when shes out of tune. in this day and age of "AutoTune" singers that lip sync its fresh everytime to have a perfect donna!! And the keys of this era Phat. peace and love in listening, Just another audio geek.

Reviewer: luckymw - - August 18, 2005
Subject: oh calm down already

In a year where the Dead tore it up more nights than not, this show has always been slightly overrated to me. Other than the definitive Dancin', the 1st set was average. The 2nd set has its peaks and I can't downplay the Scarlet>Fire or the Morning Dew, but the highlight to me was always the hot hot hot NFA. The next night in Buffalo has the better 1st set. There are many other nights from '77 that match up very well with this one -- 3/19, 5/19,10/29,11/4 and 12/27 to name a few.

Reviewer: greightfelldude - - June 19, 2005
Subject: Smokin show and venue

On this night the Grateful Dead were ALL on top of their jamZ! I think that this is the best show I have ever heard...without a doubt. The acoustics in that place were awesome as well. I really never get tired of listening to this show. If you have never heard it, it is definitely worth the download. GO GET IT NOW!!!!

P.S. Lazy Lightning/Supplication...
Is this the original here or is it the spliced in version?

Reviewer: dire--wolf - - May 28, 2005
Subject: HIGHly recomenDEAD!

as always a clasic show..probably the most talked about show. all tracks are outstanding. the sound quatlity is excellent. pass this show on to any live music enthusiast. cheers

Reviewer: gratefulweb - - May 8, 2005
Subject: One of the truly special shows

On the anniversary of one of the all-timers, this show is held so dear by so many deadheads that it is one of the true links for newbie to old-timer (as someone notes below). It has almost invariably been one of the first tapes of a show that we first had our minds blown by and one of the first tapes that we literally wore out...most of us know the Betty Board with the Minglewood fade in and the chunk missing (Ouch!) from Lazy Lightning>Supplication which otherwise is of great quality. My highest recommendation is to listen regularly to the Rob Eaton Betty Board with the Audience splice for those two glitches, but there is something very special about an excellent audience tape (CD). Obnoxious fan comments and offbeat clapping are generally made up for by the ambiance and crowd response, making one feel even more a part of the original experience. This is an excellent audience with a minimum of negative audience intrusion.
As for the show itself, there is little that can be added to the many previous reviews, except, perhaps, to note the sometimes unheralded gems of the first set. Everyone knows how otherworldly the second set is and of course the Dancin' from set one is held as perhaps the finest version around. But depsite a somewhat disappointing Minglewood, almost every version of songs from set one could be thought of as "best" versions. In particular my favorites are Loser, TLEO, Jack Straw (for its fluidity and perfect groove, how often do you think of this song for its groove?!), BE Women (again for the ease and fluidity of Jerry's playing and the rest of the band not getting in the way), Row Jimmy (some of Jer's best slide work ever!), and Dancin' (finding the non-stop, eternal groove).
The second set has the bonus of "everybody's favorite fun game Take-A-Step-Back". And beside the mundane Estimated, the set is perfectly, ineffibly transcendant. This show can certainly hold its own against the great shows that are on the tip of the tongue for so many deadheads. 2/13/70, 8/27/72 and 5/8/77 may be the most talked about shows of all time. And that is not to say that they are the "best" shows per se, because grading is always going to be subjective, but they definitely have whatever qualities it takes to be mentioned with the best! And IMO it is just fun to listen and then attempt to explain what it is that made the experience so miraculous...enjoy!

Reviewer: asilver8 - - April 20, 2005
Subject: Cornell 5/8/77

Hi. This is the best show ever performed by anyone in the history of music. There has been nothing prior or since that has achieved the epiphanic level of being, the intensity of experience of pure spiritual ecstasy, the highest level of Nirvana, as has been accomplished here. Ithaca is The Vehicle to a Truly Transcendant Level of Consciousness. Peace.

Reviewer: crazyleggedj - - April 14, 2005
Subject: wooooooooo!

ok.... so I am 20 years old... I started listening to the dead a little over one year ago! hah! boy was I a sheltered child...
I went to Bonnaroo 2004, and passed out after 2 days of heat and drugs, and the ice storm knocked me out and I missed what would have been a fairly good introduction to the dead... Later that summer in late July I would finally witness the magic of the dead at blossom music center with warren haynes. a killer show and a great way to get me started... now back to my review.... i've been searching this archive for over 6 months now looking for the holy grail, and I got this show off of Soulseek, not the archive. But regardless of where you get it, it's when you sit the hell down and pretend like your there and let the music take you to that place where time doesn't exist and nothing matters but your next breath and the next note jerry is going to hit... this show is my holy grail so far... nothing i've heard compares to it... the st. stephen is insane... i've never heard another example of jerry playing so fast, he RIPS THE FRETBOARD APART! i've been playing guitar for 10 years, since I was 10 years old, and I didn't get serious about it until about one year ago. I knew jerry had it in him to just tear it up but no one ever had this kickass tape. thank the lord for jerry and the boys, and bless the lord for this technology we have!

Reviewer: garyp - - April 6, 2005
Subject: Weather Report

My favorite Scarlet>Fire of all time. I never tire of re-listening.....Hey, does anyone else remember snow on the ground after the show?

Reviewer: JodyC - - March 8, 2005
Subject: Best show ever?

First, Mr. Maizner-we appreciate all the uploads. I downloaded the lossless version as it did not exist on the other upload.However, before anyone does the same, go to the other upload and download each song seperately as they were remastered by Rob Eaton as shorten files.While it is a pain, the quality difference is unbelievable!Again, nothing personal. But a show this good deserves the best quality available. Now, best show ever, out of 2700+ shows-Europe,Pigpen, the pyramids-how can you choose one.However, disc 2 is 70 minutes of some of the finest dead you'll ever hear. I read all the hype first and got a chance to listen to disc 2&3 this past Sunday. Sunny, 70 degrees, jumped in the car as to not be disturbed and so I could turn it up as far as Mr. Bose allows, cracked a cold Fosters oil can and drove 70 miles around the outerbelt in St. Louis grinning my ass off.Dancin-15 minutes of funkafied glory, SF-opening notes my the hairs on my arms and legs stand on end and the base line-pure Philness. Foster-$2.50, cd and case- $1.00, disc 2 from 5/8/77-PRICELESS. You will want to check out the remaster from the night before as well from Boston(my first show!)Very good as well. Having heard these two nights, its obvious the boys were on top of their game. I can't wait to hear the other show from this run.Enjoy!!

Reviewer: Doc Hollywood - - February 21, 2005
Subject: Best Ever S---> F ?

Who knows, but I gotta say it's at least the greatest in 77, a great year for SFs. Sure 4/23/77 is perhaps the first truly great one, Jerry is so slick and innovative. But the 5/8 is magic...energy is so BIG, almost stadium rock in the Barton barn. Phil up front, rock star, leading the way early on, the SF transition is so intricate, Jer dancing on the fretboard with such fluidity and grace, light raindrops on your spine, building in intensity, then progressively tumbling through time and space, falling apart in delay and envelope distortion...leading to Mickey's carribbean beats as the transition progresses into Fire, a harbinger of Scarlet Fires to come.

Best ever show? I dunno, what is this, the NFL? This show is undeniably fun, from the big Minglewood, to the funkified, all-out Danicin' that is sure to put a smile on your face, or make you jump up and start doing the robot dance, Dead-style. To the Dew, sweet, sweet finale.

It is uniquely positioned as perhaps the one show that we as a family have in common, along with maybe 8/27/72, from the newby who just jumped on the bus in 2005 to those of us who wore out our XL II's of it decades ago. It's place in GD lore was cast long ago, but it is so great to relive the debate through archive online, something I only imagined in my wildest dreams in the years after 1995.

All the best. Being a 77-ologist, if anyone has any FILM whatsoever from that year to get me started, PLEASE email me at mtc725@gmail.com

Reviewer: Jadedj - - February 6, 2005
Subject: Hype over this show = WORTH IT....

...disreguard all the nay sayers about this show. regardless of all the "hype" being that this was one of the best sets the Dead ever played, it truly ranks as one of the best. truly. if for nothing else, the solo in "Brown Eyed Women" or the slow, chill pace of "Row Jimmy". the band was in full form for this, take a listen and you'll surely see...

Reviewer: andy b - - February 5, 2005
Subject: Amazing show

Ive had this show on a cassette for a while and always loved that scarlet>fire. My favorite song though is the st stephen> not fade away > st stephen.

Reviewer: GoodOlGratefulDead - - February 5, 2005
Subject: Some Perspective on the Show

In my fairly substantial experience listening to bootlegs and going to Grateful Dead concerts (65 shows before Jerry kicked it, from '81 - '94), I've found that when Phil (the bassist, for you non-Heads out there) is playing well, the band plays well, and conversely. At Barton Hall, Phil was playing very, very well. This is perhaps nowhere more evident than on the "Scarlet Begonias --> Fire on the Mountain" track, which is in my opinion 25 minutes of pure orgasmic paradise. Sure, they tear it up on Jack Straw, Deal and Brown Eyed Women, but listen to Phil's licks during the opening jam of Scarlet Begonias and you'll see what I mean. The dude is just ripping it and sliding it up and down the frets. I also happen to like the opening of these earlier "Scarlets" better than the way the song later evolved -- here, Keith (keyboardist) plays the opeing riff, while Jerry and Bob sort of follow his lead. In later years, Jerry would usually start Scarlet with a guitar riff, and the keyboards were secondary. In fact, I have no problem saying that the 25 minutes of Scarlet/Fire played at this show is the single best rock performance anywhere, anytime, by anyone. Take a listen if you don't believe me. The jam between the end of Scarlet and the beginnig of Fire is musically and technically one of their best transitions as well. How they get from Scarlet to Fire is absolutely mesmerizing, and when you hear Jerry pluck the first few chords of the Fire intro, you get chills (or at least this old Deadhead does). It's also a heaping slice of a bygone era, and one best listened to with your eyes closed, the music turned up VERY loud, and picturing yourself at Barton Hall, dancing, all those years ago. While what constitutes the "best show of all time" depends on the song selection, the venue, the audience vibe, and the quality of the boys' playing (among other things), this show certainly was top notch in most of those categories. If you've never really listened to the Dead and have always wondered what all the hype was about, then this show, muscially speaking, is the show that will convert you. Why? Well, I usually divide up Dead tunes into "Beginner's", "Intermediate", "Advanced", and "For Serious Deadheads Only", and this show consists mostly of tunes I'd put in the "Beginner's" and "Intermediate" categories. The boys' playing that night was also very tight (as opposed to some of the looser, more free-flowing concerts that novices tend not to like and which takes some getting used to), and the quality of the sound cannot be beat. It is therefore very accessible to those who are uninitiated. I always tell people that if you've never seen a Grateful Dead concert, you've never really seen a rock concert. By listening to this show, you'll at least get closer to knowing what it was all about, and why this band is so passionately loved by those in the know. Remember: turn Scarlet Begonias up LOUD.

Reviewer: Spelunki - - December 7, 2004
Subject: I have a secret

If you like May of 77, consider checking out April of 78

Reviewer: John B. - - December 3, 2004
Subject: great show

awesome show. dancin, deal, loser, brown eyed women, so many good songs played so well in one show. this one may be my favorite.

Reviewer: captain jack - - November 13, 2004
Subject: Thanks!

I have been searching for a great recording of this show for a while, and this is certainly it. Best "Row Jimmy" that I've ever heard. Tremendous slide work by Jerry.

Reviewer: jcb8642 - - November 11, 2004
Subject: Wow

The Loser on this show is very underrated.. the best version I have ever heard without much question. Scarlet>Fire is seamless and Not Fade Away is just brimming with life. Bob and Jerry are fantastic on this show. Best ever? Quite possibly.

Reviewer: Guch13 - - November 1, 2004
Subject: Great Dead Download

This show is defininately a great download to add to your collection. The setlist is one of the best and the sound quality is amazing. The Dead really put on a great show here. Dancing in the Streets, Jack Straw, and Row Jimmy are some of the best versions I have ever heard. The jam in Dancing in the Streets might be the best ever. Hats off to Jerry and the rest of the crew.

Reviewer: juanie - - November 1, 2004
Subject: Hats off to taper Steve Maizner

Without commenting on show quality (okay the whole damn thing rocks and the scarlet->fire is outta this world), let me just say what a wonderful contribution this excellent AUD recording is to the archive. Thanks to Steve Maizler for capturing it live.

Reviewer: nuclearflea - - October 31, 2004
Subject: Also: A great Not Fade Away Jam

If you listen to the extended Not Fade Away jam, which builds in an animalistic frenzy, you can hear where the Dead seem to be building to the St. Stephen reprise (in a waltz time), but back off and return to the NFA jam, and then try again. Its very cool.

Reviewer: nuclearflea - - October 31, 2004
Subject: For this amazing show, I actually prefer the Audience recording

I attended this amazing show, my greatest concert experience ever. I have always enjoyed the sound of the this excellent audience recording. The other (soundboard) recording of this show, while very crisp and clear, doesn't convey (to me) the power and intensity of this show as well. Also, the crucial audience interaction, (especially noticable during the jam to Fire on the Mountain), makes this listening experience much more exciting. Sometimes the sound the Dead would get in a field house like this one, or a huge echo-y stadium, would be, it seemed to me, the 'desired' result. It was not something you could get on your home stereo (although this comes close)! Turn it up loud!

Reviewer: DeadLast - - October 28, 2004
Subject: Neopolitan

THIS is why Neopolitan Ice Cream was invented. Some like Vanilla, some like Strawberry and Some like May, 8 1977. Enjoy your ice cream and be glad that the "different flavors" come in one container (band). I do advise that anyone who reads the reviews before listening to this show take a second or 600 to "cut the rug" to the Dancin' this version certinly tastes good.

Reviewer: furthur95 - - October 18, 2004
Subject: the best fucking show ever

all i got to say is this shit is gold

Reviewer: Still Life - - October 1, 2004
Subject: Morning Dew

One of my favorite shows ever. I've oly had it on cassette until I downloaded it yesterday. Morning Dew is key. Hands down the best version I've ever heard. Scarlet>Mountain is also out standing.

Reviewer: Rockey - - September 27, 2004
Subject: This show Rocks!

This show rocks! I love shows from '77 and this is a gem. Worth downloading just for the Scarlet->Fire! Nice sounding too! Thanks to Jonathan Aizen for uploading it!

Reviewer: BobSteele - - September 3, 2004
Subject: My favorite show

The second set is no doubt the best they ever played(except where Donna screws up the lyrics on St.Stephen). I love this show and just wanted to kick in my two cents. Dont think about hype just download this show and enjoy!!!!

Reviewer: REA04 - - September 2, 2004
Subject: Great show, too much hype

I've been hearing about this legendary show forever....and after finally downloading and repeated listenings, I gotta say--WAY too much hype. It's a GREAT show, no doubt. But "best ever"? Not even close. In fact, for my money, the next night in Buffalo has tons more spark. Like any May '77, great to have--fantastic show. But don't believe the hype.

Reviewer: sid weiss - - August 18, 2004
Subject: great show

great sound ..great show..perfect

Reviewer: deadchef - - August 2, 2004
Subject: Yes it is great

But its not the best show ever, the best show ever would be qualitative and there is no way to quantify what would make the best show ever. When i hear a great show i often think that its the best ever, then i hear another one and think the same. Barton hall still stands out as on of my FAVORITES though.

Reviewer: BillDP - - July 4, 2004
Subject: Simply Phenomenal!

How anyone can say this show is overrated is beyond me. I guess everyone HAS to be different even if they themselves don't believe it for a second.

Simply put, this is the single best live performance I have ever heard from any group at anytime, at any venue. It is absolutely perfect. Even non-Dead fans or one-time Dead haters that I know have been converted thanks to this show. The one comment I get most from those I play it for is that they can't believe it is live. That's how perfect this show is. Get it for yourself and listen, you just won't believe it. THE BEST!

Reviewer: JaCkSTraw8995 - - June 27, 2004
Subject: NOT THE WORST SHOW EVER

This a great show....dont listen to the other guy...hehehe...but it reLLY IS A GREAT SHOW AND AN EXCELLENT jACK sTRAW TOO

Reviewer: Fuppeduck - - May 10, 2004
Subject: Worst show Evar!!!!

No really! ;)





(but what do I know...)

Notes

Lineage: -- Steve Maizner's Sony ECM-990>Sony TC-152 aud master>First Gen Reel>played directly to hard drive by Karen Hicks