I created an account here just to give a HUGE THANKS to Mind Wondrin for his incredible reviews.

You are doing a great service, and just wanted you to know it is appreciated greatly as I am striving to find the best of the best in the live GD realm. With your help, it is a lot easier!

As an FM, this used to circulate with frequency, but this was also the common-ish "Thank You Uncle Bob" vinyl boot. KSAN-FM simulcast this with a local TV feed (but this was right before Beta/VCRs became common). Unlike many of the NYE parties (and they were as much private party as concert), they started the 1st set at midnight, so this is technically a 1/1/79 show. Weirdly for a NYE run, the night before was in L.A. Though that potentially brought more cheer to more people. This is the 7th of the 20 (available) NYE shows and one of the best along with '81, '86 and '87. Even if there are no best-of-'78 (or '79) versions, it maintains a high level and is in the top 3 or 4 of all NYEs. It was the last (obviously) of the 6 that were at Winterland (one was not in the Bay Area - or even in Cal!). 5 were at the Kaiser and 6 at Oakland Coliseum. Since Graham's NYE parties were more about having a blowout rather than making music for posterity, it's nice to have an exception - especially in multitrack. The 2nd Set is a serious 1:45 long and then there's the traditional 3rd Set.

First Set. 11min into Fire on the Mountain is the turnaround where things tighten up. MaMU flies and so does FotD. Stagger Lee falters. It's too downtempo - and beware of Bobby's SlidePractice™...and the flash pot! Whether you like From the Heart of Me or not, this is one of her great renditions. Sunshine Daydream reinforces how much better the second half of the set became.

Second Set. You need see the vid to appreciate the quality of this Samson & Delilah. The flames also put Ramble on Rose alight. Bobby's bud Matt Kelly guests starting on I Need a Miracle. He's too low in the mix for his solo so Bobby gets out his slide. The rest of the set is mostly partying and fucking around. Kesey "plays" his Thunder Machine during Drums. It's hard to tell if it was even mic'd to the board. By then the stage is full of guests and disorganized (these shows got pretty crazy in many unexpected ways and there was zilch security sans Willy). Not Fade has a Cippolina solo and is wayy snoozy. It takes 5 minutes to corral the 12 players (Lee Oscar, Greg Arico) . Billy surrenders his seat for Around & Around (to eat a fractal) and rather than the usual DonnaSkreech™, for no discernible reason she simply screams as loudly as possible...into the mic. Mayhem.

Third Set. Ostensibly because Bobby was tired of the gang that held up the Days Since Dark Star signage, they launch the first one in 4 years. Bouncy, and there's no rust. There's a short, 2½ min The Other One inside of it, but Bobby isn't that interested and veers back. St. Stephen is swirly and punchy and only the 4th in the past year (the 3rd was the night before!). The first half of Good Lovin' is great. Keith plays an Itsy Bitsy going into a good Casey Jones. If you don't believe this Johnny B. Goode is the hardest Jer ever rocked, check the vid. We Bid You Goodnight cuts in - there's no complete SBD and it used to be missing even from the AUDs. Those that have it have 20 more seconds than the SBD. It's a wash anyway with about 3 different keys battling.

1st Set:  B-
2nd Set: C+
3rd Set:  B
Overall = 4 Stars

Highlights:
Friend of the Devil - very well-played
From the Heart of Me - like it or not, one of her best renditions. And check the tranny into>
Sunshine Daydream - not the throwaway capper, here
Samson & Delilah - check vid for proof
Ramble on Rose - smooth
St. Stephen - swirly & punchy
Johnny B. Goode - the one; hardest Jer rocked evah

SOURCES: The bertha.1791 is assumedly the later master & transfer of the ashley.1667, from the Bertha DAW, which is partial FM. Of course there's the DVD, the CD set, and also good matrices. The AUDs (all that I checked) are pitched too slow.

I am surprised this recording has flown under the radar getting only 1 cryptic review and very little traffic.
This is probably the FM broadcast because at times I catch some very slight static.
I always thought the Dan Aykroyd countdown was pretty cool and the giant joint is one of the better New Years ideas along with having Cheech and Chong involved is perfect.
Set one:
They open real hot with Sugar Magnolia
flowing into > Scarlet >Fire. (very mellow)
They get into this Scarlet>Fire like they have already been jamming all night!

I guess Me & My Uncle>Big River is a slight let down but hey starting a 1st set after midnight is cool all on it's own.
Friend of the Devil is the long extended version and if you stay with it the tragedy element becomes more pronounced as the tune goes on.
All Over Now-
[remember this tune in 84/85-FLASHBACK-thinking 'pretty sure this is an old Stones tune' they kept messing with Bobby's vocals and it would really freak me out.]
Stagger Lee- very often overlooked song from the Shakedown album. The slide guitar work is always fun and usually riles any crowd.
I am blown away that they play Stagger Lee and then Heart of ME but no Shakedown all night.
I know they had played Shakedown on the previous night in UCLA but plenty of tunes got repeated from that evening.
You would figure with the FM broadcast they would want to get it some free air play.
(Considering the LP came out in November 78)
Anyway, Heart of ME is a sweet tune but I am not sure it gives the band much to do kinda like Sunrise in 77. I still dig Donna! Nice transition into >>>Sunshine Daydream. I bet nobody saw that coming!!!

Set Two
Very representative of what the Dead were about at the time with a nice nod to the entire period of 76-78 -I have never met a Samson and Delilah that I didn't like especially opening a set.
Ramble on Rose...GET OUT WHEN THEY BLOW!
Set Three
Dark Star ->
The Other One ->
Dark Star Jam ->
Wharf Rat ->
Saint Stephen ->
Good Lovin'

Had Set 3 on tape and wore it out.
Really this is a classic mini-set
equal with the giants of by-gone era's
for just leaving a crowd bent down low.
And then throw in Casey Jones -> Johnny B. Goode
And We Bid You Good Night for encores

all