Customer Reviews

Live at the Cow Palace: New Years Eve 1976

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4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It is difficult to write a review like this for a variety of reasons. For a start it is over ten years since the demise of the Grateful Dead due to the premature death of lead guitarist Jerry Garcia. Secondly it is just over 30 years since this show was performed although the timing of this issue is impeccable. Third, given the number of recordings by this, the most american of all bands, reviews are most likely to be read by the cogniscenti, the deadhead community, as well as lovers of their music everywhere. Talk about peer review! Aside from all of that I happen to be a naturalised american, from Britain originally, who has loved the dead for so long but was part of a different scene so I have a little different perspective. But here goes...

This album is lovingly playing it's heart out again on my dvd player right now as a glorious HDCD. The quality of the recording is outstanding given that it is a live recording although also broadcast in FM stereo at the time courtesy of the band and Dan Healy. Incidentally, and quite coincidentally I am currently reading Blair Jackson's excellent "Garcia" wherein he explains the genesisi of that particular development.

However, I digress, but to be sure this is excellent sound indeed, well balanced and very true to the band's sound. Personally, I prefer the early jamming Dead above all others, but this show really highlights their performance as the Grateful Dead as a band, an ensemble, playing as one. Sure there is room for jams as exemplified by the excellent Playing in the Band although the jam itself is relatively brief. Above all else, throughout the performance what shines through is the almost telepathic communication between all of the individual band members.

Glenn Lambert's excellent liner notes provide great insight into the songs and the structure of the show and how they combine and I do not wish to replicate that here. This is a show of heart and mind where all of the diffuse elements combine into one and throughout my listenings thus far, the image that constantly comes to mind is the painting that adorned the band's second album Anthems of the Sun. There really is something for everyone here. If you are into the music the interplay between all the players is outstanding and for me one of the greatest insights is how well Keith Godchaux relates to the other, founder members. Some of his often overlooked piano playing is exquisite and delicate while at other times he is rocking. Phil Lesh is also on top of his game throughout and his performance can be heard with great clarity on this recording.

For party animals there is much joy here too. The songs and playing spin a warm cocoon to guide you through three hours of glorious explorations of inner space. Just the right level for a happy new year's party and no drunken revellry here.

Song highlights for me are more personal than anything else. Scarlet Begonias just because I love that particular song, We Bid You Goodnight as a nostalgic nod to the 60's and Live Dead, the jam on Playing in the band are my personal favourites but I must admit, in my hardly unbiased review that I find myself loving this whole thing. All I can say is thank you for multi-disc players which allow the whole thing to be played in it's entirety.

It has been a while since any new material emerged from the Grateful Dead camp but the wait has been worthwhile. If this is the debut performance from the deal with Rhino Records, then this is a hard act to follow but the future bodes well. I look forward to the next release with great anticipation but in the meantime, I will be listing to every nuanced note from these three exemplary discs for days, if not longer, to come.

This is a superb addition, in my humble opinion, to anyone's musical library.

This particular show, from New Year's Eve 1976, is outstanding in many ways. But of course, being a live Dead recording, we are treated in the press and among the faithful to all of the conceits and prejudices that we tend to bring to the table when we get a "new" release. Playing in the Band on this disk is one of the most amazing I've heard. And yet, I've had friends tell me, "But what about 12/29/77? Now THAT was an amazing Playing!" And when I've expressed my thrill with the overall quality of the show, I've gotten, "But what about 2/11/69? Now THAT was a show!" Which all ultimately tells us what? That the Dead have a huge body of work out there, and that none of us will ever agree on everything. But do note a few things. Playing in the Band here IS excellent, and Morning Dew is absolutely shattering. And as another reviewer has noted, We Bid You Goodnight is sublime. Not to mention the Sugar Magnolia /Eyes suite on disc 2. Heaven. And sonically, the boys have seldom sounded so good. Rhino definitely deserves kudos there.

Yes this release is geared more to the faithful than to the casual listener, but Good Lord, what a gem for a collection. Buy it.

My preorder from the band's site came with the bonus disc Spirit Of '76. First of all, the sound quality on here is very good although again Keith's piano playing gets buried under echo quite a bit. The first sets starts good but doesn't really reach a peak until Playing In The Band. This version of Playing make this disc worth the price alone. Perhaps the band was pacing themselves. The second set starts with a classic jam of Sugar Magnolia->Eyes Of The World->Wharf Rat->Good Lovin'->Samson & Delilah. I find the first three more enjoyable due to the overplaying of latter versions of Good Lovin' and the then overplayed Samson. Still, these are good versions. Scarlet Begonias is great and one of the highlights of the Dead in '76. The final disc starts with a cool Around And Around. The band then lanches into Help On The Way/Slipknot! which always does it for me. The band's last show prior to this on 10/15 featured a stand alone Franklin's Tower so that may explain why on here they go into drums instead. The following Not Fade Away is rocking but for me the ballad Morning Dew is much better. The first encore is One More Saturday Night. Next we get something missing from all the FM copies of this show(it wasn't broadcast due to time constrants)the first versions of Uncle John's Band and We Bid You Goodnight since 10/74.

If you weren't fortunate enough to be at the cow Palace on this date or hear it on KSAN, this is the next best thing. I love live recordings and this one is fantastic. You feel as if you are in the middle of the mix.
It was a little pricey, but you pay for what you get and this was definitely worth it. The rosetta stone for me is definitely the 69 Fillmore West shows. The sound and quality match each other the same, but the boys were definitely on that musical plain in 69 more so than in 76.
By this I mean I don't think they could have played that run at the Fillmore any better. They surpassed "near perfect".
There are some musical glitches in this Cow Palace show, but hey, that's what makes them who they are. As Bill Graham said "They're not the best at what they do, they're the only one's that do what they do."
All in all, if you love live music, this one is a no-brainer. Highly recommended.

I own quite a few Dick's Picks CD's and one thing I instantly noticed about Cow Palace is the excellent sound mix. It is a bit bass-heavy, which is excellent if you really want to appreciate Phil Lesh's amazing work. Of course I knew how great Phil Lesh is but I have rarely heard him as far up in the mix as he is on this CD. Jerry sounds good on this one and there is some stellar guitar work on Eyes of the World in particular (love the more up-tempo version they did here). I didn't think the version of Uncle John's Band was anything special but I LOVED the way they performed We Bid You Goodnight on here. Another highlight is a very tight and rocking Sugar Magnolia. Obviously this wouldn't be the first live Dead album I would start with but it makes a nice addition to anyone's Dead collection.

There was a period in the late 90s up to a few years ago that the Dead released live albums from their rich back catalogue, including the seminole "Dick's Picks" releases. Things have been much quieter in the last 2-3 years. Among other things, the Dead have turned over further releases from their back catalogue to the well-respected Rhino label.

"Live At the Cow Palace, New Year's Eve, 1976" (3CDs, 22 tracks, 191 min.) brings the 12/31/76 show in its entirety, and the band is generally in great doings. Contrary to many other Dead fans, I've always enjoyed the Godchaux era, and this is as good as any from that era. Set one is somewhat slow in building up, but I love the 20+ min. blowout of Playing In the Band. CD2 brings a great Sugar Magnolia>Eyes of the World>Wharf Rat>Good Loving, but the real jewel on this set is CD3, with a great Slipknot!>Drums>Not Fade Away. Uncle John's Band in the encore is the cherry on top of the cake. Just an great evening of great music all around.

I have usually been impressed with the job Rhino has done with reissued and back catalogue issues, and they don't disappointed me here. Excellent packaging, great liner notes, pictures, it's all here. Bottom line: is this an "essential" live recording in the Dead's output? Probably not, but it certainly is a most enjoyable and welcome addition to the live catalogue of the Dead.

I disagree that '76 was not considered to be a great year for the Dead. I think the '70s in general are the best years for the band and each year of the '70s has it's own defineable sound. That said, 1976 is the pre-bubbley, cocaine, disco sound that the band started sounding like in 77 (remember all those disco Dancin' in the streets). Keith still can play the piano...and in this mix Donna stays in pitch and her scream in Playin' is rather tame. In regards to the bass, most of the shows I have from 76 have prominent bass (which I dig 'cause I play bass)..maybe it's their new sound system..but whatever it is, it sounds great. The vocals are clear and phat.

Overall, the recording sounds great and there is a good selection of songs that haven't been typically presented before in what I'll call the "higher end" releases (i.e., not the Dicks Picks series). beautiful versions of Looks Like Rain, Wharf Rat and an unbelievable version of Playin'.

If you like the Dead you'll love this release.

Received the CD's today and popped them right into the CD player. Great sound! I've always held up "Without a Net" as one of the boy's best recordings, but, damn, this is good. Jerry's voice on Wharf Rat, in particular. Passionate, rips your heart out... The credits mention "Time base correction". What is a Plangent Process?? The sound seems crisper, clearer, maybe that's why. What a wonderful set from a wonderful time in the band's career.

First 2007 release of the Grateful Dead (I hope there's more to come). "Live at the Cow Palace" features the complete show The Dead gave on New Year's Eve 1976. Nicely "digipaked", this set also includes a nice booklet with interesting liner notes which focus on (of course) the band, but also on the history of the Cow Palace. These notes point out the bad acoustics of this big hall, but forget about that for this set is beautifuly recorded and the sound quality is simply superb. All the instruments are clearly heard and the sound is certainly warm and tremendously enjoyable.
As for the performance, The Dead were surely inspired that evening. Let's take a brief look at the contents of this 3-cd set.

The first set, as it has happened with The Dead before, proves to be the least interesting. It starts off with "Promised Land", which is nice but doesn't say much. "Bertha" is played more slowly than the classic "Skull and Roses" version. "Mama Tried", in contrast, is played in a more hurried pace than on the aforementioned record. Anyway, there are both nice to hear. "They Love Each Other" proves to be a real treat. It includes a very strong piano solo by Keith Godchaux, and the band sounds very tight. Unfortunately, the results are not the same with "Looks Like Rain", where the group make a couple of easily detectable mistakes, apart from sounding uncomfortable with the song. A nice "Deal" brings the things back together and set the mood for a magnificent "Playing In The Band" which includes, as you can imagine, an extended, pure-beauty jam where everybody flies freely.

1977 started in Winterland with "Sugar Magnolia", and the second CD kicks off. A faster-than-usual and splendid-as-always "Eyes of the World" continues and segues into one of the most wonderful "Wharf Rat" versions I ever heard (a song that is naturally beautiful made even more beautiful. Can you picture that?). After this sonic Eden, we are taken back to reality with some interesting yet more earthy "Good Lovin'" and "Samson and Delilah". "Scarlet Begonias" closes the second CD in its usual relaxed, lovely and cheerful manner.

The last CD takes off with "Around And Around", which usually sounds (to these ears) just plain fair. This version is not the case, embellished with a effective rhythm change in the middle and a fantastic segue into a outstanding "Help On The Way/Slipknot!". Jerry Garcia expands his talent all over, and the band enters into an ethereal landscape where he can speak freely with them in a classic telephatic-empathic-Grateful-Dead-type manner. All this beauty derives in a very short "Drums" and the time comes for a pleasant "Not Fade Away" to distract the listener's mind before a sublime and touching "Morning Dew". "One More Saturday Night" follows and the show finds its proper ending with "Uncle John's Band" (including some usual lyrics confusion) and a simply wonderful "We Bid You Goodnight".
Well, top-notch Dead, warts and all.
A great night of a tremendously talented ensemble.

Post scriptum:
I still can't find the reason for all that detraction against Donna Jean. Go on and loathe her while I enjoy her voice, I don't care.

I've got a ton of coverage from '68-'74 and '77-'82,so I jumped at picking up a show from '76, though with little expectation...HOWEVER, the amount of play time these disks have received in the last few months is rivaled only by the Winterland Box sets and a handful of my enduring favorites. I love this show! Among alot of standout moments, my top entries are a truly epic Dew, and terrific Eyes, Wharf Rat, A&A, Help, and Slipknot. One other aspect that I haven't seen mentioned is Phil's bass. Much like Barton Hall is one of Jerry's signature shows, Phil's play is so strong, both acoustically and artistically, that you feel it reverberating in your gut - I love to crank this show while driving and let Philbomb shake my 4Runner like a small earthquake!