The Closing Of Winterland[2 DVD]

After attending a Dead & Company Show in 2018 with a girlfriend who is a Deadhead and watching "Long Strange Trip," the recent (2017) six-part GD documentary on Amazon Prime, I started listening to the GD's live performances . Previously I was only familiar with GD material through "greatest hits" collections like "Skeletons from the Closet. " But, you really need to listen to the GD live to do them justice.After purchasing several GD concert DVDs, I would rank "The Closing of Winterland" filmed on New Year's Eve 1978 as their best commercially-available concert DVD. If you only buy one GD concert on DVD, this is the one to get! The band sounds very good. Jerry Garcia at the end of 1978 is in much better shape (physically and musically) than he will later be in the numerous late 1980s and early 1990s GD concerts available on DVD. Thankfully, Bob Weir does not wear short-shorts as he does in some later concert DVD releases.In "The Closing of Winterland," the Blues Brothers (John Belushi & Dan Akroyd at the height of their SNL careers) are the opening act. The GD performed three full sets that night, plus an encore, so there is something for every GD fan to enjoy. The set lists were as follows: SET 1 - Sugar Magnolia • Scarlet Begonias • Fire on the Mountain • Me & My Uncle • Big River • Friend of the Devil • It's All Over Now • Stagger Lee • From The Heart of Me • Sunshine Daydream; SET 2 - Samson & Delilah • Ramble On Rose • I Need a Miracle • Terrapin Station • Playing in the Band • Rhythm Devils • Not Fade Away • Around and Around ; SET 3 - Dark Star • The Other One • Dark Star • Wharf Rat • St. Stephen • Good Lovin'; ENCORES - Casey Jones • Johnny B. Goode • We Bid You Goodnight.

I have had a recording of this show for years, and enjoyed it tremendously. This is one of my all-time favorites, from the fireworks popping into the Sugar Mag intro through to the Johnny B Goode closer the show rages. I didn't realize how many guest artists joined them onstage from just listening. 2 harmonica players? John Cipollina? Wow, such a good show... but to watch them perform it? So good. Seeing Jerry head nod to John C to take a solo, the smile on Phil's face... its a DeadHead must-have

The sound quality is good like most GD concert recordings around this period. It is probably my favorite GD period (from the mid to late 70s). Some people say it is their best recorded concert. I wouldn't go that far. Bob Wier plays well on this. There are some concerts he appears to be lazy and you hardly hear him playing, but he plays exceptionally well here. I have many live GD recordings, and this set list is not my favorite. The video isn't as good as other video from that period either. I assume it was recorded to video for TV, rather than being recorded on film. The Grateful Dead Movie, recorded at the same place 4 years earlier is better video quality. However, there aren't many concert videos of the GD that I have seen from this period (1978/1979), so this is probably the best available. It is worth having if you are a GD fan. Just don't think it is going to be the best thing since sliced bread as some fans would have you believe about anything and everything the GD puts out there. Every concert can't be their best one. This was good, but not their best.btw - It appears that there is another reviewer that calls himself “John T” that also reviewed this dvd. As far as I can tell he gives every product he reviews 5 stars. I’m not that guy.

I wish i could have been there to see it for myself but am glad it was captured for posterity. It was filmed in 1978 so don't expect HD quality but for the time and place it is more than acceptable. If you love the Grateful Dead then i highly recommend this show. Over 3 hours of live Dead! If you're interested look up online how the show went down that night. Really interesting.

I won't add to the other raves on the performance. It's a great show by the Dead in their prime. 'Nuff said.But I will add a note on the sound, since I have some expertise on the subject. When this was taped in 1978, analog recording had reached full technical maturity. Despite all the digital hoopla, many of us in the biz know full well that the best of 70s analog was better than most of 80s digital...and you could take that into the 90s as well. So the sound capture that night was far superior to many of the later Dead releases done on early generations of digital gear. It's most apparent here in the gorgeous sound of Phil Lesh's bass. It's never sounded better on any release in any format. Of course, by the time they got around to remixing the original analog masters for DVD, digital technology was well into its third generation (24-bit resolution, 96kHz sampling or higher) and thus able to fully reproduce the gorgeous analog sound of original. So, crank it up and enjoy the best of the analog and digital worlds.One final note: The only sonic disappointment here has nothing to do with the recording. It's the instrument. Why was Keith Godchaux stuck with the rinky-tink Yamaha electric? I sorely missed the gorgeous tone of a real concert grand as heard on Europe '72, where his work shone through spectacularly. You can see what he had on the cover of the Europe '72 booklet at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and I expect something similar was on the rider for each show. Was Bill Graham pinching pennies in '78 or what?

I don't think there are many rock concerts on film that can hold a candle to this recording from December 31st 1978, when the Dead, and their friends, played right through the night, and then Bill Graham provided all of the audience with breakfast.It is one of the most awesome live gigs you will ever see; there are too many highlights to mention them all, though I might just mention the superb guest appearance of John Cippolina on guitar for 'Not Fade Away'.Strangely, I remember once reading that this was a concert where the band were all on a downer, and that everything was going wrong; problems with Bill Graham and the Hell's Angels, and general turmoil. Nobody watching this concert would ever believe any of that; the band look like they are up for anything, especially Jerry, and they really let rip.And, being New Year's Eve, you even get a lovely festive greeting from Phil at the end. Who could ask for more?UK viewers need to note that this is a Region 1 DVD, so you need an all-region player.

One if the best concert films. Thus is a perfect concert of GD. Evreybody knows what they doing. Bob weir has guutar playing down perfect. J garcia is magic here. Its just a must have.

i was at the gig (the closing of winterland) with 27 san diego hells angels (being an aussie one) & loved it. especially when john cippolina joined them for the enchore. a tremendous dvd in full dts sound with loads of extras inc the blues bros doing 2 songs....result! this concert is a blast from the past with all the audience loving both it & each other.thewizardfromaus

Excellent concert footage I would recommend it.

Bought this for my husband for Christmas a big Grateful Dead fan. I thought I might have left it too late but it arrived in time. He's very pleased with it. Good result!