Since the passing of the great Dick Latvala, Dave Lemieux has been in charge of the Grateful Dead's immense archive series. Shows like this one, in Eugene, Or. in early 1978, show why he is the rightful heir to Latvala.
1977 was a watershed year the Grateful Dead; the shows that year are well regarded as some of their best, and there is no arguably no other incarnation of the band that played with such near perfection night in and night out. 1978 is a different beast: there's a lot of jagged edges, less perfection, and more chances taken the well oiled, in tuned machine that was 1977 Dead. Keith Godchaux would grow increasingly somnambulant behind the piano, forcing Jerry and the rest of the band to fill the space his once energetic, creative and beautiful playing occupied. Donna Jean had outstayed her welcome, her caterwauling now more out of place than ever after pulling it in for the previous year. Jerry started to really spiral into heroine addiction. Shows would be erratic from time to time, though always interesting and never tragic.
This show from early 1978, performed January 22 at McArthur Court at the University of Oregon, captures the band in a transitional phase. Still relatively fresh off 1977, the band is still pretty tight and professional, but there's also much more risk taking and unique moments. If I have one criticism of 1977, it's that the band often lost their cosmic verve in their jamming, doing more straightforward excursions that was incredibly clean and musical, but not as mind blowing as earlier years. That verve returns for this show, most notably in the performances of "The Other One" and "St. Stephen." "The Other One" is pure liquid weirdness, with Phil declaring war throughout with his signature bombs. And the "Stephen" is widely regarded as the best ever, which is saying something since it's considered such a signature for their late 1960s' period. Beginning with Jerry toying with the theme from "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," the "Stephen" is a real trip, played with insatiable drive with Jerry and a still awake Keith leading the charge with some epic interplay.
The rest of the show is pretty spectacular too; 1978 was a great year for both "Minglewood and "Dire Wolf," and the opening 1-2 punch of this pairing gets things off to a great start. The "Bertha" is one of the best, and is one of the last times you'll hear Keith truly spirited and into his playing. And the "Ship of Fools" is simply gorgeous, with an elegant singing and playing from Garcia. Everything else is similarly outstanding, with nary a dull moment. It's one of the most enjoyable start to finish Dead shows available, and must for any fan of the band.
