Grateful Dead fans can celebrate the band's landmark 1978 spring tour with Friend of the devilsa massive box set released on September 20th.
Friend of the Devils: April 1978 This album features eight shows the band played that month, including a show in Pembroke Pines, Florida on April 4 and the Fox Theater in Atlanta, Georgia on April 10 and 11. The shows were originally recorded by Betty Cantor Jackson and restored and mastered by engineer Jeffrey Norman. The deluxe edition includes 19 CDs and a book with cover notes by Steve Silverman and photographs by James Anderson, Bob Menken, and others.
“These eight shows tell the story of a band that was engaged, inspired and focused on giving their best every night,” Dead archivist David Lemieux said in a statement. “If ever there was a tour where the Dead gave every moment, it was this one.”
The shows are also significant because they included the song “Fire on the Mountain” before its release that fall, as well as the beginnings of their “Drums” and “Space” traditions.[It] “It started with Billy banging on his gear and using his elbow to change the pitch, making it sound like a talking drum,” Silberman writes in the cover notes. “Mickey, who was equally involved, was wearing a Jerry T-shirt. Then the road crew joined in. What’s this? Steve Parish playing a cowbell! Finally, the big man himself comes out, strokes his beard, sits down, maybe takes a breath or two, and picks up a pair of sticks. My God, Garcia plays steel drums—and he loves it!”
One of the band's performances – from Duke University's Cameron Indoor Stadium (on April 12, 1978) – would also be released separately as Duke '78Listen to “US Blues” from that night below.
Duke '78 CD Track List
First disc
1. “Jack Straw”
2. “The Terrible Wolf”
3. “He finally got over it.”
4. “Peggy-O”
5. “Mom tried” >
6. “Mexicali Blues”
7. “Cordal vesicles”
8. “Raw Jimmy”
9. “New Minglewood Blues”
10. “The Loser”
11. “Lazy Lightning” >
12. “Prayer”
Second disc
1. “Bertha” >
2. “Good Love”
3. “It must be roses”
The third disc
1. “The Destined Prophet” >
2. “Eyes of the World” >
3. “Rhythm Demons” >
4. “Truck Transport” >
5. “Sidewalk Rat” >
6. “Around and around”
7. “American Blues”
Friend of the Devils: April 1978 Playlist
Curtis Hixon Convention Hall, Tampa, FL (6/4/78)
1. “Bertha” >
2. “Good Love”
3. “The Terrible Wolf”
4. “My uncle and I” >
5. “The Big River”
6. “The Devil’s Friend”
7. “The Rider”
8. “Candy Man”
9. “Lazy Lightning” >
10. “Prayer”
11. “Samson and Delilah”
12. “It must be roses”
13. “The Destined Prophet” >
14. “He's gone” >
15. “Rhythm Demons” >
16. “The Other”>
17. “Sidewalk Rat”
18. “Around and around”
19. “American Blues”
Sports Museum, Pembroke Pines, Florida (4/7/78))
1. “The Promised Land”
2. “Sugar”
3. “Cassidy”
4. “Tennessee Good”
5. “Mom tried”
6. “Mexicali Blues”
7. “Peggy-O”
8. “New Minglewood Blues”
9. “The Loser”
10. “The music never stopped.”
11. “Jack Straw”
12. “Ship of Fools”
13. “Good Love”
14. “Turtle Station” >
15. “Playing in the band” >
16. “Rhythm Demons”
17. “Don't fade away” >
18. “Black Peter” >
19. “Playing in the Band”
20. :Johnny B. Goode
Veterans Memorial Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida (4/8/78)
1. “Half Step Uptown Tudillo, Mississippi”
2. “My uncle and I” >
3. “The Big River”
4. “They love each other.”
5. “It looks like rain”
6. “The Deal”
7. “El Paso”
8. “It must be roses”
9. “Lazy Lightning” >
10. “Prayer”
11. “Samson and Delilah”
12. “Scarlet Begonia” >
13. “Fire on the Mountain”
14. “The Holy Prophet” >
15. “Eyes of the World”
16. “Rhythm Demons” >
17. “Space” >
18. “Sugar Magnolia”
19. “Another Saturday Night”
Fox Theatre, Atlanta, Georgia (10/4/78)
1. “The Promised Land”
2. “Brown-Eyed Women”
3. “It's all over now”
4. “Peggy-O”
5. “Cassidy”
6. “The Terrible Wolf”
7. “El Paso”
8. “Raw Jimmy”
9. “The Rider”
10. “Candy Man”
11. “The music never stops.”
12. “Jack Straw”
13. “Ship of Fools”
14. “Dancing in the Street” >
15. “Rhythm Demons” >
16. “Franklin Tower” >
17. “Black Peter” >
18. “Around and around”
19. “American Blues”
Fox Theatre, Atlanta, Georgia (11/4/78)
1. “Bertha” >
2. “Good Love”
3. “The Devil’s Friend”
4. “My uncle and I” >
5. “The Big River”
6. “Tennessee Good”
7. “It looks like rain”
8. “Brown-Eyed Women”
9. “New Minglewood Blues”
10. “The Deal”
11. “Samson and Delilah”
12. “Scarlet Begonia” >
13. “Fire on the Mountain”
14. “Sunrise”
15. “Turtle Station” >
16. “Rhythm Demons” >
17. “Space” >
18. “Echo Echo” >
19. “Sugar Magnolia”
20. “Johnny B. Goode”
Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke University, Durham, NC (12/4/78)
1. “Jack Straw”
2. “The Terrible Wolf”
3. “He finally got over it.”
4. “Peggy-O”
5. “Mom tried” >
6. “Mexicali Blues”
7. “Cordal vesicles”
8. “Raw Jimmy”
9. “New Minglewood Blues”
10. “The Loser”
11. “Lazy Lightning” >
12. “Prayer”
13. “Bertha” >
14. “Good Love”
15. “It must be roses”
16. “The Destined Prophet” >
17. “Eyes of the World” >
18. “Rhythm Demons”
19. “Truck Transport” >
20. “Sidewalk Rat” >
21. “Around and around”
22. “American Blues”
Cassell Coliseum, Virginia Institute of Technology, Blacksburg, Virginia (4/14/1978)
1. “The Promised Land”
2. “Tennessee Good”
3. “My uncle and I” >
4. “The Big River”
5. “Peggy-O”
6. “It looks like rain”
7. “The Dire Wolf”
8. “It's all over now”
9. “Dupree's Diamond Blues”
10. “The music never stopped.”
11. “Samson and Delilah”
12. “Ship of Fools”
13. “Dancing in the Street” >
14. “Rhythm Demons” >
15. “Space” >
16. “The Other” >
17. “Black Peter” >
18. “Sugar Magnolia”
19. “Johnny B. Goode”
Huntington Civic Center, Huntington, West Virginia (4/16/1978)
1. “Jack Straw”
2. “The Terrible Wolf”
3. “Cassidy”
4. “Peggy-O”
5. “Mexicali Blues” >
6. “Mama tried”
7. “They love each other.”
8. “New Minglewood Blues”
9. “Scarlet Begonia” >
10. “Fire on the Mountain”
11. “Samson and Delilah”
12. “Ship of Fools”
13. “The Destined Prophet” >
14. “Eyes of the World” >
15. “Rhythm Demons” >
16. “Space” >
17. “Echo Echo” >
18. “Sugar Magnolia”
19. “American Blues”
