Rocking The Cradle: Egypt 1978 [Digipak]

Performer: Grateful Dead
Producer: Richard Loren
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: Grateful Dead: Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir (vocals, guitar); Phil Lesh (vocals, bass guitar); Keith Godchaux (piano, keyboards); Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann (drums, percussion); Donna Jean Godchaux (background vocals). Additional personnel: Bill Graham (spoken vocals); Hamza el Din (oud); The Nubian Youth Choir. Audio Remasterer: Jeffrey Norman. One-upping the Pompeii-playing Pink Floyd, the Grateful Dead brought the house down at their own ancient wonder in 1978 with a three-night stand in front of the Great Pyramid of Giza in what surely was a cosmic energy overload for the rainstick set. ROCKING THE CRADLE: EGYPY 1978 captures highlights from the first two nights--September 15th and 16th--and features the late-'70s line-up in fine form. Jerry Garcia's bluegrass-via-peppery-funk licks shine throughout standards such as "Deal," "Jack Straw," and "Fire on the Mountain," but achieve stunningly elegiac heights on the percussive "Ollin Arageed," the band's collaboration with Nubian star Hamza El Din. The set is arguably the pinnacle of the Keith and Donna Godchaux years with both giving their strongest, most synthesized performances in their Dead tenures--particularly vocalist Donna, who backs up Bob Weir soulfully on the moving live keeper "Looks Like Rain." With sterling sound and a DVD of behind-the-scenes footage, the package is yet another gem in the Dead's bottomless vaults.

Dirty Linen (p.55) - "The sound is stunning -- vocals clear, instruments distinct....The second CD opens with Hamza El Din and Egyptian percussionists joining the Dead for both his 'Ollin Arageed' and a killer 14-minute 'Fire on the Mountain.'"

The Grateful Dead were right there at the birth of the 1960s West Coast psychedelic scene, but they handily incorporated simple folk, blues, and country sounds into their swirling, jam-oriented style. With an endless touring schedule and a huge following of devoted fans, the group fueled hippie visions well into the '90s and sparked the jam-band movement that would eventually fill the void left by the dearly departed Grateful Dead after the passing of guitarist Jerry Garcia. Since Garcia's passing, surviving members of the band have participated in various musical projects, including a reunion tour in 2003 under the shortened name of "the Dead."

Click Here for Shipping Options and Policies

Shipping or Dimension weight in pounds: 0.25