Cornell 5/8/77

"While nearly every Grateful Dead freak has an opinion on the matter, the Dead's May 8, 1977 show at Cornell University's Barton Hall has achieved the unofficial status as their best show ever. Regularly topping collector polls in fan bible DeadBase, Barton Hall has been added to the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry, remixed in 5.1 surround sound by audiophile tapers, pressed to vinyl in the recent bootleg LP revival, replicated by cover bands (and released as a live album in its own right), and earned its own truther conspiracy theory, all before the show's first official release, just in time for its 40th anniversary" - Best New Reissue.

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"Disagreements and debates are common among Grateful Dead fans but there is a surprising consensus that the show the group gave at Barton Hall at Cornell University on May 8, 1977 is one of the band's greatest ... What makes this such an exceptional performance isn't that it's the Grateful Dead at their most experimental - not only is there no "Dark Star," there is no "Drums>Space" spotlight - but at their warmest. From the moment the band launches into "New Minglewood Blues," it's evident they're in a good mood, and they run through a set that draws heavily on party songs and cowboy tunes while finding space for delicate moments, such as a lovely "Morning Dew." If this isn't the best Grateful Dead show ever - a hard thing to quantify - it's nevertheless at the sweet spot of providing hardcore Deadheads with plenty to savor while offering a good introduction for neophytes, which is more than enough to make it essential".

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