Dead Ahead
Director: Len Dell'AmicoStudio: Monterey Video
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Format: Color, Dolby, NTSC
Running Time: 150 minutes
DVD Release: November 1st 2005
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DVD Review
Starring: Grateful Dead, masters of ceremony Al Franken and Tom Davis
October of 1980, the Grateful Dead plays the world-famous Radio City Music Hall in a week long marathon of sell-out shows that were beloved by fans and captured on film.
Now, in honor of the 40th Anniversary of the Grateful Dead, the original 1" master tapes from the show have been lovingly transformed onto DVD, The Grateful Dead’s best loved songs performed live onstage by Jerry Garcia, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Mickey Hart and Brent Mydland, this DVD is a celebration of America’s most loved touring band, and features both acoustic and electric performances.
Almost three hours of must see "Dead" music – LIVE! Featuring: Uncle John’s Band Bird Song On the Road Again To Lay Me Down Ripple Me & My Uncle Mexicali Blues Ramble on Rose Little Red Rooster Don’t Ease Me In Lost Sailor Saint of Circumstance Franklin’s Tower Rhythm Devils Space Fire On The Mountain Not Fade Away Good Lovin’
Bonus Songs from 10/30/80:
Heaven Help The Fool Shakedown Street Samson and Delilah He’s Gone Truckin’
DVD Extras:
Seen on PBS
First time ever on DVD
The entire, 114 minute original Dead Ahead, recorded October, 1980, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City
Transferred from the original master 1" video in full color
Audio features the original stereo mix produced by Dan Healy and Betty cantor-Jackson, PLUS a brand new 5.1 mix of the concert
MC'd by Al Franken and Tom Davis
Visible Lyrics Option on entire DVD
All bonus songs feature Visible Lyrics Option, and a NEW stereo AND 5.1 audio mix
Collectors Booklet featuring a new essay by Dead Head scholar and author Steve Silberman, and rare and previously unseen photos by Peter Simon and Bob Minkin
User Reviews
The One and Only Grateful Dead... - Rating: 5/5
If you love the Grateful Dead, you must have this. What more is there to say?
How could you not give this five stars!? Best Dead DVD in years.. - Rating: 5/5
So I netflixed this, man am I glad I did. The sound quality is incredible as is the song selection. The video is great for something that was filmed in 1980, you can tell they really cleaned it up, and the many different camera shots made me feel I was right there. The Skits in between were fun, the cameo bits with the band members.
The best part of this DVD? The special features. The 5-6 extra songs included are the best ones on the DVD!
If you're a fan just go get this. Really great show - although I think it's a compilation of different nights - not sure about that.
Either way, a very unique and entertaining Dead DVD.
"Great ! Were Going to Be Introduced By Brent! He's Been with the Band for 5 Minutes!" - Rating: 5/5
The release of "Grateful Dead: Dead Ahead" to the DVD format has brought a flood of liquid memories coursing through the various synapses in my brain. I had originally gotten on 'the Bus' (with gusto!) at a Merriweather '82 concert. Thus begun my "Looong Strange Triiipp" of following Jerry & the boys during the Ronald Raygun (ZAP!) years of the '80s. I have hazy college memories of duping a VHS to VHS copy of "Dead Ahead" at an off campus apartment, not far from Towson State University.
Fast forward over twenty years later. There's now a lot less hair on top of my head and a bit more (O.K. a lot more) belly on my frame (Shades of Jerry!). Still lovin' the Dead, but I'm getting a little snobby in my old age, mainly listening to their '70s material these days. I'm taking down the family Halloween decorations, while my brand new copy of "Dead Ahead" is hitting the DVD laser. This grabs my 4 year old's attention, because the TV lights up with an opening, trippy montage of band members, skeletons and other symbols (which fascinates him). For those not up on their Dead History, in 1980 the Grateful Dead did a month long stint at both the Warfield in S.F. and Radio City Music Hall in NYC. "Dead Ahead" captures a Holloween night, when the band kicks back on the Radio City stage (made up like a folksy, country porch at dusk) and reaches back to their folk/jugband roots with acoustic instruments. Thats right! The Dead were going unplugged, way before it became hip and the insideus weasles in the MTV Marketing Dept. co-opted the concept. Well as I'm getting my work done (with one eye on the TV) I suddenly realize that I'm humming the tunes and getting into the show! There are just beautiful versions of songs like "Uncle John's Band" and "Ramble on Rose". I especially love Jerry's guitar parts on "Bird Song", which just seem to magically go on forever. By the time "Ripple" ends the acoustic portion of the show, I'm in DeadHead Heaven! Bravo GD! The rest of the show is an electric set, which pretty much sums up the band's '80s concerts. It features fine versions of "Lost Sailor/St. of Circumstance", "Franklin's Tower" and "Fire on the Mt". Emceeing the show is SNL comedy team 'Franken & Davis'. While they might not be everyone's 'cup of tea' I always found their persnickity, smart a** sense of humor, to be right on target to the Grateful Dead sensibility. I especially found their 'Henry Kissinger gets caught bootlegging a GD show' (featuring Mr. Bill Kreutzmann) bit, pretty darn hilarious! As for the DVD itself, not too bad. Love the DVD menus featuring the original concert artwork (infamously hated by the Radio City management) of two giant skeletons hanging out on the iconic venue. The picture quality and sound is OK and it's the best your going to do with over twenty year old video tape. The DVD's bonus section features 50 more minutes of material, not included in the show's original release. This includes a beautiful acoustic/instrumental version of Bob Weir's "Heaven Help the Fool" (which I always thought of as a vastly underrated song). For a laid back evening of wonderful music, I highly recommend "Grateful Dead: Dead Ahead".
Was there ever a question? - Rating: 5/5
I have read some of the bad reviews on this website, so I went and bought Dead Ahead!! This rocks, the people that are compalianing about poor sound quality... go buy a new sound system, sweet set list, great cinematography.... Do yourself a favor find yourself on the better end of a good time, and get yourself dead ahead.
Sadly an missed oportunity - Rating: 2/5
Alot of folks have been waiting for this DVD release. Sorry to report that they blew it. The sound for this stems from the original recordings and it is just plain crappy. They gave it a 5.1 remix but it fails to really add any luster to the sound. Phil's bass has been tweaked up and sounds almost too loud. Overall the DVD audio is lacking in frequencies and fullness found on the companion audio relases. The sound on the RECKONING and DEAD SET cds blows this away. So the audio leaves alot to be desired. The picture quality is just the same as the VHS, it looks no better and is soft and long shots are a blurry mess. Of course, again, it's the best there is but seen in 2005 it's just a let down.
The song selction for the original release was always a bummer. Who the hell decided what to include and what got left out? Bad decision, cemented by the fact they left it alone for the DVD. The acoustic set is way to short and is out of order, which is a major crime as the acoustic sets from this tour were THE reason to check them out. The badly truncated versions of the first and second sets speak for themselves. True fans will wince at the cuts.
The 50 minutes of bonus material from 10-30 is welcome, but where the hell is the rest of it? All you get is the first half of set two, and one acoustic song. When the material is of this so so quality, why skimp on the quantity? Where are the other acoustic songs? I have more songs taken from an old USA TV NIGHT FLIGHT broadcast that still are MIA on the DVD ( ROSES, US BLUES, ect..). No excuse at all.
I was at a theater for the simulcast of the 10-31-80 show in Boston, and recently got a bootleg of the entire concert, and seeing the whole show again just rams home how badly this set is laid out and chopped up.
If you never saw the VHS and love the acoustic RECKONING, go ahead and drop your coins, it's worth it. If you have the tape version, you may be satisfied with just that. The DVD was a huge let down for me, and hands down the black sheep of the live GD DVD's released so far.
