Rocking The Cradle

I've never been a huge Dead Head, but the new live album from The Grateful Dead sure looks tempting to me, just look at that packaging! It was recorded in Egypt in September 1978, when the band played a three night stand at the Sound & Light Theater, outside Cairo, nestled in the dunes just a short mummy-walk from the Great Pyramid and the mysterious Sphinx.

The band had to set up in 110 degree heat and even managed to max out the local power grid. The final show on September 16th was played during a total lunar eclipse. A live album was orignially going to be put out soon after the dates were played, but upon return to the States they found that due to technical issues pretty much all of the first night and some of the second were unusable. The project got put on the backburner while they completed their Shakedown Street album, which was released in November of the same year. That is until now...

I think that this release appeals to me even more as I fell in love with Egypt this year when I went on holiday there with my girlfriend. I would go back there in a heartbeat and the combination of one of my favourite places on the planet and great music seems irresistable.

My links to the Grateful Dead's music are through Ryan Adams who has played with Phil Lesh (founding member and bass played of the Dead) on many occasions and the Counting Crows who covered 'Friend Of The Devil' for their Films About Ghosts compilation. Both Bob Dylan (who also released a live album called 'Dylan And The Dead' with the band) and Tom Petty have covered the band's songs many times.

The album is released on October 31th and can be pre-ordered here or here.