A Slice of Music History - Grateful Dead's Rocking the Cradle

Are there still Deadheads out there? Those 70’s hippies that used to follow the Grateful Dead around the country?  Well it’s time to come out of the closet and own up – and there’s a new 2CD/DVD set from the Dead’s concert series in Cairo to make the trip easier, “Rocking the Cradle”! 

The three Egypt concerts – September 14, 15, 16, 1979 –were captured on a tape recorder and now some thirty years later, the tapes have been discovered and are now being released in digital format. The boxed set (including popup of the pyramids and Spinx) includes 2 CDs with the music (many of the live songs running over 10 minutes each) and a DVD of the concert (a bit rustic but will give the new generation of listeners a good idea of the Dead concert format). 

Some of the songs have a Middle East sound using a mix of local Egyptian singers and instruments with the Dead’s own band give a unique sound – including the first track on the second CD, “Ollin Arageed” which features Hamza El Din and others who are then joined by the Dead jamming on a 14 minute version of “Fire on the Mountain.”  Other songs include a very good version of “Stella Blue,” “Iko, Iko” and the Garcia solo on “Deal”. There are also good, updated versions of “Stagger Lee” and “I Need a Miracle.” 

Listening to the CDs is like moving back in history. The color pamphlet included in the set actually details what brought the group to Egypt at that time and sets the concert against the backdrop of world events – like the Camp David talks between President Carter, Begin and Sadat (the Peace Accords between Israel and Egypt were signed on the day after the concerts, September 17).  

Even if you weren’t a fan (or born after the 70s) this set is worth hearing just to relive a period of music history that has impacted all types of music genres and how and where live concerts appear!