Rhino has been serving up an unbelievable trove of live Grateful Dead recordings for some time now, packaging with the loving care of superfans who are also cultural custodians. The immortal trip-troupe’s summer 1978 show at Colorado’s Red Rocks amphitheater has been legendary since it first emerged as a board capture circulated by tape-traders. Those old “Betty Board” tapes, even after several generations of duplication, still sounded impressive; on this pristine, three-CD issue, Red Rocks 7/8/78, it sounds like you’re there.

The sprawling set finds Jerry, Bob and company taking risks with the material but executing with real finesse. In addition to fine versions of “Bertha,” “Sugar Magnolia,” “Dire Wolf,” “Deal,” “Ship of Fools,” “Terrapin Station,” “Eyes of the World” and other stellar originals, there are surprises like Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves of London,” played with cheeky aplomb. It’s a glimpse at a performance peak during a bumpy phase of the Dead’s career. Glad somebody was taping it.