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find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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Carrion_Crow

Stealth Head

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Submissions

4
Sugar Magnolia
May 24, 1972
Strand Lyceum

Man, they're having a blast. Totally firing on all cylinders, and clipping along at 90mph. Great stuff.
2
Tennessee Jed
June 17, 1972
Hollywood Bowl

Solid rockin' version with a cruisin' pulse and tight ensemble playing at high energy.
4
Black Throated Wind
June 17, 1972
Hollywood Bowl

Back from Europe with all the polish and power of a masterpiece: They've perfected the arc and emotional nuance. Miller cleanup is best (duh).
6
Sugar Magnolia
May 23, 1972
Strand Lyceum

Gets pretty hard rock in places. This whole show, actually, has a high voltage rock vibe unlike all others on the tour. Underrated show all round.
10
Big Railroad Blues
May 23, 1972
Strand Lyceum

Utterly gobsmacked that this ain't here yet: It's a furious barnburner. Full of get up and go.

Comments

China Doll
Nov. 11, 1973
Winterland Arena

This has always been my go to song when things get too dicey and I need a smooth landing, and this one doesn't disappoint: Beautifully orchestrated, lovingly sung, emotional without being over the top, it's a fragile but perfect china doll China Doll. Reminds me of why I loved it all these years.
Eyes Of The World
Nov. 11, 1973
Winterland Arena

Y'all have my permission to insist that they play this over my tombstone, alright? The whole second set, but especially the DS>MLB>Eyes patch. Home sweet home, indeed.
Dark Star
Nov. 11, 1973
Winterland Arena

It's been almost three years since I last listened to this, and it still blows me away. Cerebral but elegant. Virtuoso but loose and free. It deserves all its praise. Somehow between 2012 and now the whole show became streamable again, as opposed to just the Star, which was for a while anyway not available on the Archive. Thank you, mister cool decision-maker, who gave us back the privilege to hear this one in the context of the whole show again. Thank you. Really. Plus it has to be repeated that the fact that they can give the first organic hints of MLB around about 24 minutes into it, then spiral off, get right well freaky, then after ten more wild minutes come back around and let the MLB emerge from its chrysalis to fly into one of the nicest Eyes of all time, is precisely why I listen to 1000s of hours of this music.
Big River
Nov. 11, 1973
Winterland Arena

One might look at the setlist and think, "what was Big River doing here?", but then one listens and understands. They are perfectly in control of their music, and this one sizzles and pops and yes, at one point probably overwhelms a circuit for a few seconds. But it's a perfect workout before the long, smooth, mellow DS that follows.
Mississippi Halfstep Uptown Toodeloo
Nov. 11, 1973
Winterland Arena

Super tight set opener, moving through the different emotional phases of the song with the beautiful one-mind that just said, "buckle in heads, this set's going to go places...".