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find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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Carrion_Crow

Stealth Head

+49677


Submissions

25
Scarlet Begonias
May 19, 1974
Portland Memorial Coliseum

Short succint and distilled to its '74 essence. Plus Donna's sexiest "Ohhhhhhhhh" ever.
9
Brokedown Palace
Dec. 2, 1971
Boston Music Hall

Sweet as honey. Holds together in perfect harmony and never drags.
2
Playin' In The Band
Dec. 2, 1971
Boston Music Hall

Pushes against the melody: Late '71 and the song's potential is about to burst free in the months ahead. You can feel it, and it's good.
15
Ship of Fools
May 17, 1974
P.N.E. Coliseum

For any SoF doubters out there, this one is as convincing as they come. Everything comes together nicely, and there isn't a single downer on deck.
16
Loose Lucy
May 17, 1974
P.N.E. Coliseum

Faster than most. And mad funky.
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Comments

Good Lovin'
April 6, 1971
Manhattan Center

Pig breaks it down for everyone, telling the crowd to just "take your clothes off" after building up to it. Apart from that generous and fine instruction, the different stages of the jam here really stand out. You can find the link between the Dead and Funkadelic's work of the era. Sounds in places like they were channeling Buddy Miles' work after the Band of Gypsies. The Dead were dialed way in to all of it and this one shows it.
Hard to Handle
March 24, 1971
Winterland Arena

Shows off the link between blues and acid rock like only the Dead of this era could do.
Good Lovin'
March 14, 1971
Camp Randall Field House

Brilliant barn burner of a jam out of the drum solo. It hangs back just enough to stay on the rails, Pigpen raps some, then it snakes its way back into the chorus in a uniquely sideways manner. Good stuff and an under-appreciated show all round.
Wharf Rat
Feb. 19, 1971
Capitol Theater

More interesting and self-confident than the first one, to my ears. I rate the melodicism and the overall arc of this jam above the 18th up top on this page. Still, I can't compare these early ones to the Spring-Summer '74 versions which top my list.
Wharf Rat
Feb. 18, 1971
Capitol Theater

First and best? I love this version, don't get me wrong. It being both the first one ever and sandwiched into a top-shelf Dark Star and Beautiful Jam help it by association, but I can't think of it as the best one out there. For my ears, May and June '74 is the apotheosis era, where Wharf Rat peaks on its own for power, emotion and musicality. My faves are 19.05.74 and 22.06.74, but anything from this time really stands out for the energy they were putting into it. I think the Rat played the next night and the one on the 21st from the same run are more cohesive and stronger performances.
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