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find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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Carrion_Crow

Stealth Head

+49677


Submissions

5
Sugaree
May 25, 1974
Campus Stadium, UCSB

Swings and rocks you back and forth so sweetly. Not my favorite Dead song, but this one is just a beaut.
26
Wharf Rat
May 21, 1974
Edmundson Pavilion

A musical triumph capping an amazing 2nd Set. Soaring, almost Bird Songish intensity to the ensemble soloing. Perfect.
18
Sugar Magnolia
May 21, 1974
Edmundson Pavilion

Are you kidding me?!? This just blazes white hot. Whole 2nd set is just a supernova.
16
U.S. Blues (Wave That Flag)
May 21, 1974
Edmundson Pavilion

The boys were still inspired after that 46min Playin' and it shows. Possibly the best US Blues I know of. Don't overlook it or the rest of the show!
46
Wharf Rat
May 19, 1974
Portland Memorial Coliseum

Slightly faster with a steady ostinato bass that works beautifully. No dirge, but a thoughtful tale. I hear waves against a wharf at the end.
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Comments

Playin' In The Band
Dec. 31, 1976
Cow Palace

Agreed that this is a beaut. This one goes through several phases, with the noted jam at around 10:00 and then another transition into a more biting/buzzsaw tone around 15:00. It holds at a simmer rather than a boil, however so if you're looking for mad freaky weirdness then this won't necessarily scratch every itch.
They Love Each Other
Dec. 31, 1976
Cow Palace

This signals exactly where they've been and where they're going. The transition year behind them, '77 coming on strong... a great and historically relevant version. Could be much higher, but probably sits between the '73 and the '77 fans' choices.
Bertha
Dec. 31, 1976
Cow Palace

Best one of the year: Deliberate, tight and right. Compare this to the weirdly accidental previous one they played on 15 October (the only clunker in that otherwise world-shatteringly brilliant show) and this makes me think they'd been thinking about bringing Bertha back into rotation, rehearsed it, nailed it, and brought it back in with diesel.
Comes A Time
Oct. 15, 1976
Shrine Auditorium

The transition out of this is so good it transforms the Franklin's that comes after it into an almost entirely different song. Strong performance and great show. Check out around 08:00: They go into a 12/8 meter riff that may be unique in the oeuvre. In any case this may be my top choice Comes A Time of all time.
The Other One
Oct. 15, 1976
Shrine Auditorium

Both a musically tight, breakneck roller-coaster and a psychedelicore madhouse filled with twists and turns a jump-out-at you moments of mind melting gooeyness. Around 08:35 they sound like they're going into a totally new jam, but it gets whisked away like so many hallucinations. Brilliant suite and one of the best of the few TOO of the year.
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