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find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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Carrion_Crow

Stealth Head

+49667


Submissions

3
Cumberland Blues
Dec. 15, 1971
Hill Auditorium

Joyful chaos: A brilliant splatter. Bobby's voice never sounded so good to me as it did in '71.
5
Mister Charlie
Dec. 15, 1971
Hill Auditorium

Pigpen at his best with the band at its grit-in-the-gears crunchiest. They were on this night and this one is just full of butt.
6
Wharf Rat
Dec. 12, 1973
Omni Coliseum

Very passionate version, some distortion or tape speed issues (?) remind me of my cassette trading days and bring out the trippiness to the song.
11
China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
Dec. 12, 1973
Omni Coliseum

If this hard grooving China jam and Feeling Groovy transition doesn't just get you moving, then nothing can. Just perfect.
10
Pretty Peggy O
Dec. 12, 1973
Omni Coliseum

First version ever is real nice... but listen to the soundcheck version for insight into the bands working dynamics. Cool to hear them working on it.

Comments

Sugar Magnolia
June 20, 1983
Merriweather Post Pavilion

Alright so by default I'm a 70s head, (tho toured in the 80s, that's just how it panned out), but occasionally I get turned back on to just what got me on the bus. Here it is folks, and that's just exactly perfect. Bobby's anthropology lesson and his freaky wailing give me the chills: chills that have been running thirty years so far. They performed Sugar Mag so consistently well that it's hard to spot highlights: the song is hiding in plain sight and this one stands out. I missed this show (I was West coast) but I can hear myself there. Goddamn, it's good.
Greatest Story Ever Told
March 31, 1973
War Memorial

Stephen jam is beyond a doubt, starting about 03:04 and going for over a minute. Check out Sept. 28.72 and May 20.73 for similar melodic evocation of Our Saint. Can't say for certain, but I suspect that the chord changes for this section of GSET correspond to Stephen, thus allowing the jam to go there on occasion. This one is freakin' hot, and I'm glad to see it bumped up in the ranks.
Dark Star
July 31, 1971
Yale Bowl, Yale University

Jack-a-straw, according to sellists.net this was the one and only DS->Birdsong of about the 30-odd shows that had both songs. So this magnificent beast is one-of-a-kind, and goddamn, but ain't it grand?
The Wheel
June 14, 1976
Beacon Theatre

Yeah, this is a nice one. The sound and song are ultra-mellow, not rushing along, but not nodding off either... just a slow cruise up that long highway. Plus Donna sounds fucking delicious here: I love those moments where her voice is mic'd right, mixed and blended right, and you can tell just why these brilliant musicians wanted her sound. This is it.
Row Jimmy
June 14, 1976
Beacon Theatre

More love for '76. This one has a strong pulse and blends just so sweetly. Great show all round.