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find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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Ernie5

No cholesterol.

+3529


Submissions

10
Loser
March 24, 1973
The Spectrum

Heavens! It took a Dave's Picks to get this on the board! Soft, seductive, dark, and pretty much perfectly realized. Guitar break: shit yeah.
3
Estimated Prophet
Dec. 29, 1977
Winterland Arena

Bold, sharp, confident version with plenty of 1977 squoosh. This version has that great '77 restraint with Garcia speaking in MuTron tongues.
5
Brown Eyed Women
Oct. 29, 1973
Kiel Auditorium

Attention. To. Detail. - ESP Weir. Not the world's greatest recording, but the band is bubbly & effortless.
3
China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
July 31, 1971
Yale Bowl, Yale University

Listened to this on a big PA outside over the summer and it's so alive, athletic, and filled with beautiful instrumental cross-talk. Improv!
3
Sugaree
June 4, 1976
Paramount Theatre

Another example of how Sugaree thrived in 6/76: Garcia's sweet, mellow, bubbly silver thread guitar and group dynamics both jaunty & subtle. Primo.

Comments

Estimated Prophet
Jan. 14, 1978
Bakersfield Memorial Auditorium

Where did this one come from? Shite! Tons of energy and a little '77 precision work. Need to listen to more of this show! Garcia's got the envelope filter set for Extra-Sticky. Wonderful guitar playing.
The Other One
April 22, 1979
Spartan Stadium - San Jose State University

Super lively take - Garcia comes out guns a-blazin'. Doesn't really let up either - Mydland's stuff is very subtle. Cool.
Uncle John's Band
May 25, 1972
Strand Lyceum

This could be The One. But even if it's not, it's got all of your Uncle John's Band bases covered. And then some.
Brown Eyed Women
Feb. 9, 1973
Roscoe Maples Pavilion - Stanford University

Really nothing not to like here. This show is close to perfect. For Brown-Eyed Women, they take it a smidge slower and really tease out all of the song's narrative depth. And it sounds fucking great.
Estimated Prophet
Dec. 26, 1979
Oakland Auditorium

Very strong! Some inspired, cool shit in this one. But blows 5-25-77 out of the water? I don't get that. This one, zesty as it is, is a bit of shaggy dog vs. 5-25-77's sick groove. My main issue is the Mydland tinkling - which doesn't always not work. Problem is mainly that sometimes it just strikes me rinky-dink. Also, though: the big solo peak post-bridge portion in the middle is just too long and they can barely find their way out of it back into the next verse. Just gets cluttered. Less is more and everything just sounds and feels better with Godchaux and Garcia rockin' the Bean. The outro is sweet, but nothing like the dark Garcia soliloquies of 1977 - the sound of out-of-body. Sonically, they're already making lots of sonic compromises by late 1979. I do like this version, though, I swear.