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find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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grendel

Books and Music

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Submissions

9
Goin' Down The Road Feelin' Bad
May 13, 1977
Auditorium Theatre

Almost beyond description. The last full jam leading into the GDTR chorus is a perfect storm example of what made the Dead magic
12
Brown Eyed Women
May 17, 1977
Memorial Coliseum

Gotta check out the "small" songs in legendary shows like this as well as the usual suspects! Check out Jerry's utterly perfect bridge jam & be in awe
22
Bird Song
Sept. 22, 1993
Madison Square Garden

If you don't know Saxophonist David Murray, here's a good way to find out how great he is. This is one stellar Birdsong that flew under the radar here
19
They Love Each Other
May 17, 1977
Memorial Coliseum

Is there anything prettier, sweeter or more sublimely lovely than Keith's piano in this version? You decide. This TLEO is incredible.
56
Sugaree
May 11, 1977
St. Paul Civic Center Arena

New #1 favorite. Slightly more compact than other amazing '77 versions & so a bit more focused. 2d Garcia solo has no equal.

Comments

The Other One
March 16, 1990
Capital Centre

Great experimentation to this far underrated version--intense as others have described and jam packed too.
When Push Comes to Shove
July 12, 1987
Giants Stadium

Always rank this tune first & foremost on how many lyrics Jerry gets right--the average is around 75% for most versions but here he's 100% nailing it and for a sweet bonus you get an absolutely slamming guitar bridge jam. Easy ups.
Eyes Of The World
June 30, 1973
Universal Amphitheatre

Love when I can still stumble across a version of Eyes that I'm either unfamiliar with or haven't heard in ages and realize how good it is--enuff to drop a comment on the board. It's been said before but with so many killer versions of this tune in its debut year many worthy entries will get lost in the shuffle. At a relatively paltry 20 or so votes this is one of them. Emerging quietly from a DarkStar this one gives you all the gooey flowing jamming that Garcia had going from the git-go in '73 and I'd also point out that the vocal harmonies are pretty sweet on the choruses...just a great, sweet as molasses reading of the tune and a typical for the year great post lyrics jazz clinic. Keith shines in this section, too.
Cassidy
May 11, 1978
Springfield Civic Center Arena

Don't see how this one's been kept hidden for so long...slightly longer jam section b4 the final return and played at a speedy but totally in control clip--Garcia is dialed in as is the whole band....great version sitting weirdly below 10 votes when I got here
Greatest Story Ever Told
Feb. 17, 1979
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum

Almost perfect, and almost better for not being perfect. You can tell they hadn't played it in a while & it's like Jerry's trying out new stuff in the jam section that he wasn't doing and the results are jaw-dropping if not what one could nitpick as "a bit off" when it comes to sticking the landing. But what he offers in color and energy and pure gamesmanship is more than worth the loss of pure precision. A grade stuff