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find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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grendel

Books and Music

+24543


Submissions

28
Playin' In The Band
May 11, 1972
Rotterdam Civic Hall

Sometimes shorter is better. At around 10 mins. this beauty from E'72 packs the jazz, jam, passion. Like a more intense version of the one on ACE!
26
Scarlet Begonias
Oct. 3, 1976
Cobo Arena

No clean SBD on archive but at official Dead site a pristine version was on 30 days of Dead for DL. 2d best stand-alone I've heard next to 3-20-77
66
Pretty Peggy O
May 19, 1977
Fox Theatre

DP Vol. 29...Each time I think I've heard the best (i.e. 12/27/77) I hear one better. This is it. Flowing, gorgeous Jerry bridge jam. Perfection.
4
Don't Ease Me In
June 20, 1980
West High Auditorium

Proves the boys could really swing when they wanted to. Hear Jerry on "The Girl I Love" line; like 'Gator Alley--1980 a good year for this tune
32
Not Fade Away
May 26, 1977
Baltimore Civic Center

Insane. Ridiculous. Drummers locked in, Garcia in take-no-prisoners mode. 16+ minutes of full-bore Rock to the G-D Roll.

Comments

He's Gone
Sept. 3, 1972
Folsom Field, University of Colorado

The sustained Jerry guitar ring echo into TOO is insane. Brilliant. Also, props for Jerry blowing the line for "dogs in a pile" first time around, but deftly subbing in a repeat of "like I told ya" instead, but THEN, he makes up for it by bringing back the "dogs in a pile/nothing left to do but smile smile smile" line later on! A rare lyrical backpedal and save by Jerry, much better than his usual mumble-jumble when he messes up a lyric!
They Love Each Other
April 19, 1982
Baltimore Civic Center

Check out near the end when Jerry goes full- on Dylan singing "better not be there when it rolls oh-vaaah". Whole version is a byoot.
China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
May 7, 1972
Bickershaw Festival

I tend to lump all the E72 versions of ChinaRider together & that's my bad b/c this version has a stand-out feel to it, most notably with Phil in total beast mode & just driving the whole train start to finish. Great jamming in the transition as expected, but I'm disappointed to see this just barely into double digits. Outstanding rendition that should break from the pack at some point.
He's Gone
Nov. 22, 1972
Austin Municipal Auditorium

Late to the upvote but very deserving version here that could use a lot more love. Whole show seems underrated but if you check out even one tune from this show it oughta be this
He's Gone
Oct. 19, 1974
Winterland Arena

Oh I checked that out recently based on your rec in another thread. Fantastic mellow version with a great vocal section!