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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

10
Lazy Lightnin' -> Supplication
Oct. 30, 1977
Assembly Hall - Indiana University

Can't believe what short shrift this show gets. They pull off the combo like gangbusters here.
5
Loser
Dec. 6, 1971
Felt Forum, Madison Square Garden

Glorious Jerry vocals, not one, but TWO "sweet Susie's", excellent gritty solo. Best early version ever!
4
Aiko Aiko
March 30, 1987
The Spectrum

Submitting this on Fat Tuesday 2017. Great Mardi Gras version with really nice piano (!) fills by Brent that oughta be heard!
5
Lazy Lightnin' -> Supplication
May 12, 1980
Boston Garden

Get on this one, folks. It's a ripper.
13
Let It Grow
July 29, 1974
Capitol Center

Absolute best of 1974. Not kidding. Jerry's leads are ripping & confident. The band plays flawlessly.Can stand w/some of the best of '77. Must hear.

Comments

Black Throated Wind
Aug. 22, 1972
Berkeley Community Theatre

Easily my new favorite, Just listen to Keith, who shines on this throughout, especially in the end coda section. Bobby's lyrical reading is emotional and spot-on and he's completely in lockstep with Keith on this one. Love too the wah-wah psychedelic sound thrown in during the intro. Superior version right here.
Uncle John's Band
March 19, 1977
Winterland Arena

I've got to agree. I really love this site & all the discussions we have, but the one thing that grinds my gears is how low some truly awesome versions of songs are on the list despite the passionate pleas of knowing Heads to listen and bump, while other "leading" versions rack up superfluous votes one after another. This is one of the finest UJB's you'll hear from the band's most "just exactly perfect" year of playing (like it or not, '77 is inarguably the year of most consistently well-played--i.e. fewest mistakes--shows), and there's no way this should be sitting around in single digits.
Dark Star
Oct. 21, 1971
Auditorium Theatre

A lot of the stuff from this show is getting my upvote lately and this DS is the latest...just when you think it's going to tail off into dissonant space-waste time it turns on a dime into an outta nowhere Sittin On Top of the World & back into the DS theme after. Prior is 15 minutes of the new guy (Keith) showing he's more than up to the job of digging into the long form jams as he is the first set ditties. Good stuff.
Cold Rain and Snow
Oct. 21, 1971
Auditorium Theatre

Went right to this after seeing the enthusiastic exchange above and was not disappointed. Early Keith showing off his chops. Plus I discovered an equally great Ramble on Rose at this show too.
Jack Straw
Aug. 27, 1972
Old Renaissance Faire Grounds

It's a wonderful version, but I'm not giving it an upvote b/c it's already in 2nd place and sorry, uh-uh, NO WAY,--as wonderful as this version is for its delicate Keith piano playing and nice vocals--NO WAY is it better than any version from '77 on in which they extend the jam and charge into the final verse with emotion, power and precision. Just doesn't even come close. There are plenty of versions under this one on the list that provide all the precision playing and interplay rightly pointed out as being present in this one, but that also have the excitement of THE JAM heading into "Witchita" that this one--and any version pre-'77--simply lacks. Virtually any version on this list directly below this one blows it away...and some should even be much much higher (10/29/77, 6/4/78, 5/10/78) all tear this one to shreds (and those are just the ones I suggested and am shamelessly plugging now; there are plenty others that others have suggested that are equally as good--except for 10/29/77, which is the best ;-) & the one thing they all have in common is that they exceed and should be higher than this fine version (best of '72) but that's all it is--best from a year in which this song hadn't yet reached its full potential.