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find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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grendel

Books and Music

+24637


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

Franklin's Tower
Oct. 27, 1979
Cape Cod Coliseum

No one's gonna like this post but after repeated listening and really trying to like this version (and the one from the other Cape Cod show), I gotta say--this is crazily overrated and really, just kind of flat out boring. The best thing about it is the transition from Dancin', which is what I suspect has it so highly ranked, but the performance of the song itself is just meandering with no real peaks and very little in the way of excitement. It also suffers from Brent's penchant for Fisher Price key sounds and just really kinda sits there doing nothing except going on for a long while. Compare to any of the best versions from '76-'77 (and even some '77 versions, it must be said, go on a little longer than they should), but there are even versions of the late 90's that blow this one out of the water (See 10/1/94) for focus, jamming, and tightness. There's some good stuff going on in both CC shows but the "Two Towers" aint it.
Lazy Lightnin' -> Supplication
July 5, 1978
Omaha Civic Auditorium

The best versions are still from the year previous (see 5/22/77, 11/2/77 and 5/18/77 for the Top 3), but this aint a whole lot farther behind. Confident Bobby reading of Lightning and Jerry doesn't skimp on the jams in Supplication. The lyrical rejoin isn't as tight as the great '77s just mentioned but it's still a rollicking good time and deserves a higher spot on this list. (Better than most any '76 I'd wager.)
Brown Eyed Women
May 22, 1977
The Sportatorium

Would be higher if there weren't so many dang good versions from May '77 alone, not to mention the year. Upvote worthy nonetheless.
Cassidy
July 7, 1978
Red Rocks Amphitheatre

More magic from the show that gets unfairly overlooked due to the night that followed. Jerry's lead into the final stanza is mesmerizing. Another truly great '78 that leaves out the "flight of the seabirds" lyric at the end and is somehow even better for it.
Big River
July 7, 1978
Red Rocks Amphitheatre

Bobby needs more credit for his work on this song and especially this version, which is A+ on all cylinders. But Bobby outshines even Jerry on this version with some incredibly fluid and amazing rhythm playing throughout, most notably before the final verse. Just outstanding Weir Work from an awesome show.