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find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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grendel

Books and Music

+24533


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

Satisfaction
Aug. 8, 1982
Alpine Valley Music Theatre

How have I not heard this before? The Wang Dang riff near the end is priceless and the whole version rocks. Bob at his rock star best.
Greatest Story Ever Told
March 31, 1973
War Memorial

Come for the mini Stephen jam, stay for the mellow flow and funk that makes this one a keeper.
Row Jimmy
May 16, 1978
Uptown Theater

So glad I checked this out whereas I normally dismiss AUD only sources (admitted SBD snob) but this is an A+ AUD recording & more importantly an outstanding version of one of my all time favorite Dead tunes--silky, flowing --lots of nice little additions by Keith in a year when he was sometimes MIA... Jerry's solos are deep and rich and not to be missed. Played at a slightly faster clip than many other versions too so if you're put off by some of the slower paced RJ's do yourself a favor and check in on this one. Hiding in plain sight and really worthy of some increased listening : https://archive.org/details/gd78-05-16.akg.weiner.8333.sbeok.shnf?webamp=default
He's Gone
May 16, 1978
Uptown Theater

It's true you've never heard a He'sGone intro quite like this one...loose and jangly and spilling into the main theme only after taking a walk-about around differently-angled accents...settles in nicely after that and flows along as many of the greats do. Fine sleeper pick and worthy of upvoting.
Candyman
Sept. 3, 1980
Civic Center

I am floored by the smoky silkiness of Jerry's vocals in this perfecto version that should be listened to en masse and upvoted accordingly...delicate, spider-thread notes float from Garcia's fingers and the Brent-backed harmonies are the icing on the cake.