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find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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Carrion_Crow

Stealth Head

+49652


Submissions

7
Around and Around
Sept. 26, 1972
Stanley Theatre

Usually a toss-off for me, and maybe it's Chuck Berry's passing that makes me think of it, but this version kicks serious ass. Deliberate and strong.
10
Bird Song
Sept. 26, 1972
Stanley Theatre

Crisp, articulate, deliberate. This is as strong a statement about what this song could be in '72 as I know. Airplay levels of concision.
7
Cold Rain and Snow
Sept. 26, 1972
Stanley Theatre

Always loved this one early in the first set, 'cause it meant the boys meant business. This one has a loose, comfortable sound, but with high energy.
8
Bertha
Sept. 24, 1972
Palace Theatre

Masterclass from the Philzone here. He tears this one up.
9
Loser
Sept. 24, 1972
Palace Theatre

Driven version. Purposeful, biting, and strong, with a high-tension wire energy. They meant business.

Comments

Eyes Of The World
Oct. 29, 1977
Evans Field House, Northern Illinois University

Starts off slowly, but it does get hot and goes into a great freeform jam both beautiful and freaky. Then out of deep space we see the light with the prettiest post-hiatus Stephen I know. The Estimated sounds - forgive me guys - a bit phoned-in and the transition into Eyes doesn't exactly flow (this was still a relatively new fixture). Here is a perhaps the top Eyes of '77, but frankly it doesn't top the insane musicality of their best of '73/'74 for me with the speed and precision and angularity and the wildness of the outro. *no vote.
Let It Grow
Oct. 29, 1977
Evans Field House, Northern Illinois University

This LIG is solid lightning: All the power and precision of '77, the melodic magic of Jerry on mission, Billy and Mickey in perfect octopus.... This was what I waited for as a baby head back in the day. it's one of the best representatives of the '77 LIG sound for sure.
El Paso
Oct. 29, 1977
Evans Field House, Northern Illinois University

So brilliant. Bobby floats over a blaze of just exactly perfect guitar notes. Love the Mexican cantina trills at the end.
Looks Like Rain
Oct. 29, 1977
Evans Field House, Northern Illinois University

Jerry just keeps digging in and finding more. He won't let it go and his soloing on the out-chorus finds more in this song the most of the other hot versions of it.
Dark Star
July 31, 1971
Yale Bowl, Yale University

Goddamned good Star here. This show is wrongly maligned by the audiophobes on the Archive and deserves an upgrade. All in all it's a much better show than the 02 July Fillmore closer: Tighter ensemble playing, in tune, trippy as all hell. And, well, there's a Dark Star... and it's good, and it's in the FIRST SET. Billy lays some groove voodoo down about 13 minutes in that goes fully modal and comes out Feeling Groovy. Sit back and enjoy.