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find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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Ernie5

No cholesterol.

+3668


Submissions

8
Mexicali Blues
March 24, 1973
The Spectrum

'73 Mexicali? Smokesville, USA.
11
Loser
March 24, 1973
The Spectrum

Heavens! It took a Dave's Picks to get this on the board! Soft, seductive, dark, and pretty much perfectly realized. Guitar break: shit yeah.
3
Estimated Prophet
Dec. 29, 1977
Winterland Arena

Bold, sharp, confident version with plenty of 1977 squoosh. This version has that great '77 restraint with Garcia speaking in MuTron tongues.
6
Brown Eyed Women
Oct. 29, 1973
Kiel Auditorium

Attention. To. Detail. - ESP Weir. Not the world's greatest recording, but the band is bubbly & effortless.
3
China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
July 31, 1971
Yale Bowl, Yale University

Listened to this on a big PA outside over the summer and it's so alive, athletic, and filled with beautiful instrumental cross-talk. Improv!

Comments

Not Fade Away
May 8, 1977
Barton Hall - Cornell University

Garcia launches into the stratosphere. So many ideas - from grunge to liquid. The whole group is perfectly tuned to every rise and fall. Certainly, a top 5 NFA for me - nearly unmatched intensity.
Bertha
May 13, 1972
Lille Fairgrounds

Great Bertha! How do you even choose one from this tour? Love Pig's organ. Garcia launches himself into the guitar break like Ben Johnson on steroids.
Playin' In The Band
March 21, 1972
Academy of Music

Carrion - Agreed w/your proposition. It's the beginning of the great Playin' migration. Garcia gives a wah masterclass. I love this period of Playin's - exploratory, but like 10 minutes. Tight & loose.
Scarlet Begonias
April 29, 1977
The Palladium

Wow - thanks joeshafer. How'd I miss that? Still - this audience has some umami to it.
Playin' In The Band
April 24, 1972
Rheinhalle

Methodical in construction. Builds gradually. Any one of the E72 Playin's are worthy of praise, but each has its own little something. This one has a methodical build until all hell breaks loose @5:30 - Garcia doing volume swells at the start of his wah onslaught marks this version. Kreutzmann keeps mixing things up, but never loses the groove - even when things get abstract.