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find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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Ernie5

No cholesterol.

+3673


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

Dark Star
April 5, 1969
Avalon Ballroom

Complete control of the itinerary.
Playin' In The Band
July 14, 1976
Orpheum Theatre

I love the murky sound of this Playin' echoing off the innards of the Orpheum. Like many '76 Playin's, there's a turbulent narrative here - told with lots of dynamics.
The Other One
Oct. 29, 1971
Allen Theatre

Immediately, it's so clear what Godchaux brought to the party. Digging in with the jazzbo power chords. The late '71 O1 is a different kind of animal - maybe as pure jazz as they got (rather than fusion). This one gets pretty far out, but never loses the thread of the melodic narrative. Lesh and Garcia meet up several times in these perfect snapshots and they twirl away from each other - knowing that they'll face each other again. This is a monster show - possibly a little under-heralded. Or Uncle Harolded.
Not Fade Away
May 6, 1970
Kresge Plaza - MIT

Blistering SG crush action.
St. Stephen
May 6, 1970
Kresge Plaza - MIT

An argument could be made . . . I don't have a verdict, but this is one hell of a beast. At the opening flag, this one is sure-footed and graceful. Then when it sounds for all the world like they're going into NFA, they lean into SS and they're off. Brash jam. And Kreutzmann makes a snow-cone catch on the re-entry.