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find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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Ernie5

No cholesterol.

+3673


Submissions

10
Jack Straw
June 10, 1973
RFK Stadium

Relaxed and joyous space-age electric guitar semi-ballad.
9
Bertha
Feb. 21, 1971
Capitol Theater

Warp speed, precise, slightly unhinged, and driving into the greenish-blue evening.
1
Jack Straw
Oct. 30, 1971
Taft Auditorium

Godchaux leads a version that seethes with the excitement of a new song.
3
Brown Eyed Women
May 20, 1973
U.C.

A giggly, slangy Garcia masterpiece (in sweet show sauce). Goes down EZ.
8
Mexicali Blues
Feb. 28, 1973
Salt Palace

So good you can practically see the border town.

Comments

Big River
March 24, 1973
The Spectrum

Garcia makes this one extra especial.
China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
Dec. 18, 1973
Curtis Hixon Convention Hall

Where has this one been? Jeezo-fuck! Band's like a swiss watch and Weir is absolutely speaking in tongues at times. Love his playing in this one. The jam at 2:30 or so just absolutely slays. Weir & Garcia running crossing patterns - back & forth.
Dark Star
July 31, 1971
Yale Bowl, Yale University

Dark Star as living tissue. You can sense at about 5:30 that they have no idea what's coming down the pike, almost clueless - but that cluelessness leads to a conversation among people patiently working out a puzzle. Garcia kickin' it with the LP-JR. Much of it is 4-piece - a rock band line-up. Instead of limiting its color palette, the skeleton crew sounds freed up in very new ways. I love the Spring/Summer '71 Grateful Dead.
Jack A Roe
May 15, 1977
St. Louis Arena

This has a nice, smooth skip down the promenade. Very nice, but Garcia's aluminum neck skittering is what makes this memorable and great. No one else does what he does. Not even close.
The Other One
May 3, 1972
Olympia Theater

As exquisite as it gets - this Other One could, I think, only have been played on this tour. Godchaux even brings some Tyner into play.