Eyes Of The World
Oct. 29, 1977
Evans Field House, Northern Illinois University
You're trippin Joe. The first post-chorus solo is untouchable, maybe the greatest solo Jerry ever threw down. Yes, there are points in this version where it isn't perfect and Jer flubs a few notes or has to gather himself - see the entry to the second post-chorus solo - but that doesn't detract from the omnipotent magic that possesses this version. Your diatribe against this performance makes me think you only listened to it once and with over-heightened expectations, so come back with an open mind and give it a second chance, and make 100% sure you're listening to the matrix so you don't have that god awful cut ruining the peak of the first solo. The slow tempo here allows for more spaced-out, emotional phrasing as opposed to the speedy clustering and sequencing that usually make up eyes solos, and you really feel it; this is one of those solos that you genuinely feel in your bones.