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find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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catalonia

neshaminy

+2082


Submissions

2
Friend of the Devil
Dec. 31, 1977
Winterland Arena

Better Jerry solo than the other '77s, but same aesthetic otherwise.
16
Eyes Of The World
Sept. 2, 1983
Boise Pavilion - Boise State University

Not too speedy, well jammed and ends with a one of kind improv between Bobby, Brent and the drummers.
5
Terrapin Station
Nov. 30, 1979
Stanley Theater

The solos in Lady with a Fan are fucking beautiful.
3
The Music Never Stopped
Dec. 17, 1978
Fox Theatre

Delicate, sweet playing in the midsection and a good outro. The linked source is not great, but there is a SBD.
5
Tennessee Jed
Nov. 13, 1978
Music Hall

Thunderous climax. The last two minutes of the song are tight.

Comments

Mississippi Halfstep Uptown Toodeloo
March 24, 1988
Omni Coliseum

Crowd energy and wailing away during the outro. Certainly the most animated Rio Grandeo post-78 that I am familiar with though I admit that I don’t have a lot of experience with the post coma period.
Friend of the Devil
June 12, 1976
Music Hall

I burned this on a disc in 1998 and promptly forgot the date. I wore it out over the next couple of years and then it sort of faded away. It came up during a run the other day and I was struck by how perfect it is. So I set out to find the date to come here and scream it from the mountaintop. At first I checked the top picks figuring that it would already be up here but it wasn’t. I listened to about 30 FOTDs from 76-78 before I found it and here it is. There is no way that this is should only have 2 votes and it’s too bad this didn’t get released on that Boston Music Hall road trip.
Scarlet Begonias -> Fire On The Mountain
April 20, 1984
Philadelphia Civic Center

The scarlet solo is shredded, the transition is full of persistent, fluent ideas, and there is a wonderful build into fire, like a slow wave breaking, better heard seamlessly if possible. And yes, Jerry’s voice sounds awful. On balance a great version, but the voice grates a bit and I am typically ok with it in 84 to be honest
The Other One
May 1, 1977
The Palladium

This one is a new favorite. I’ve been listening to the 77 O1s for a while and I like how mellow they are. I like a ripper too but there’s something to be said for how beautiful this one is in parts, delicate in others. It’s short but it also has polish that a longer one wouldn’t. And from here through Comes a Time back into the Playing reprise is great May 77 stuff. “Ruthless imaginative efficiency” is right.
Franklin's Tower
Sept. 28, 1975
Lindley Meadows, Golden Gate Park

I see that this is not one from the vault or what the song would later become, but it’s good for what it is and the let the music play solo is one of a kind. There’s no other like it and I recommend that you crank the shit out of it.