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find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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grendel

Books and Music

+24543


Submissions

6
They Love Each Other
Nov. 4, 1979
Civic Center

Early in Brent's tenure he's locked in for the 1st part of a long, flowing instrumental mid-section. Jer doesn't disappoint either. Underrated version
11
Crazy Fingers
April 3, 1990
The Omni

Very strong entry w/no lyrical mistakes & Jerry in fine voice, esp. for the year. Crystal clean sound from '90 spring box set shows how good this is!
14
Brokedown Palace
Sept. 16, 1972
Boston Music Hall

This melts like a dream from a weirdly underrated Dark Star & is sung beautifully by Jerry & played sweetly by all. Give a listen!
7
Help On The Way > Slipknot > Franklin's Tower
Sept. 20, 1991
Boston Garden

Ok technically it's Help>Slipknot>Fire but c'mon that's pretty cool & even w/out the novelty of the change-up it's a sweet version
11
Take A Step Back
Oct. 31, 1979
Nassau Coliseum

Phil: "Remember, if you step up too close We'll HAVE TO STOP PLAYING. Weir: I would remind you all that Halloween is not a legal holiday"

Comments

Brown Eyed Women
Sept. 26, 1981
Buffalo Auditorium

I voted/commented on this ages ago but only recently went back to it. If you love this song do yourself a favor and spin this version now. Bridge jam is truly one of the best ever. Whole thing is great. Find the Miller sbd version and enjoy.
Eyes Of The World
Jan. 30, 1978
Uptown Theater

Every once in a while I check out a show/version way down the list that looks like a year I generally like a lot and a month that indicates it should be a pretty good show. But then I look and see that the version I'm clicking on has just a handful of votes. Sometimes even just one or two. So it must not be worth the time to hear, yeah? Well, this EYES Of THE WORLD, jam packed full of leftover sweetness from the remnants of '77, is the epitome of a sensational rendition no one is apparently paying any attention to. Do yourself a favor and give a listen. If nothing else, you'll hear a pretty sweet triplet as it segues into Stella>Franklin's.
Truckin'
June 20, 1974
The Omni

For my money this is the best version they ever laid down. The vocals are passionate and the jam post lyrics is a clinic for hard rocking blues a la Garcia and then they hit the wind-up jam hard and nail that, too. For that combination of 1972-style blues jamming plus the killer wind-up jammthis version never ceases to amaze. Then, of course, you get an equally good Eyes>Slipknot prototype jam. What a sequence from an outstanding show.
Scarlet Begonias -> Fire On The Mountain
Dec. 27, 1977
Winterland Arena

Upping this for the rocked out jamming, especially in Scarlet. I suspect it's not higher because it's one of the shorter of the paired combos but, honestly, sometimes that's better. The transition into Fire here is super mellow after the hard jamming of Scarlet but it works. Fire is not an all-timer but it aint bad either. This whole show is the most underrated of the Winterland run to end the year. This version deserves at least double digits on the board.
Scarlet Begonias -> Fire On The Mountain
Nov. 30, 1979
Stanley Theater

^^^^Yes! Was just listening to 1/31/78 the other day and noticed that really odd placement of the early verse after the jam, then followed immediately by "Wind in the Willows" lyric. Odd, yes, but it somehow works in that very underrated version.