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grendel

Books and Music

+24543


Submissions

23
Jack Straw
May 10, 1978
Veterans' Memorial Coliseum

From DP 25, Opens show at New Haven. Takes no prisoners. Extra shot of Jerry heading in bridge jam. Kinda surprised it's not on a list of 90+ Straws
7
Samson and Delilah
April 8, 1978
Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Shame on me for not submitting this earlier. Insane ripper to open 2nd set; Phil OWNS this version. Pause for nothing-- Listen NOW. Thank me l8r ;-)
30
Not Fade Away
Dec. 29, 1977
Winterland Arena

Latvala from "Grate" Beyond reminds of his Winterland pick: The Best. Jer rips holes in Universe; Drummers pummel; Listen to "drive me BACK" line!
7
Samson and Delilah
Dec. 5, 1979
Uptown Theater

Possibly best-ever of the Brent era. Bob preaches fire & brimstone and Jerry shreds the living daylights out of every jam. Serious MUST listen version
20
Shakedown Street
Dec. 5, 1979
Uptown Theater

A funk-laden but more laid-back, groovier vibe marks this excellent entry from Chicago. Notable for A+ vocals & harmonies and Bobby shines in end jam!

Comments

Loser
June 28, 1995
The Palace

So it's heady why exactly? (Final time played doesn't cut it)
Not Fade Away
Oct. 1, 1977
Paramount Theatre

As noted this whole show is given the Rodney Dangerfield for no good reason. Strong '77 NFA here and it's true that the MNS from this show gets deep into "best of" territory.
Eyes Of The World
May 22, 1977
The Sportatorium

DeadProf is right in describing this gem as "delicate" but that shouldn't be construed to mean lacking in jam. This is a precise, delicate, and very focused version very typical of May '77 itself, but repeated listening brings out the nuances in this rendition, and it's well worth the journey. Much like my all time favorite version of 10/29/77 this one takes the time to breathe in the intro, gently exploring the terrain before getting into the heart of the song. Jerry's in total command of this version without really ever "going off" yet there is so much richness in his winding, jazzy reading that you don't ever feel a lack of energy. And yes, the melt into Wharf Rat emerges like it was written in the stars. One of the top DP releases of all time from just another spellbinding show from May of '77.
Stella Blue
May 18, 1977
Fox Theatre

From the show that just missed the boxed set release (5/11-5/17) yet is arguably as good if not better than any of those shows (probably falls second only to 5/17). This Stella is a moody, true ballad beast...not for anyone lacking patience, this takes demanded, active listening to appreciate and yeah, the solo work by Jerry is the pay-off. There's also a killer Lazy Lightning>Supplication from this show with many other big highlights.
The Music Never Stopped
Oct. 16, 1977
Louisiana State U

This was indeed Donna's greatest tune, and this version is as good an example of what she could bring to this tune as any that exists.