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find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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grendel

Books and Music

+24544


Submissions

52
Dark Star
Dec. 31, 1978
Winterland Arena

Farewell to Winterland; Not 40 mins. long ; no break down into feedback nonsense. Just sweet jazzy jamming; Just exactly perfect send off.
10
Scarlet Begonias -> Fire On The Mountain
Sept. 25, 1981
Stabler Arena

Transition jam weaves into spaces most fail to go; touch-down into Fire is GOLD. Jerry flubs first line in Fire-after that: 1 of the BEST ever!
19
He's Gone
Sept. 26, 1972
Stanley Theatre

Perfect, self-contained, blues-infused, stellar vocals, 14+ minutes of bliss. Extra fun: Check out the "Birdsong" riff about 10 secs. into the intro
36
Dark Star
Sept. 16, 1972
Boston Music Hall

Amazed this isn't here yet Gorgeous, melodic, jazz-infused, mellow, trippy, spacey into hard ripping Jerry riffs; melts into Brokedown Palace. Sublime
48
Cold Rain and Snow
Oct. 12, 1984
Augusta Civic Center

Kicks off with authority a 2d set every DeadHead needs to hear. Perfect bookend to Jerry's scorching Dew. They say it was cold&rainy that nite in ME.

Comments

Wharf Rat
April 22, 1978
Nashville Municipal Auditorium

A few more spins via the DaP release has made me a believer. Well sung by Jerry but also the band as a whole is punctuating all the right benchmarks, hitting a heavy flourish after a particular line and dialing back when needed just so. There's also a run of notes Jerry plays in one of the big jam sections about 8 minutes in that's unique to any version I've heard. Definitely deserves its high ranking here. In other words, I've changed my tune on this version.
Aiko Aiko
April 16, 1978
Huntington Civic Center

Top 3 version. Reggae-ish, nice tempo between fast and slow.
Lazy Lightnin' -> Supplication
Dec. 31, 1977
Winterland Arena

Right on both counts...that is unmistakably Close Encounters in the tuning and this is a great version.
Playin' In The Band
Nov. 22, 1972
Austin Municipal Auditorium

^^^^ Thanks. let us know! Cut seems very minor, right at the end, but still....
Playin' In The Band
Nov. 22, 1972
Austin Municipal Auditorium

^^^^Sounds like a cut to me; hope it's not. Didn't listen to other available versions to see if it could be. Doesn't ruin it but if it is a cut instead of Phil's channel conking out I'd like to hear a restored or patched version.