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find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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grendel

Books and Music

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Submissions

24
Franklin's Tower
May 1, 1981
Hampton Coliseum

One of the best played versions from one of the best played shows in the Brent era---ever.
16
Shakedown Street
March 24, 1981
Rainbow Theater

15+ minutes of funk w/extended overlapping vocal rounds of "just gotta poke around", etc. before jam Brent adds cool "fuzzy" SFX
1
Big Railroad Blues
Oct. 30, 1971
Taft Auditorium

Check out Keith on this one! He's never been so up front before & right outta the gate!!
21
Cream Puff War
July 3, 1966
Fillmore Auditorium

Peppy early version w/Jer belting out lyrics & Pig doin' some nice work on organ. No archive copy exists; got this off 30 Days of Dead-worth the DL!
9
Passenger
May 7, 1979
Allan Kirby Field House

Super-charged EARLY Brent version rips and tears and shreds. Final jam before the coda is the best they ever did in this tune. Goes to 11.

Comments

Black Throated Wind
April 8, 1972
Wembley Empire Pool

Gotta give it up for this one. So crisp and just exactly perfect. Sounds almost like it's right off of ACE but w/the added emotion and push of the live performance.
Mississippi Halfstep Uptown Toodeloo
Oct. 14, 1977
Hofheinz Pavilion

Hey Sleuth i'd go further and say Fall '77 surpasses spring (OK, by barely a nose, but still)...I just think the fall tour had more of a rocking edge to it than spring did w/out losing any of the precision of the spring shows. 10/29/77 (all of it), 11/6/77 (Truckin',), October shows like this one and 10/7 (WharfRat/Sugar Mag) and of course the whole end of year Winterland run, are just phenomenal, peak performances.
Eyes Of The World
May 18, 1977
Fox Theatre

I'm only whining about this yet again b/c I'm writing this on the 37th anniversary of its debut, on 5/18/14. To beat the proverbial "dead" horse, this is too damn good to be wallowing at (as of now) 4 votes.
Dark Star
April 8, 1972
Wembley Empire Pool

It really sounded different to me than any MLB type jam I've heard. Something just unique about it, and so ridiculously sweet. The whole experience listening to it thru just floored me. (It was the perfect other companion while taking a long hike thru the woods with real Grendel.) Next project is Rotterdam, altho I don't know how to get it since I don't have the full E'72 trunk set. Maybe I'll purchase that individual show if u think it's worth it.
Greatest Story Ever Told
May 7, 1972
Bickershaw Festival

New order for my top 3 has this one moved up to 2d place, behind 9/28/72 but ahead of Veneta. Jam in this one's just too good.