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find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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grendel

Books and Music

+23529


Submissions

26
Scarlet Begonias
Oct. 3, 1976
Cobo Arena

No clean SBD on archive but at official Dead site a pristine version was on 30 days of Dead for DL. 2d best stand-alone I've heard next to 3-20-77
64
Pretty Peggy O
May 19, 1977
Fox Theatre

DP Vol. 29...Each time I think I've heard the best (i.e. 12/27/77) I hear one better. This is it. Flowing, gorgeous Jerry bridge jam. Perfection.
4
Don't Ease Me In
June 20, 1980
West High Auditorium

Proves the boys could really swing when they wanted to. Hear Jerry on "The Girl I Love" line; like 'Gator Alley--1980 a good year for this tune
31
Not Fade Away
May 26, 1977
Baltimore Civic Center

Insane. Ridiculous. Drummers locked in, Garcia in take-no-prisoners mode. 16+ minutes of full-bore Rock to the G-D Roll.
127
Wharf Rat
Oct. 7, 1977
University of New Mexico

Most pristine version I've ever heard. So smooth, so clear. Keith leads the way, Jerry brings it home. . Essential for all Wharf Rat fans

Comments

Throwing Stones
Sept. 22, 1993
Madison Square Garden

^^^^My touring life was 1979 (1-11-79 first show, one of the last Donna/Keith gigs) to 1994 (Highgate VT last show) but the lion's share of shows I saw were in the 80s as I suspect yours were too. Some grate stuff from '86-'90 but sporadic compared to the 1972-1977 era which is my favorite, & I'm jealous of all those heads who saw those gems of the 70s. Still, there are diamonds to be found in every rough of every era & it's amazing to me that I still get turned on to stuff I never really dug into before, even tho' we'rr all so well versed on this band. They never stop giving! I think you'll like that 9-18-90 show. That whole MSG run was pretty epic (I attended 2 of them) but sometimes individual performances can slip thru the cracks. The Eyes from that show in particular I think should be rated way higher than it is currently. Happy listening!
Throwing Stones
Sept. 22, 1993
Madison Square Garden

^^^^ It's rare to find a show from '93 I can really get behind but this is definitely one of them!
Throwing Stones
Sept. 22, 1993
Madison Square Garden

Yep, as advertised, another winner from a somehow underrated show (rare for an MSG show to be so, but here we are). This version is a barn burner, should be way higher. (Bit off topic but 9/18/90 is another MSG show that could use more ears, especially the Eyes from that show)
Eyes Of The World
Nov. 5, 1979
The Spectrum

If you're a fan of Jerry noodles, this version is your big bowl of Ramen.He's playing notes between notes. He's finding space between notes where it seems impossible to find any. The song itself is almost irrelevant (& I mean this in a good way). It's as if the 20,000 or so fans crammed into a hockey arena are instead hearing what a tight jazz combo would be doing in an intimate jazz club in Greenwich Village. If you take the time to really explore what Garcia is laying down here, you're going to be treated to a master class in intricate jazz picking that offers shades of Wes Montgomery , Carl Perkins, & John Pizzarelli. There are no major peaks in this version, but there is an ocean of musical discovery to be plumbed in the depths of his playing here. Phil deserves kudos for keeping a steady foundation throughout the journey, even if no bombs are dropped or classic rumblings afoot, he's critical to maintaining the 20 plus minutes. The best sounding version I know has Weir very low in the mix and that's a shame, and my only other complaint would be half a point off for Brent's simply awful tinker toy Fisher Price piano sound that distracts here and there from what garcia is doing. Mind you, I think Brent is an outstanding keyboardist...it's not his playing I object to, but the terrible pop synth sound that I suppose was considered "nouveau" in 1979 but just was always a bad bad choice when he opted for it. The same lines he's playing here would sound 1,000x better on a good ol' acoustic as Keith used to play, & it's too bad we can't just dub that in, but in totality it's a nit to pick, and not enough of a deterrent to prevent adding my vote. a truly unique version here, for its length, tempo, and year played, and again, a must listen for any true jazz guitar fan.
Wharf Rat
Sept. 22, 1993
Madison Square Garden

Outstanding latter day version with so many unique flourishes it deserves far higher ranking. The acoustic sound Jerry employs somehow works, as does the faster than usual tempo, but this does not inhibit the gorgeous gospel section wherein Garcia elongates the liiiiiiife" in three rising vocal levels to triumphant effect, and David Murray, who's been waiting in the wings holding off, jumps in post-lyrics to deliver a blazing sax outro that's Garcia-esque in its own right. I love the Birdsong from this show but now i'm going back to dig deeper into the rest b/c this Wharf Rat really caught my attention when I gave it a re-listen.