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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

11
Brown Eyed Women
May 17, 1977
Memorial Coliseum

Gotta check out the "small" songs in legendary shows like this as well as the usual suspects! Check out Jerry's utterly perfect bridge jam & be in awe
22
Bird Song
Sept. 22, 1993
Madison Square Garden

If you don't know Saxophonist David Murray, here's a good way to find out how great he is. This is one stellar Birdsong that flew under the radar here
19
They Love Each Other
May 17, 1977
Memorial Coliseum

Is there anything prettier, sweeter or more sublimely lovely than Keith's piano in this version? You decide. This TLEO is incredible.
56
Sugaree
May 11, 1977
St. Paul Civic Center Arena

New #1 favorite. Slightly more compact than other amazing '77 versions & so a bit more focused. 2d Garcia solo has no equal.
5
Wharf Rat
Sept. 27, 1976
Community War Memorial Auditorium

Keith shines on a long, flowing intro section that spills into space-mellow Rat-Goodness

Comments

Eyes Of The World
Sept. 18, 1990
Madison Square Garden

Listening right now baffled at how this is in single digits still & it's not like it's from some obscure show. This is from one of the best shows of an A+ MSG run in the fall of 1990 & this version is typical of the year for its mellow goodness. But this one also stands out for the great keys of Hornsby & some really inventive vibe/calypso flourishes throughout. I think it's better even than the much higher ranked 3/31/91 in NC, & that version is pretty fantastic. Look, nothing in this version is going to remotely approach a '74, '77 or '78 ripper in terms of Jerry opening another dimension in his solos (see 10/29/77 for transport to said dimension) but this is truly exceptional latter day Dead Jazz and it deserves a way higher spot if we're being fair at all to one of the band's greatest tunes.
Eyes Of The World
Oct. 1, 1977
Paramount Theatre

I mean, every '77 Eyes needs an upvote, but I just dug this nugget out of cold storage today & was amazed--even for the greatest ever year for this song--how stunningly good this one is & it needs to get out of single digit territory. Velveeta cheese (in its best sense) is not a bad description ^^^^
Aiko Aiko
Sept. 16, 1978
Sphinx Theatre

Can't believe I haven't upped this before!. This is the ultimate grooved-out mellow as the dunes of Egypt version, & yes, I love how Donna sounds on this one! The delayed overlapping on jockamo fee na nay between her & Bobby is like nectar. Yeah, it's on the short side but that also keeps it from dragging like some later versions would. Methinks this one is getting lost in the shuffle. Should be out of the single digits by now.
Foolish Heart
Dec. 28, 1990
Coliseum Arena

I never really cared a whole lot for this song (or much of anything from BTL tbh) until i heard this version, which is so spectacularly jammed in two heavy sections that are as jazzy as anything they did in any era, and they are in a groove on this one as well. It's still not a tune I seek out but when I do it's almost always to this one.
Brokedown Palace
June 25, 1995
RFK Stadium

This is really a sweet version. Jer gives it his all and then some,