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find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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grendel

Books and Music

+23534


Submissions

25
Althea
May 6, 1980
Rec Hall, Penn State U

Recent Road Trips release is a perfecto: Outstanding vocals from Jerry and a jam after the lyrics that grooves and rocks super-hard. 5-star version!
45
Deep Elem Blues
May 2, 1970
Harpur College

Jerry's voice just exactly bluesy perfect...groovy & slow acoustic cadence & the boys harmonizing sweetly on the chrouses. Outstanding early version
28
Box of Rain
March 20, 1986
Hampton Coliseum

A+ for the crowd alone. Are there better ones? Of course. But I was there & the ecstacy after 14 years of no Box makes this version legendary.
13
Mississippi Halfstep Uptown Toodeloo
Sept. 18, 1990
Madison Square Garden

Astonishingly strong Jerry vocals, especially given the year, and some of the prettiest Hornsby-led fills make this one a real great sleeper pick.
35
Promised Land
Sept. 18, 1990
Madison Square Garden

New #1 version--all time best. This is a stretched-out jam-fest for a song usually given the quick-off. Killer fills from Hornsby. MUST HEAR!
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Comments

Eyes Of The World
April 12, 1978
Cameron Indoor Stadium

Unacceptable that this is still languishing in single digits. Freaking intro alone is 4+ mins. with great fanning from Jerry & just a spectacular all around version from a well-known and amazing show w/a great board. WTF folks?
Eyes Of The World
Jan. 14, 1978
Bakersfield Memorial Auditorium

Fluid, colorful jamming, an extension of '77-ness associated with this great tune. Jerry seems to have a weak vocal but he doesn't get the words wrong...more like he's having trouble belting it out. The jamming shows no such signs, though...Garcia's in full command here. Glad to bump this one past the "10" vote mark. Give a listen & see if you think it should be higher still (jam after 2nd verse may very well convince you).
Scarlet Begonias -> Fire On The Mountain
March 10, 1981
Madison Square Garden

All the love given to 90s versions on this site b/c they are so long baffles me when there are equally long (& far better played & jammed) versions from the largely overlooked early 80s to be enjoyed, and this is exhibit A. If you need a SBD version to get you to listen here's the Miller: https://archive.org/details/gd1981-03-10.sbd-set2.miller.91764.flac16/gd81-03-10d2t02.flac Get on this, please.
Cassidy
April 24, 1978
Horton Field House - Illinois State University

^^^^ I'm starting to wonder if they left the final verse out on purpose a few times this year b/c it's also absent on 5/14/78 featured on 30 Trips (another outstanding version btw).
Alligator
Jan. 3, 1970
Fillmore East

The jam on this one is out of this world. Slinky slow tempo to open the verses sung by Pig and then some drums into just a phenomenal jam section that also includes a fairly deep China Cat tease into the coda normally reserved for GDTRFB and then feedback. Easy plus one here.
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