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find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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grendel

Books and Music

+23524


Submissions

14
Last Time
Dec. 8, 1993
Sports Arena

Emerges from Space with a very long intro & very distinct and sustained St. Stephen tease! My favorite version.
10
Dear Mr. Fantasy
July 18, 1989
Alpine Valley

Part of what made this Alpine run so legendary. Soulful and Brent-astic.
4
Big Railroad Blues
Aug. 14, 1971
Berkeley Community Theater

Maybe the best pure hard riving Rock&Roll version. Lean, mean, and Jerry supreme!
34
Scarlet Begonias -> Fire On The Mountain
Nov. 2, 1977
Field House - Seneca College

Rarely heard (left out of DP Bonus tracks for Vol. 34) but another sweet/smooth '77 winner.
4
Ramble On Rose
Dec. 30, 1977
Winterland Arena

Faster than usual tempo with just a brilliant Jerry bridge jam and no missed lyrics make this one a not-to-be-missed version.

Comments

The Music Never Stopped
Oct. 3, 1976
Cobo Arena

Also hearing/digging that MLB-ish jam in the slowed down middle section b4 they kick things into high gear for the end jam. Great '76 version--stands up to a lot of others, even some '77s, & deserves a higher spot
Let It Grow
Aug. 29, 1980
The Spectrum

If my favorite version of this tune is 5-1-81 (and it is), this is the prequel--the origin superhero story if you will...Jerry flying all over the place with note after note but in total control of the thread and Bobby keeps up, as does the rest of the band. It's the Spectrum so you know it's a grand performance (always rising to the occasion at the big city venues like MSG & The Gahden in Boston), and damn if this isn't drastically underappreciated at less than 10 measly votes. Do yourself a favor and crank this one up and tell me it doesn't deserve your upvote.
Scarlet Begonias -> Fire On The Mountain
March 21, 1991
Capital Centre

One of those I've had in heavy rotation for years but always forgot to bump here on the list. Just a spectacular coupling of both tunes--not just "for this era"--but for any. Deep calypso vibes twirl throughout Scarlet & Jerry is belting as best he can for '91 & nails all the lyrics and damn if he doesn't bring back some of the old magic from about a decade earlier when he'd fly through a tapestry of notes, sprinting along at a fast but not too fast pace- and the Fire does not disappoint either with a furious full throttle band transition into it, and of course Bruce adds his usual brilliant flourishes. With scores upon scores of S>F to choose from I get how a '91 show version especially might get lost in the weeds, but this one really should have far many more votes than it does now.
Brother Esau
Dec. 30, 1986
Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center

Stunningly hot precision funk version--best drumming I've ever heard performed on this tune. Outstanding +1 & candidate for best ever.
Shakedown Street
Oct. 22, 1983
Carrier Dome, Syracuse U

Overshadowed by the "other" Carrier Dome shredfest the following year? Maybe, and that one's a beast, but oh my Cats Under the Stars so is this!!!! Grand furious funk ensues here -- as said above by other posters the whole band is dialed in. Get this one higher please