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find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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grendel

Books and Music

+24543


Submissions

41
Sugar Magnolia
Oct. 29, 1977
Evans Field House, Northern Illinois University

Best ever. No fooling. Don't miss Mickey and Billy dueling each other at the frenzied end jam before heading into SSDD. Whole version insane!
80
Jack Straw
Oct. 20, 1984
Carrier Dome, Syracuse U

Crazy hard driving insanisty to end the first set. One of those jam segments that builds and builds and KABOOMS into final verse. Phil fans: a must
15
Stella Blue
April 19, 1982
Baltimore Civic Center

Sweet & melty....gorgeous harmonies from Brent.
88
Sugaree
Oct. 16, 1977
Louisiana State U

1977 was a helluva year for this song. I have no quarrel w/ 5/5, 5/19, or 5/21, but I think this one beats 'em all by a nose!
53
St. Stephen
Oct. 29, 1977
Evans Field House, Northern Illinois University

With all due rfespect to Barton Hall & others, this is the best version out there (IMO). Bluesy, rockin', jammin', just exactly perfect

Comments

I Know You Rider
May 1, 1970
Alfred College

"I'd rather drink muddy water...sleep in a hollow log..." Jerry just crushes this version vocally. So nice to have a slower, acoustic, true blue blues version to dip into. This is my fave, even a notch better than Harpur.
Scarlet Begonias -> Fire On The Mountain
Dec. 3, 1979
Uptown Theatre

Garcia gets the "scarlet begonias tucked into her shoes" in this one, but it sounds perfectly natural. Really nice, relaxed cadence to this one--not too fast & not too slow--to steal a different line to make a point. The transition is patient, not especially earth shattering, but the Fire gets aggressive in a number of spots. It's also interesting as one of the earlier Brent versions & I upvoted partly for that reason. Wouldn't mind seeing it get into double digits, but wouldn't complain too loudly if it stayed a sleeper pick, either.
It Must Have Been The Roses
May 17, 1974
P.N.E. Coliseum

Agree on both counts ^^^^
Estimated Prophet
March 30, 1980
Capitol Theatre

Better recording of this one would have it near the top. Insane ripping middle jam as Jerry was prone to this year, this song. 1980 Estimateds are overlooked and this one especially.
Dark Star
June 24, 1973
Memorial Coliseum

I used some music editing software to remove the last ten minutes of crap and now this version is perfect. +1 with an admittedly big asterisk.