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find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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grendel

Books and Music

+23517


Submissions

16
Shakedown Street
March 24, 1981
Rainbow Theater

15+ minutes of funk w/extended overlapping vocal rounds of "just gotta poke around", etc. before jam Brent adds cool "fuzzy" SFX
1
Big Railroad Blues
Oct. 30, 1971
Taft Auditorium

Check out Keith on this one! He's never been so up front before & right outta the gate!!
20
Cream Puff War
July 3, 1966
Fillmore Auditorium

Peppy early version w/Jer belting out lyrics & Pig doin' some nice work on organ. No archive copy exists; got this off 30 Days of Dead-worth the DL!
8
Passenger
May 7, 1979
Allan Kirby Field House

Super-charged EARLY Brent version rips and tears and shreds. Final jam before the coda is the best they ever did in this tune. Goes to 11.
30
Little Red Rooster
Nov. 30, 1980
Fox Theatre

All about Brent.

Comments

China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
March 14, 1981
Hartford Civic Center

Late to the game on this hidden gem...sensational transition jam with Garcia finding new avenues on a familiar street just blazing into the final run up and the energy doesn't flag into Rider...show itself stands in the shadows of the MSG run just b4 it but don't deprive yourself of a stellar combo from this Hartford show
Estimated Prophet
Dec. 26, 1979
Oakland Auditorium

^^^^Yes, of course! More "fools" are always welcome in my administration ;-)
Loser
March 24, 1990
Knickerbocker Arena

^^^^All true, and this version needs no excuses for its spot on the board... breathtaking Garcia solo, gruff vox growl perfectly fitting the tune, the whole band in lock step...there are other underrated versions out there but to say this is overrated is silly. For a similar version to this one (not quite on the same level but damn close) check out Ventura 7/22/84
Let It Grow
April 15, 1978
William and Mary College Hall

This is even a shade better than 5-14-78 at Providence which is also great but I think gets its higher ranking only b/c it's longer...and not by much...this one glides a little better to my ears and Donna blends so nicely with Bobby, and of course the jamming is rich and colorful throughout. Shoulda upped it long ago
Greatest Story Ever Told
Dec. 6, 1992
Knickerbocker Arena

Another winner from this way underappreciated late '92 humdinger of a show--the jam section in this one is a Jerry shred fest that also features some of Vince's best keyboard work and whatever Bobby had goin' on with his slash-fuzz-guitar sound at this show --he shouda done more of it...so good