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grendel

Books and Music

+24543


Submissions

37
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!
6
Sugar Magnolia
Sept. 25, 1981
Stabler Arena

Incredible Sugary-Mag Club sandwich: Sugar>BlackPeter>Round&Round>SSDD. Energy off the charts, and the SSDD starts spot-on the downbeat from R&R
13
Big River
July 31, 1974
Dillon Stadium

Scorcher start to finish. Keith comes up big, and Jerry goes ballistic in the final instrumental bridge. Check it out on Dave's Pix Vol. 2
45
Help On The Way > Slipknot > Franklin's Tower
June 19, 1976
Capitol Theatre

Just when you think you've heard 'em all...Peppy&Zippy yet tight HELP >groovy-spacedout Slip>killer jumping-Jerry-led Franklins. Must Hear!
44
Estimated Prophet
Oct. 29, 1977
Evans Field House, Northern Illinois University

From the show that never stops giving--a spacey-jazzy-goeey-Wah-Wah-chunk-fest-of-Jerry.

Comments

Althea
March 14, 1981
Hartford Civic Center

^^^^Brilliant! And what a crispy SBD to boot. I'm going to further comment on this one under its appropriate listing a bit later. Suffice it to say here that this one has a sweet bop-a-long bounce that's hard to resist. Great rec, Cuca! !
Althea
March 14, 1981
Hartford Civic Center

Just for clarity, when I was talking about the muddy available sources for an otherwise fine Althea I was referring to DarkStar's recommendation of 3-23-87, not this excellent sounding 3-14-81.
Althea
March 14, 1981
Hartford Civic Center

^^^^ I am not, but will check it out right now! edit: Irony! I was actually at this show, and yes, this is a fine Althea, but I also realize why I wasn't immediately familiar with it, & that's b/c I/m a SBD snob and none of the available AUDs are very good, which is not to say anyone should ignore this version, especially if you're more tolerant of AUD sound than I am. The version DarkStar listed here is probably the best one and once you get used to the sound, it's worth settling in to listen, b/c Jerry really grooves on this, and Bobby especially is great in driving the rhythm and punctuating with hard edges when needed. Drummers are locked in, too. Just wish there was a better source, dammit. (Nice Iko from this show too, btw), but Althea is definitely the highlight. End jam is a no holds barred shred fest...no "build up" to the finish, just charge out of the gate ripping stuff, and Billy and Mickey go to town.
Althea
March 14, 1981
Hartford Civic Center

This version is from whatbjust may be the best AUD recording of all time (the Glassberg,just to be clear). The version itself is very very good, but I'll play devils advocate and grumble a bit about its placement at the top. I think there are other versions from this same year that are better, especially the end jam 5/1/81 comes to mind) and I also think there are deeper jammed out versions from 1980 and more overall colorful ones from shows in the late 80s, early 90s, so I do wonder if this one gets a lot of extra love due to the recording itself. All that negativity said, this does deserve top 5 status and there is a moment in the end jam where Garcia runs a tiny lick that shifts the drummers and everyone else into another gear and it's brilliant. So a little nitpicking here, but only for the top dog designation. I do get overall tho why it's so highly regarded.
Drums
Oct. 12, 1984
Augusta Civic Center

Vital part of the incredible 2nd set.