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find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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grendel

Books and Music

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Submissions

56
Scarlet Begonias -> Fire On The Mountain
Sept. 11, 1982
West Palm Beach Auditorium

The very definition of "underrated." Almost lost to time& yet it kills. No flubbed verses, great steady reggae jams;perfect transition. Please try it.
46
Ramble On Rose
Nov. 30, 1980
Fox Theatre

Jerry sounds "just like Wolfman Jack" when he growwwlllzzz out the final chorus on "Goodbye Mama & Papa...!" Whole version is aces back to back!
45
It's All Over Now Baby Blue
Oct. 10, 1982
Frost Amphitheatre

Jerry in especially soulful voice on this completely perfecto version from one of the best shows of '82. If you like 4-6 Spectrum, you'll love this.
18
Playin' In The Band
Oct. 12, 1984
Augusta Civic Center

My favorite "sandwich" version, this PITB actually begins in the 2nd set as reprise from the previous night! Insane weaving thru UJB/Space/Dew
22
Samson and Delilah
May 13, 1977
Auditorium Theatre

Goofy stage banter by Bob, then the rippingest, roaringest, best-drummed version I know.

Comments

The Eleven
Oct. 12, 1968
Avalon Ballroom

Just a picture perfect rendition...at once fierce and yet played with achingly good precision...liquid Garcia, monster drumming, all cylinders firing...a tour de force.
Dark Star
Sept. 27, 1972
Stanley Theatre

Having revisited this one recently and seeing where it is on the list I gotta say, this is way under where it needs to be. The bulk of this DS is just a mellow but always flowing and interesting improvisational jazz jam that shows off everyone's chops. It moves into an equally quiet/contemplative spacy section that never devolves into unlistenable distortion sound-for-the-sake-of-sound mucking about. Phil drops some deep heavy bass boulders but does so in tandem with an eerily atmospheric sustained Garcia guitar note in the backdrop and it really does give the feeling like you're floating somewhere out in the universe of stars. All this happens before the first verse is even sung, and that emerges from this quiet space with no forewarning but somehow naturally, as if it was waiting behind the veil the whole time. All this eventually tumbles out into a rollicking Cumberland, which is an odd choice I suppose (same when they've decided before on El Paso) but the transition is flawless and takes nothing away from the Star itself, This is a top 5 for me now easily (10/25/69, 4/8/72, 12/31/78, and 2/13/70 taking the other 4 slots) and this really should be higher on the list than some others...if I had my way ;-)
Eyes Of The World
June 10, 1973
RFK Stadium

New convert to this version, which I'm proud to have just bumped into the "20s" for votes and hope it goes much higher. I think the reason I never really noticed it before is that 1973 is just too chock full of great versions wherever you look. There is no "poor" '73 Eyes. But this version has a couple of things going for it that set it a bit apart from the others. 1)The jam breaks between the first two verses are a little more stretched out and lengthier than others and Garcia is just pouring liquid through his fingers in the process. In a year known for jazzy Eyes this is as jazzy as it gets. The second jam break in particular shines in a way many others this year don't and reaches some great peaks and even a brief Keith moment of fills before Jerry takes over again and 2) the post-lyrics jam is really special...confident and expressive and drops seamlessly into the Stronger Than Dirt section in a way that some others of this year don't (if there is any flaw in the '73 versions it's in the early part of the year when they don't really have that part of the jam worked out yet and the Stronger Than Dirt sections suffer from some tentativeness and clunkiness. Not here. As also noted, a bluesy jam emerges and then dips into Stella and at nearly 22 minutes long this Eyes is a candidate for best of 1973, and that's saying an awful lot for a year in which this song has such a strong showing.
Goin' Down The Road Feelin' Bad
May 19, 1974
Portland Memorial Coliseum

Best of '74 right here. Bookends an incredible run-jam started by Truckin'. Super fast and furious but well controlled version.
Bird Song
Nov. 22, 1972
Austin Municipal Auditorium

Why oh why am I only hearing this now? Absolutely stellar Birdsong from the year in which this song was consistently played better than any other. Excellent Miller SBD to hear and just a spectacular find. Hear it, love it, bump it up, please.