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find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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grendel

Books and Music

+23524


Submissions

62
Ship of Fools
May 9, 1977
War Memorial

Perfection. The "comes a time" for this show gets all the attention but this SOF is just as grand
62
Uncle John's Band
Oct. 12, 1984
Augusta Civic Center

Part of a 2nd set for the ages; flows in & out of PITB teases & then reprises into killer Dew
18
Terrapin Station
Dec. 31, 1987
Oakland Coliseum Arena

Hold on tight!
47
Bertha
Oct. 29, 1977
Evans Field House, Northern Illinois University

Sweet bass drop-ins by Phil on intro; extended Garcia solos in bridge jam; very intense and fun
47
Jack Straw
Oct. 29, 1977
Evans Field House, Northern Illinois University

There are longer versions, but none has a better bridge jam than this one. My favorite version ever--must listen!

Comments

Playin' In The Band
May 1, 1977
The Palladium

Dreamy version, patient and floaty, like many from '77--great launching pad for the rest of the excellent set & the reprise is a thing of beauty too
St. Stephen
June 9, 1976
Boston Music Hall

Not a bad rendition if a bit on the mellow side for a Stephen...very good flow & groove
Black Throated Wind
Sept. 21, 1972
The Spectrum

Just a beautifully played rendition...lots of commitment to lyrics by Bobby & a confident read all around.
Scarlet Begonias -> Fire On The Mountain
Aug. 12, 1981
Salt Palace

'81 and '82 are underrepresented for great S>F's, I'm guessing b/c there aren't many high quality SBDs in this time period but there's a pretty good one here and as others have noted this is a version whose vote total really could be a heckuvalot higher. Super breezy tempo on the Scarlet but the band's in total control--no slop--the transition is typical for the year in being long & intricate & full of color & the Fire just rips.
Eyes Of The World
March 19, 1990
Civic Center

Tell ya who really shines in this super underrated 90s gumdrop is the rhythm devils who keep the faster pace beautifully and roll the rock along for a very nice rendition that also features strong vocals from Jerry and some tasty guitar licks unencumbered for the most part by midi distractions. Really enjoyed a recent revisit to this one and glad to upvote it