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grendel

Books and Music

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Submissions

8
Row Jimmy
Feb. 4, 1978
Milwaukee Auditorium

If a SBD of this version and show existed we'd all be talking it up. But the AUD is pretty good, & this RJ has tasty Garcia licks. Don't overlook it!
54
Jack Straw
June 4, 1978
Campus Stadium - University Of California

For the love of Jerry you MUST listen to this immediately. Cease all other activities and prepare to have your jaw hit the floor!
14
The Music Never Stopped
Sept. 24, 1976
William and Mary College Hall

Seguing out of a sick Franklin's Tower it gets fast, flawless rolling licks from Jerry and great timing from the rest +killer final Jam
5
Brokedown Palace
April 19, 1982
Baltimore Civic Center

Sweet end to a magical show. Perfect harmonies w/Brent. Only flaw is when Bob says "careful up there" to someone doin' somethin' werid in the rafters
120
Scarlet Begonias -> Fire On The Mountain
April 20, 1984
Philadelphia Civic Center

Talk about slipping through the cracks: This is a classic long, jamming sick slick trip thru both tunes. Intro to FIRE one of the best ever performed

Comments

Playin' In The Band
Dec. 28, 1991
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Stadium

Especially impressed with this version, given that most latter day PITB's felt like throwaways with a lot of Jerry noodling & little focus or purpose other than getting into the next tune after some meandering, but this one melts beautifully into "Same Thing" after getting a seamless entry from a nice, if somewhat placid UJB prior, and feels self-contained in its mellow but interesting musical exploration. Glad I checked this out and the UJB>PITB>SameThing Trifecta (they do need to be taken as a triplet piece for best effect) is worthy of more attention.
Samson and Delilah
Feb. 5, 1978
Uni Dome, U of Northern Iowa

This has a lot in common with the Casey Jones from 10/2/77 in that they both benefit from--and become better because of-- an error. Here, it's the failure of Bob's mic that necessitates a longer intro jam that Jerry just decides to take into the outer reaches of intensity and into shredding legend....I'm not sure it's necessarily the "best" version ever (I still like 5/13/77) but it's a top shelf version for sure b/c of how they turned lemons into lemonade with Bourbon...it's a great save and a really great accomplishment how they handled it. (The Casey Jones from 10/2/77 similarly takes the occasion of Jerry forgetting a lyric to go into an extended bridge jam highlighted by a lovely Keith solo that no other version contains, and ultimately it emerges as what many agree is the best CJ ever.)
Big River
May 11, 1977
St. Paul Civic Center Arena

Yes indeed...I was pumped about the boxed set mostly for 5/13 and 5/17 but was more than pleasantly surprised by 5/11..I'll still put the Sugaree from that show up against any of the monsters from that year or any other.
Big River
May 11, 1977
St. Paul Civic Center Arena

Great rendition, extra points for St. Paul getting props in St. Paul
Sugar Magnolia
June 11, 1976
Boston Music Hall

Hidden gem alert, from a show that's beautiful and shy and gets little attention due to its more famous sibling just 2 days prior, but wow! This Sugar Mag might just be THE best of the June '76 shows, and that's saying something. It's got to be the most intense mellow jam I've ever heard on this tune, if that makes any sense. Jerry's guitar just floats notes on a string and it rolls along innocently beautiful and then the jam just takes off after the last verse and charges headlong to a great finish while never losing its laid-back vibe. It's kind of like everything that's great about 1976 encapsulated in this one tune & it needs to be checked out and bumped way up. And you get the added bonus of it going into a sweet Eyes before rounding back to Stella & then the SSDD coda. Terrific version that surprised and delights all at once.