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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

10
Black Peter
Sept. 25, 1981
Stabler Arena

After 10/29/77 this should be your go-to BP. Emotion oozes and Jer shreds the outro.
11
Beat it on Down The Line
March 22, 1990
Copps Coliseum

A breezy bouncin' bubbly Bobby Beat it...best of the 90's.
8
El Paso
March 27, 1972
Academy of Music

Jerry in serious bluegrass mode. Most country-westernized version ever. At the end Phil sez "Thanks, Texans" even tho' they're in NYC. Awesome version
23
Let It Grow
Sept. 19, 1990
Madison Square Garden

Hornsby gets on board in a big way & Jerry jazzes up the jam sections. Weir slashes away & sings w/passion. Strong candidate for Best of the 90's.
4
Desolation Row
April 17, 1987
Irvine Meadows

This song was only as good as Bobby was committed to it, and on this night he was 100% in Dylan-idoling mode. Gorgeous rendeition, lovingly sung.

Comments

Dark Star
Feb. 24, 1974
Winterland Arena

Digging this much more with the excellent sound reproduction from Dap 13...as said above many different themes are explored and it retains a musicality throughout with no major digressions into feedback or aimless noodling, which is refreshingly welcomed in a year in which Dark Stars often got indulgently space-sloppy. Gets my upvote.
St. Stephen
Jan. 22, 1978
McArthur Court, U of Oregon

@Freedom yes, this show is pretty special. They've maintained some of that precision you got all thru 1977 but are beginning to stretch those hard rock boundaries that would come to define '78 with sometimes awesome, other times sloppy, results. I dig this version of St. but to me it doesn't hold up nearly as well as 10/29/77...the mid-jam everyone raves about is unique, but to me doesn't really jell or keep a focus like 10/29/77 does....still, I understand and have no problem--objectively-- w/its ranking here....it misses my upvote only b/c of my admitted bias that 10/29/77 is so much better and is so much lower on the ladder.
The Weight
March 28, 1990
Nassau Coliseum

@Patch I certainly thought this was the debut! Can you point us to the 1970 version? was it a gig they played w/the Band & others? Very curious!
Brown Eyed Women
May 14, 1978
Providence Civic Center

Fluid, lengthy bridge jam by Jerry and an overall exceptional version for a song mostly associated with excellence from the year previous..but this one can stand with many of the greats.
Ramble On Rose
Sept. 26, 1981
Buffalo Auditorium

Really great version from a waaaaayyy underrated show. Get the CM upgrade and check this out.