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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

28
Playin' In The Band
May 11, 1972
Rotterdam Civic Hall

Sometimes shorter is better. At around 10 mins. this beauty from E'72 packs the jazz, jam, passion. Like a more intense version of the one on ACE!
26
Scarlet Begonias
Oct. 3, 1976
Cobo Arena

No clean SBD on archive but at official Dead site a pristine version was on 30 days of Dead for DL. 2d best stand-alone I've heard next to 3-20-77
66
Pretty Peggy O
May 19, 1977
Fox Theatre

DP Vol. 29...Each time I think I've heard the best (i.e. 12/27/77) I hear one better. This is it. Flowing, gorgeous Jerry bridge jam. Perfection.
4
Don't Ease Me In
June 20, 1980
West High Auditorium

Proves the boys could really swing when they wanted to. Hear Jerry on "The Girl I Love" line; like 'Gator Alley--1980 a good year for this tune
32
Not Fade Away
May 26, 1977
Baltimore Civic Center

Insane. Ridiculous. Drummers locked in, Garcia in take-no-prisoners mode. 16+ minutes of full-bore Rock to the G-D Roll.

Comments

Greatest Story Ever Told
June 22, 1973
Pacific Coliseum

...and Keith is more prominent here than in many versions. Can't really go wrong w/any song from this show but yeah, the G-SET shoulda been up on the big board already.
New Minglewood Blues
June 8, 1977
Winterland Arena

check out all the other tunes mentioned above as well. Was just grooving to that version of Eyes recently. Phenomenal. A perfect 3-night run.
Eyes Of The World
March 25, 1990
Knickerbocker Arena

Absolutely love this version now that I've heard it in its best CD form, and yes, it will forever be in the shadow of the Branford performance from 4 days later....but while it can't reach that level, it's far better than any other save Nassau that I've heard in the 90's (and that includes the excellent 3/31/91 w/Hornsby.) What really sets this apart is how great Jerry's singing is...he sings this so well it's kind of astonishing, really, given the year. As noted above, the jamming is mellow and groovy but w/many points of departure into interesting and jazzy spaces. let's move this puppy up the ladder!
Eyes Of The World
Oct. 29, 1977
Evans Field House, Northern Illinois University

@allyinnoyang You have no idea how jealous I am. This is my all-time, hands-down, favorite Grateful Dead show of all time. Can't believe you were there with like, what, 5, maybe 6,000 people, tops? Dang.
Deal
Sept. 16, 1978
Sphinx Theatre

Agree it's too low...in fact this whole Egypt run gets strangely overlooked even after the official CD release. One of my favorite versions of EYES also come from the Pyramid shows & this DEAL is very worthy of more attention.