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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.
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Comments

Help On The Way > Slipknot > Franklin's Tower
May 22, 1977
The Sportatorium

The unheralded portion of this great version is the "help", which to my ears is performed better than any other. Check out the first jam section...it's fluid and jazzy and perfect in every way and just carries the momentum beautifully into "slipknot " without rushing along. The rest is pretty great too but it's the first of the trilogy in this version that makes it special.
He's Gone
May 22, 1982
Greek Theatre - University of California

Yessiree, and this whole show is among those in '82 that somehow get overlooked for overall excellence. Also check out 9/11/82 for a real sleeper show.
They Love Each Other
Feb. 26, 1973
Pershing Municipal Auditorium

The more I listen to this DP release the more I realize it's one of the top 5 in the series. This TLEO just offers up another example for why.
Pretty Peggy O
Sept. 3, 1977
Raceway Park

Most interesting about this fine version is that it comes as close as possible to being a kind of "rock and roll" rendition of what is in every other version a quiet, heartfelt ballad. This is played at a much faster pace than most others and with far edgier, louder, and grittier leads by Jerry that definitely evoke more of a rock feel. Perhaps this was intentional as they were playing before an enormous festival crowd at Raceway Park and wanted to avoid anything too slow and potentially drowsy.
Crazy Fingers
June 22, 1976
Tower Theatre

Very tasty, and Donna doesn't get in the way as in other '76 versions at key moments...it also melts rather sweetly into "Comes a Time", which is nice.
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