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find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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grendel

Books and Music

+24543


Submissions

4
Estimated Prophet
Aug. 31, 1985
Manor Downs

Hot as the night in Texas on which it was played.
11
One More Saturday Night
Oct. 29, 1977
Evans Field House, Northern Illinois University

Like every other song from this, my favorite all-time show, it's a best-of candidate. Just rocks hard.
2
Alabama Getaway
Dec. 5, 1979
Uptown Theater

Come for the 'Bama but stay for the rest of the show. This rocker 'Bama is Jerry and Brent at their very best. This entire show, tho', is a monster.
13
Stagger Lee
June 27, 1985
SPAC

Right after Phil tells a guy to get off the blacony cuz 50,000 people are waiting for him to, and Bob does the dog nose joke, Jer rips into a fine SL!
8
China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
Oct. 18, 1989
The Spectrum

Pretty good China followed by the best 80's OR 90's RIDER I've ever heard. Check Jer's run going into "sun gonna shine" verse. 5 stars fo RIDER alone.

Comments

Playin' In The Band
May 4, 1977
The Palladium

Same as I said about the "Deal" from this show--so overlooked. This version gets out there w/out losing focus...not dissimilar to 5/17/77 but with its own signature sound.
Deal
May 4, 1977
The Palladium

One for the tune and one for the show. The always overshadowed by 5/7, 5/8 and 5/9 5/4/77 is a terrific show on par with that monster trio.
Fire On The Mountain
April 30, 1977
The Palladium

Underrated. Worth getting the official digital download version as the archive AUDs are of pretty poor quality.
Ramble On Rose
Dec. 30, 1983
Civic Auditorium

This is a scruffy around the edges version--both musically and vocally-- with Jerry's voice really pushing its limits but all the better for it. Indeed the pay-off is in the final "grass aint greener" stanza and Jer just lets the ripcord go. Awesome stuff and worthy of an upvote even if there are "cleaner" versions to be found.
Goin' Down The Road Feelin' Bad
April 5, 1971
Manhattan Center

This always feels like the "original" version to me, probably from so many repeated "Skull and Roses" spins back in the day. This particular version will always in my mind be paired w/NFA. I think there are many superior '77 versions but damn if this one doesn't have something special about it.