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Books and Music

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Submissions

15
It Must Have Been The Roses
Oct. 29, 1977
Evans Field House, Northern Illinois University

Almost every song from this show could be nominated for a "best ever." This heartfelt "Roses" is no exception.
11
Aiko Aiko
Dec. 31, 1987
Oakland Coliseum Arena

With the Neville Bros. Jerry gets his Big Easy on.
17
Promised Land
May 25, 1977
The Mosque

Perfection to end the first set of one of the truly great shows ever. Keith, Bobby, Jerry--the whole crew is in the pocket and rocking it hard.
15
Promised Land
April 1, 1980
Capitol Theatre

Both the best and worst version ever. Why? April Fool's gag: Bobby - keys, Brent & Jerry -drums, Billy - bass - Mickey -guitar Phil-vocals
75
Big River
May 9, 1977
War Memorial

They just could do no wrong at this show, Hidden among all the other gems is this monster River. Big solo work by Jerry; nice fills by Keith.

Comments

Feel Like A Stranger
May 1, 1981
Hampton Coliseum

Agreed. There isn't much from this show that couldn't stand up as a #1 contender at the very least. Althea, Franklin's, Wheel, He's Gone--all stand outs from an amazing show & this Stranger--never a song that stood out to me--is pretty special here.
China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
Oct. 20, 1974
Winterland Arena

It makes ZERO SENSE that this had only one vote when I came to it. What exactly in the name of Jerry is goin' on here? The ChinaCat here is so fluid and Jerry is throwing in tempo changes and extra notes all while holding the main theme somehow tighter than a drum...the rest of the band is right in line, having a blast...Phil's out front and Keith's just butter...then the transition jam charges into jazz city before back-dooring its way into a subtle FeelinGroovyJam intro, which then gets a smooth, elongated treatment before shifting into a rockin' Rider. I know there's a million great versions of this pairing from '72-'74 but even so this one NEEDS higher ranking and really belongs in a Top 5 conversation. Listen and then come back. I'll wait.
Jack A Roe
May 17, 1977
Memorial Coliseum

This and Jerry's laid-back, intricate notes in all the earliest versions always remind me of Mark Knopfler's sound and style. Check out any early Dire Straits tunes "Once Upon a Time in the West" or "In the Gallery" or really anything from their first two albums and you'll see what I mean.
Dark Star
Nov. 2, 1969
Family Dog at the Great Highway

Both grateful and embarrassed that I'm only just now coming around to how spectacular this Dark Star is! May have just surpassed 10/25 as my favorite of 1969...it's just what a Dark Star should be: beautiful, contemplative, jazzy, then at turns dark, mysterious, flowing, jamming, and with added treats in the latter part of the song: a sweet "Tighten Up" jam and what sounds a whole lot like "Only the Beginning" from Chicago Transit Authority near the end. Exceptional Dark Star!
Dark Star
Jan. 10, 1979
Nassau Coliseum

You won't find a better post-1974, pre-Branford Dark Star than this (w/the exception of Winterland 12/31/78). Plus, this whole show is grossly overlooked. It contains an absolutely killer "Shakedown" and an all-time-best "Miracle" to compliment this meaty DS.