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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

9
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.
2
Brown Eyed Women
Aug. 4, 1982
Kiel Auditorium

Fast-picking goodness. Jerry's bridge solo is long and lightning quick and awesome. 1 point off for lyric flub on re-entry, but the rest is gold.

Comments

Estimated Prophet
May 26, 1977
Baltimore Civic Center

oops mean to comment on the eyes from this show but this is a very worthy lead-in estimated
Eyes Of The World
Dec. 6, 1973
Public Hall

^^^^poster bladexni totally nails it re: my absolute favorite thing about this version. That little foray into space/slipknot/breakdown at around the 9:30-10:00 minute mark trails off like Wile E. Coyote running past the cliff edge where he hangs in mid-air a full long second or two before realizing what's happened...you think maybe they've kost the thread but when the bottom falls out they all plunge as one headlong back into the main theme and it is pure Grateful Dead magic. I've yet to hear a bad '73 version but I'm not sure I've ever heard one where they pull off that particular trick.
Aiko Aiko
July 5, 1978
Omaha Civic Auditorium

You just found buried treasure if you made it down this far to find this serious underrated version. Played at a brisk clip w/tight contributions from all (great drums here) esp. all (fair warning for a tad too much Bobby slide) but Jer's growling out the vox for a very big crowd & Donna's right there w/him. Oughta be way higher.
Pretty Peggy O
June 30, 1974
Civic Center

There are lots of more jammed out versions to come in '77 but I don't think I've ever heard Jerry's vocals better sung than on this little early ditty right here. I mean like sweet as honey vocals...easy upvote for that alone but also Keith fans will swoon over his beautiful fills here. .
Eyes Of The World
June 30, 1974
Civic Center

Go directly to this Miller source: https://archive.org/details/gd1974-06-30.sbd.miller.96275.sbeok.flac16/gd74-06-30d3t05.flac & tell me this isn't one of the greatest intros to EOTW you've ever laid ears on....oh, & the rest to follow is typically jazz jam '74 Deadheaven. Sleeper indeed.