15+ minutes of funk w/extended overlapping vocal rounds of "just gotta poke around", etc. before jam Brent adds cool "fuzzy" SFX

Check out Keith on this one! He's never been so up front before & right outta the gate!!

Peppy early version w/Jer belting out lyrics & Pig doin' some nice work on organ. No archive copy exists; got this off 30 Days of Dead-worth the DL!

Super-charged EARLY Brent version rips and tears and shreds. Final jam before the coda is the best they ever did in this tune. Goes to 11.

All about Brent.

Back to give this on another push. Brent took so beautifully to this tune in the early years & really goes exploring on some great colorful runs. Terrific version right here--deserves double digits.

Great to hear Dave didn't say "not in the vault" re: 10/29/77 so lwet's cross our fingers! Yes, 5/4/77 is a killer show that also suffers from not having the best sounding sources. The ones I';ve heard are always a little muffled to my ears which is too bad b/c, dang, that show has it all. 6/29/76 is one I've not really delved into much...just saw there's a matrix that looks promising so I'll check that out along with 12/18/73, another show I haven't done much exploring with. Thanks!

^^^^ed_bob you have my unending gratitude--even if the show doesn't get an official release--for giving me some hope here. Thanks for the proper email contact for Dave...I did write to him maybe a year or so ago but I don't think it was at this address & i know I didn't put GD in the subject line so it's worth trying again. Can't hurt to have as many voices as possible clamoring for 10/29/77 to see the light of day. I don't expect any Head to agree w/me that it's the best show they ever did (objectively speaking there are others for sure that are) but this one's my favorite and moist people who get turned on to it come back w/nothing but A+ reviews. Do let me know about some shows you think fly under the radar & are top tier as well, ed...would love to hear your recommendations having like minded thoughts on this show & the Keith/Brent dynamic.

^^^With you on Keith as best pure Dead keyboard player...he had wonderful jazz chops and could play the quiet parts, too. It's just that (for me) a song like Brokedown is better when it's sung with better hitting of the high notes, less warble, and more gospel soul that Brent was able to deliver in a way the early 70s band couldn't. I do think Brent was a very good keyboard player, though...my biggest complaint with him was the tinkly cheesy sound effects he used too much that really distracted from what he was actually playing. Both versions are great in their own way, I should emphasize, but if I had to choose one I'd take the 1980 version every time. So sweet.

^^^^That's my greatest Grateful Dead wish, ed! I fear it'll never happen...I don't know if that show has hidden Betty Boards in a box somewhere but I would be over the moon if I ever found out my favorite Dead show of all times ever was going to be an official release. Really glad you dug this Stephen...certainly the Charlie Miller version(s) available are a very close second sound-wise to an official release but if cleaner sources existed I believe this Stephen and so many other songs from this phenomenal show would be ranked way higher than they are now!