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find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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1
El Paso
Sept. 21, 1974
Palais Des Sports

Blossoms and blooms like a shining red rose. I really love the energy for this show.
1
Ship of Fools
Sept. 21, 1974
Palais Des Sports

1974 and Ship of Fools go together like peanut butter and jelly. Full of emotion. They're really giving their all in this.
1
Big River
Sept. 21, 1974
Palais Des Sports

Like the breaking of a dam, this just flows at a truly ferocious pace. Jerry is relentless in his playing, the second solo will knock your socks off.
1
It Must Have Been The Roses
May 12, 1974
University of Nevada

Any '74 version of this tune is a treat. Incredibly lovely with great Keith lines. Billy sways.
1
Jack Straw
Feb. 15, 1973
Dane County Coliseum

Definitive for its time. The soundcheck gave us a preview, here's the full thing. Solid version.

Comments

Dark Star
June 21, 1969
Fillmore East

Anyone know if this ever got patched up? This could be an all timer if complete. This one gets heavy and electric rather quickly and the energy results into some phenomenal subtle interplay. Wish i could hear a full version!
Playin' In The Band
April 24, 1972
Rheinhalle

An intergalactic overdrive of spiraling tonal spaces. This powerful and jazzy version encapsulates what the band is really capable when they're really on. A top 5 version for me, this short and sweet Playin' wastes no time and gets straight to the point. Shades of Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders all over this one. Everyone is in top form, not a note wasted, and a genuine virtuosic showcase of the bands abilities. So good.
Turn On Your Love Light
Aug. 5, 1967
O'Keefe Center

Acid rock at its absolute finest. Jerry's phrasing is so full of energy and particularly bluesy. Pigpen sounds absolutely incredible and his control and power as a band leader is very apparent here. I Highly recommend this one. The boys are psychedelic warriors on this one.
Morning Dew
June 10, 1973
RFK Stadium

This is literally just the opener, passionate version that calls back to when they used to open up shows in the 60s with Morning Dew. So good.
Dark Star
Dec. 11, 1972
Winterland Arena

Had to comment again, my last comment did not do this psychedelic king of kings justice. Interstellar overdrive is standard of this elegant and alchemical performance. A trip on a lysergic spaceship aptly named the Grateful Dead, this performance channels a lot of archetypal imagery, a dive into the collective unconscious and a royal and grand version. Jerry puts on a clinic with Keith delivering some beautiful responses to this debate between wizards. Lots of cool rhythmic ideas, a whopping 17 minutes before the first verse, and after is some of the most intense, shadowy meltdowns in the dead’s history. A wailing of existential pain ensues which follows with some absolutely morbid feedback work which melts everyone down to every last molecule. A deep darkness, almost arachnid like as this section conjures up imagines of spiders and the weaving of neon colored webs. Billy K comes in with an earth shattering drum solo that takes you deep into hell and never stops until you reach complete nothingness. A jam reminiscent of The Miles Davis electric band ensues which flips your brain and chops it into pieces and completely rearranges it. Top 5 for me. A truly long, and strange trip.