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find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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Submissions

4
The Wheel
Oct. 30, 1977
Assembly Hall - Indiana University

A crisp version with a PITB jam outro before Wharf Rat.
4
And We Bid You Goodnight
Aug. 21, 1968
Fillmore West

About 3 minutes before Alligator ends, there is a really aggressive run through we bid you goodnight.
6
Mountain Jam
Aug. 21, 1968
Fillmore West

15.5 minutes after Alligator begins, or at the 5:00 mark of the 2nd "Alligator" there is a mountain.
4
Mountain Jam
Dec. 12, 1980
Swing Auditorium

It's just one "First there is a mountain, then there is a mountain and then there is" in the CCS>IKYR transition.
6
Sugaree
May 2, 1981
The Spectrum

The 2nd solo is great. Nothing never heard before, but constructed perfectly.

Comments

Deal
Nov. 30, 1980
Fox Theatre

I've known the SF from this show for a while, but I didn't know the Deal until I saw that it was up on the list here. There's good reason. That second solo is amazing. Edit: I did not think that a Deal could top this one, but 5/1/81 is just better. Still, second place is pretty good. I cannot see the post-coma versions touching these two (I know that's an unpopular sentiment around here) - or any of the 70s (even less popular) as they don't have the second solo that begins shortly before this version (9/25/80). I've now listened to most of the 80-83 Deals and I've yet to find others that I think involve consideration alongside these two, but I'm still looking.
Jack Straw
Jan. 11, 1979
Nassau Coliseum

If you need to hear the band cleanly hit "jack straw from Wichita", then this one probably isn't for you. But if you're interested in hearing stuff that approaches the limits of how fast Garcia can play, try it out. Jerry crushes the outro.
Stella Blue
Jan. 11, 1979
Nassau Coliseum

There are some questionable Stellas near the top of the list. Not this one. This Stella is the genuine article, as good as it gets.
Sugaree
Jan. 11, 1979
Nassau Coliseum

That third solo is fantastic. I was worried about Bobby's slide parts when I saw the other reviews, but it's not that bad. Or at least it's worse in other places during this time period. I'd say A- for this version.
Dear Prudence
March 13, 1982
Reno Centennial Coliseum

The same thing is happening here. All of the songs that the reviewers are invoking involve sequences that are chromatic and descending. John Lennon was experimenting with them in 67 and 68 - strawberry fields begins with 3 descending chromatic notes (major>maj7>7th), but so does Harrison's "Something." It's nonsense. The closest connection is between the MLB and Prudence and it amounts to this: The MLB has the same four note descending chromatic sequence that dear prudence does. Those words may sound lofty, but they represent this: Imagine playing a note on one fret of a guitar and then playing the next note down, and so on. Or a white key on a piano and then the next black key and so on. The band coalesced around a descending chromatic idea here for 30 seconds. There's nothing else to talk about and fantastic is not an accurate description of this 30 seconds. Keep your expectations low here.