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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

49
Jack Straw
Oct. 29, 1977
Evans Field House, Northern Illinois University

There are longer versions, but none has a better bridge jam than this one. My favorite version ever--must listen!
88
China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
Feb. 24, 1974
Winterland Arena

Hard-charging drumming from Billy leads the way. Best MLB jam in this pairing I've ever heard. Hard to believe it wasn't listed yet.
37
Cassidy
Oct. 12, 1983
Madison Square Garden

Intense build-up jam, perfect touch-down. Weir absolutely nails it. My favorite version all-time
21
Shakedown Street
Jan. 10, 1979
Nassau Coliseum

Laser-focused, perfect rendition, start to finish. Super-funky with awesome Jerry fuzz-guitar, rock-blues jamming post-vocals
12
Candyman
March 24, 1988
Omni Coliseum

Lucky enough to be at this show. Candyman blew everyone away--best song played that night. Awesome trippy guitar jam &Jer belts out vocals

Comments

Eyes Of The World
Sept. 23, 1976
Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke U

2 sources, neither great, but get the MacDonald SBD b/c it's so worth hearing this truly excellent version, which is a harbinger of the wealth of phenomenal renditions that would come in '77, and if there were a grade A SBD available of this one we'd all be singing it's praises already. By late '76 the band was finding the confidence to play a little faster than at the beginning of the year (great as June and July shows were they were still a little slow) and thhis one has that great combo of liquid flow off Garcia's fingers and a great chugging rhythm jam backing it all up. Wish there was a better recording but please don't let that stop you. I'm upping this in spite of the lack of A plus sound quality.
Eyes Of The World
July 12, 1989
RFK Stadium

Too fast for my liking. Decent jam after 2d verse but there's about a 15 second intro before Jer starts singing the opening lyric and that's a deal breaker for me. Can't upvote. This song didn't return to glory until they slowed it back down in 1990. (This show overall, however, and the box set, is terrific).
Not Fade Away
July 4, 1989
Rich Stadium

Ha! I remember US Snooze on set lists cuz Jer mumbled his way thru mostly lame mid 80s ones
Big River
June 9, 1976
Boston Music Hall

Good, solid version and an underrated year for this song, although every version this year was a dress rehearsal for '77, peaking with 5/9/77
Eyes Of The World
Feb. 26, 1977
Swing Auditorium

Dude420 has this right...I've yet to hear a '77 version that has as much in common with a classic, mellow, flowing 1973 as this one does. It's most evident in the sweet sweet intro. The whole version has that liquidy feel of the debut year for this song. The instrumental break before the last verse has the closest thing to a hard jam you'll hear and it's pretty hot but overall this is not a version that tears things up, rather it's just a gorgeous and musically confident journey that ends with a solo Phil romp and deserves some more love. While I do feel this show is a bit overrated overall (the Terrapin especially, a travesty that it's listed as best ever), this EYES does not disappoint.