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find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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grendel

Books and Music

+24533


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
April 12, 1978
Cameron Indoor Stadium

Unacceptable that this is still languishing in single digits. Freaking intro alone is 4+ mins. with great fanning from Jerry & just a spectacular all around version from a well-known and amazing show w/a great board. WTF folks?
Eyes Of The World
Jan. 14, 1978
Bakersfield Memorial Auditorium

Fluid, colorful jamming, an extension of '77-ness associated with this great tune. Jerry seems to have a weak vocal but he doesn't get the words wrong...more like he's having trouble belting it out. The jamming shows no such signs, though...Garcia's in full command here. Glad to bump this one past the "10" vote mark. Give a listen & see if you think it should be higher still (jam after 2nd verse may very well convince you).
Scarlet Begonias -> Fire On The Mountain
March 10, 1981
Madison Square Garden

All the love given to 90s versions on this site b/c they are so long baffles me when there are equally long (& far better played & jammed) versions from the largely overlooked early 80s to be enjoyed, and this is exhibit A. If you need a SBD version to get you to listen here's the Miller: https://archive.org/details/gd1981-03-10.sbd-set2.miller.91764.flac16/gd81-03-10d2t02.flac Get on this, please.
Cassidy
April 24, 1978
Horton Field House - Illinois State University

^^^^ I'm starting to wonder if they left the final verse out on purpose a few times this year b/c it's also absent on 5/14/78 featured on 30 Trips (another outstanding version btw).
Alligator
Jan. 3, 1970
Fillmore East

The jam on this one is out of this world. Slinky slow tempo to open the verses sung by Pig and then some drums into just a phenomenal jam section that also includes a fairly deep China Cat tease into the coda normally reserved for GDTRFB and then feedback. Easy plus one here.