Stephen” teases in it. “Playing in the Band”August 27, 1972; Old Renaissance Faire Grounds, Veneta, Oregon. Eighties pick: Greek Theatre, Berkeley, July 13, 1984. 34. It was still powerful when it was revived in the mid Eighties, and from that era I’d recommend checking out Richmond Coliseum 11-1-85, which has a fragile but committed Jerry really baring his soul. Believe me ,it's a no-brainer! I love the relaxed-but-still intense vibe of Seventies “Eyes”; by the early Eighties the tempo had increased and the tune sometimes lacked that liquid-sunshine flow the song begs for. This rightly revered version is, alas, cut near the end on the soundboard recording, but when it was officially released on Road Trips Vol. The subtext of the Bonnie Dobson–penned folk ballad could not be more dire—the last man and woman on earth after a nuclear holocaust!—but in the Dead’s hands it was both delicate and filled with heavy pathos. At this show it comes out of 30-minute “Dark Star,” so it feels like it has a little extra juice and sparkle to it. “Alligator” always led to a mesmerizing rare-for-the time double-drum duel between Mickey and Bill, and the jam after would usually build from a Jerry-plus-drummers noodle to a ferocious full-band boil before dropping eventually into the locomotive rhythm and big crescendos that lace together Pig’s visit to the mysterious Gypsy Woman in “Caution.”. It’s difficult to fathom why this lilting, bopping tune was only played during 1973 (and once in ’74), then dropped until 1992. Available on Dick’s Picks Vol. Introduced in March ’77, this multi-layered Hunter-Garcia epic was always solid during its first year, with this version—played as the encore of what to this point was their biggest show as a headliner—notable for both its precision and power; just about perfect. 50. “Weather Report Suite”/“Let It Grow”August 4, 1974; Philadelphia Civic Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This one hits all its marks beautifully, including a nice “landing” after the jam. While it would be impossible to choose the best Seventies version of “The Other One,” the one I’ve enjoyed most often the past few years is from May 7, 1972, at the Bickershaw Festival in Wigan, England). The individual musicians in the Grateful Dead were never poll winners in music magazines, yet you would be hard-pressed to find a rock group with a core so adept at playing so many different styles—and always in an improvisational context. ’72-’74), this particular version has a perfect tempo, a top-notch lead vocal, Keith seemingly channeling country piano great Floyd Cramer throughout, a soulful stroll through the “Nothin’s gonna bring him back” coda, and then an extremely tasty melodic jam that’s as pretty as anything you’ll hear from this group. Thank you for signing up to Guitar World. Strong late Brent-era version with hot extended jam (including MIDI flights) between tunes and solid “Rider.” Available on View from the Vault III. The jam in between the two songs is completely magical, quoting “China Cat,” dipping in to a “Dark Star”–ish space briefly, and flitting into all sorts of other interesting realms. This one comes out of a fantastic “Estimated Prophet” and quickly rolls up to cruising speed and becomes very powerful; and the post-song jam is a thing of beauty, with Weir on tasteful background slide for some of it, before it eases into “Drums” (featuring Brazilian jazzers Flora Purim and Airto). Call it jagged, gnarly, noisy or unpleasant, the fact is this dissonant late Eighties Weir song was a darkly powerful force to be reckoned with, and almost featured a harrowing jam, as its ascending lines crashed and clashed. Shop Jerry Garcia Band: Live at Shoreline [DVD] [1990] at Best Buy. 11. The song came back in an exciting, if vocally challenged, disco-influenced arrangement—also very jam-heavy—in 1976. 1986-12-15 Grateful Dead Ticket experienced 18 minutes ago. "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl"February 14, 1968; Carousel Ballroom, San Francisco, CA. The longest and perhaps most intense versions are from the late period of the song’s relatively brief existence in the repertoire (such as Chicago 4-26-69 and Harpur College 5-2-70), but this one from 1967 really encapsulates what made this song such an important part of the Dead’s first years—it was the biggest jamming vehicle for the early group, capturing that era’s feral intensity, with all the parts interlocking, more by kismet than by calculation, Phil completely monstrous on the bass, and [Ron] Pigpen [McKernan’s] swirling organ still such a fundamental part of the sound. Available onRoad Trips Vol. “Scarlet” alone pick: Fresno 7-19-74. 1 No. 2. When this wonderful Weir funk number—introduced in 1979, less than a year after “Shakedown”— appeared as an opener, it promised a “long, long, crazy, crazy night!” and laid the groundwork for exactly that. It was released on December 4, 2020. The harmonies were better in the Nineties, but the jams not nearly as interesting. “Help on the Way” > “Slipknot!” > “Franklin’s Tower”June 9, 1977; Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco. Both are wonderful (as are most of these loping ’74s), filled with excellent interplay. A couple of final notes: The songs are listed in chronological order by performance date. Brent-era pick: Oakland 12-26-79 (major “clam” notwithstanding). 3. The interplay between Garcia (again with the envelope-wah) and Weir (who artfully employs a phase-pedal wah and octave divider in the middle of the jam) is deliciously rhythmic, and Brent adds much with his keyboards as well. 14-13. After all, hardcore Deadheads would argue that 50 versions of “Dark Star”—each different as can be—could be a list in itself. “The Wheel”December 14, 1980; Long Beach Arena, California. For an Eighties pick, try April 23, 1983, at Veteran’s Coliseum in New Haven, Connecticut. LP 3-5 are Live recordings. “Black Peter”October 29, 1977; Evans Field House, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois. Don’t miss it! Overall, my preference is for Brent-era versions, but there are many, many great ones from 1972 to 1979, and I have to concur with popular opinion that this one from the close of the Keith and Donna [Godchaux, singer] era smokes from beginning (“We used to play for acid/Now we play for Clive”) to the blistering ending jam. Nobody sounded quite like Garcia (often imitated, never duplicated), and the same could be said of Bob Weir, whose designation as a “rhythm guitarist” is hopelessly inadequate given the sophistication and depth of his playing. My favorite version in that style is the long, ultra-funky one from Cape Cod Coliseum, 10-27-79, just the second time Brent played it live. While other bands from the Haight-Ashbury scene during the Summer of Love faded away, the Grateful Dead kept on truckin’. “Lost Sailor” > “Saint of Circumstance”October 10, 1982; Frost Amphitheatre, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, These two Weir-written nuggets, which date back to the summer of ’79 and were paired until mid 1986, show two sides of Bob’s writing. There was a problem. 31. Eighties pick: Madison Square Garden, New York; 3-9-81. 2013 Preview SONG TIME Sugaree (Live) 1. Explore releases from The Jerry Garcia Band at Discogs. With this song, it’s all about Garcia’s vocal delivery and swelling, crying solo after the verses, and this one delivers in spades! Eighties pick: Frost Amphitheatre 10-10-82. Though I generally prefer the harmony vocals on the bridge in the Brent-era, the late Seventies versions have a distinctive haunting quality and some crushingly powerful jams. 48. All rights reserved. After a couple of years of “Scarlet” enlivening any set it appeared in, in March 1977 it was paired with the new “Fire on the Mountain” to become perhaps the most popular combo of songs in Dead history—it was played around 240 times. Share your email with us and we'll send you a new jam everyday! At this show, Garcia and Saunders played as a trio with drummer Bill Vitt. 16. Jerome John "Jerry" Garcia (August 1, 1942 – August 9, 1995) was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist best known for his work with the band the Grateful Dead, which came to prominence during the counterculture era in the 1960s.Though he disavowed the role, Garcia was viewed by many as the leader or "spokesman" of the group. We hate spam as much as you do! One CD features studio-recorded music, while the second consists of live performances. Yes the ’72 Veneta show, put on by Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters, is as good as its reputation. The slinky, Pigpen-sung “Schoolgirl” gave the early Dead a chance to stretch out on an easy shuffling blues groove, with Garcia and Pig trading licks on guitar and harmonica, and Phil always dancing on top with what was already a formidable bass assault. Howard Wales, the experimental jazz keyboardist best known for his work with Jerry Garcia on 'Hooteroll? For a Nineties pick, let’s go with Giants Stadium 6-17-91, which really shows what pianist Bruce Hornsby brought to the mix in that era. With its churning rhythms, slashing guitar, crunching bass and high-octane build-up during the jam, it’s a gripping rock/R&B tour de force. Available on Dick’s Picks Vol. “Lost Sailor” is drifty and floaty, with a slightly odd structure (that works! 36. "The Eleven"August 24, 1968; Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA. “Dear Mr. Fantasy”July 2, 1989; Sullivan Stadium, Foxboro, Massachusetts. Available on Dicks Pick’s Vol. “Crazy Fingers”June 9, 1976; Boston Music Hall, Boston, Massachusetts. Chosen by Phil for his Fallout from the Phil Zone compilation. “Terrapin Station”September 3, 1977; Raceway Park, Englishtown, New Jersey. ... New York City, The Best Of The Rest, October 15-30, 1987 (Album) 2 versions : Jerry Made: JGCD-0003 ... Bands I've Seen Live by Meloski. But here’s the cool news: There’s a fantastic web site called headyversion.com that is the ultimate resource for listening to the “best” versions of Grateful Dead songs. “Turn on Your Love Light”January 26, 1969; Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco. In the Eighties, the trio of Jerry, Bobby and Brent always did a nice job on that vocal coda. What follows is a selection of the best live versions of 50 songs by the Grateful Dead (and a few cover tunes) spanning their history. This is another winner from the dynamite Englishtown show. 31. Nearly every version is a blazing psychedelic swirl. SHOWS. Rhino. Available on the bonus disc of Road Trips Vol. ); and “Saint of Circumstance” is a riff-heavy and ultimately anthemic rocker, which also has some unpredictable components. This perky little number took the Dead’s Americana thrust in a slightly new direction, with its nod to old-time jazz, as well as country flavors. For an acoustic rendering closer to the Workingman’s Dead version, check out Harpur College 5-2-70. This double CD anthology of Jerry Garcia's work will not fail to please Garcia fans. Of course, there is no true consensus on any of this, but it is fair to say that there is widespread agreement that certain versions of certain songs would probably make most discerning Deadheads’ lists. Again, we lean early: ’72–’74, when Keith was in the band, Phil was at his most prominent musically, and the jams following the song typically opened up the widest and wildest. It almost falls apart, but the recovery is great! Enjoy the best Jerry Garcia Quotes at BrainyQuote. Always the boundless storyteller, his catalogue of live performances and tours reads like an intense journey through history, space, and palpable change. Garcia Live Volume 15 is a two-CD live album by Jerry Garcia and Merl Saunders. Played for the first time in two-and-a-half years, this is more in the vein of ’69 versions (even dropping in a couple of actual riffs from that era) and surprisingly self-assured—more to my taste than the best late-Eighties or early-Nineties versions, which relied so heavily on MIDI textures. Jerry Garcia’s 50 Greatest Songs From country-rock gems to exploratory jams, from Grateful Dead classics to solo high-points, here’s the ultimate guide to an epic musical life The shows resulted in a live album, Almost Acoustic, credited to the Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band, released by Grateful Dead Merchandising in 1988. Available on Road Trips Vol. “Estimated Prophet”July 8, 1978; Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, Colorado. Grateful Dead Poster 1973-10-19 experienced 17 minutes ago. “Morning Dew”May 8, 1977; Barton Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. “Jack Straw”January 11, 1979; Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, New York. They brought it all together in a unique mélange that took them from the fire-breathing psychedelia of the late Sixties, to the Dead Americana of Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty, and far beyond. 3, and it’s hard to argue against its greatness. For “Goin’ Down the Road” it’s gotta be Fillmore East 4-29-71, coming out of an exquisitely constructed jam that has “China Cat” and “St. Jerry’s Story experienced 15 minutes ago. “Alligator” > “Caution (Do Not Stop on Tracks)”August 23, 1968; Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA, With these two Pigpen numbers, it was less about the songs than the jams they spurred.