Of course I can unequivocally state the best China-Rider ever......02-22-74.
Ask me again next week and I'll probably say the same thing.
Dick Latvala (may he RIP) made the point once that every time you slap on an old favourite (Dark Star, say) you're bringing a different set of ears to it because presumably you're not the same person as before. Which means of course there's every possibility you might like it less, or more, than the last time. Which also means of course these 'best ever' notions we get are fragile things. Of course he was right (well, not counting maybe if the last time you heard our Dark Star in question was yesterday, but you get the point). Why wouldn't it work that way? It can work that way when you re-read a classic novel for example, or see a great movie again for the first time in a while.
So I'd like to second the notion voiced by others that it's not so much about debating 'best evers' as it is about pointing each other in directions that might be well worth investigating. With that thought in mind I'll leave you with....... Dark Star, 12.11.72. Oh my gosh!
I ve got 2 really good ones right now. 3/06/81 Stanley Theater, JackStraw, Peggy-O, They Love Each Other,and Cassidy was in there but those 3 tunes are what got me on the bus. Very Hot. Then 9/26/81 Buffalo, Bertha>EstimatedProphet, and Morning Dew are very very hot as well. I'm a little partial to those because they were my first 2 shows, but give them a listen and I think you will all agree the band was 100% on!!!!!
with my Moniker i had to make a choice on this
I love the version on Ladies and Gentlemen The Grateful Dead
Bob
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Spanish Jam
Ratdog 12th August 2007 Lowell
may not be the best but it is worth a listen, Dennis McNally reading Kerouac about Uncle Neal
Bob
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Spanish Jam
Playing in the Band Winterland 10-09-72 GO LISTEN GRACE SLICK JAM FOLLOWS
It's the scariest Playin i have heard.....
Dead to the Core
www.myspace.com/bongwizard
Howdy GD folks,
hmm...it's always hard to say but some good versions off the top of my head are:
Dancin: 02-14-70, atlanta 77, of which there is some bass drum beats that have me wondering what was going on exactly, NEVER heard the bass drum beat so fast, like ginger baker....I think it was mickey, but you never know...the only reason I would think it was mickey is becuase he is the research drummer if you will
Sugar mag>scarlet>fire : 03-27-88 is on fire....this should be looked at for a commericial release, it's that strong, the fire on the mountain is great, nice groove, nice note choice by garcia, etc. the whole band is on...estimated that follows is really good too
Dark Star 04-29-72 Hamburg, Germany, it's difficult to assess europe 72 tour is simply so well performed , this is a nice dark star
Corrina : 06-15-93 , great performance, not a real fan of the tune, but the jam that comes at the end is so organic , and "indian like" not east indian, but american type indian
terrapin station>jam , 06-23-93 , the show is very mundane , until this point after terrapin...it is similar in design to the early 70's, but the tonality is much more complex and modern, not simply a mixolydian type of tonality, a nice full twelve tone tonality, that is very mature
wharf rat: 03-21-90, very well done on the instruments and vocals, the out jam is very strong
china cat sunflower>I know you rider, 07-06-90 is very good, nice phil and jerry trade off's , phil playing is very strong during the segue jam into rider
He's gone>jam , 07-06-90 Louisville, Ky. very nice jam, perhaps one of the best from 90's, very blues laden, but then does the triplet groove as in the other one on the out, nice phil playing on this one
visions of johanna : chicago, 95 , jerry throws out his ear monitor and let's it rip, he singing this one from the heart, I almost think he knew that this might be the last time
space: 06-19-93 chicago, mickey goes nuts on the beam, I never see him baseball swing like this before
playing in the band: 06-06-93, out of UJB, which is usually the oppisite, this one goes to meltdown into drums, full twelve tone wierdness by the end of the jam, also jerry is actually using a wah wah pedal reminiscent of the early 70's
Sugar Magnolia, 03-16-93, on the sunshine daydream, phil let's down on the volume pedal, on the F sharp to E natural kicks, I mean 20 kHz to the max, let the ole subwoofer put the vibe out, good version too
Big River : 06-22-73 standard honky tonk , will Billy K playing a perfect beat on the snare, plus everybody else just letting it rip
that's the short list, I could go on for days, most of this I actually saw, the other I've listened to many, many times
Ursa Minor
I wish that for just one time, You could stand inside my shoes, and for just that one moment, I could be you - Bob Dylan, Positively 4th St.
Go listen HERE
If you don't know the download trick to get the mp3, just message me.....
Dead to the Core
www.myspace.com/bongwizard
9- '72, Baltimore on Dick's Picks is a smoker.
Locations
For the Looks Like Rain freaks (not sure I'm one but anyways) check out those from the spring of '72 on which Jerry plays pedal steel. I'm not sure he was ever of greater service to that song than w/ those versions. He made that thing cry.