Fav Morning Dew?

[jck_strw]

I think this is my favourite Jerry ballad. My favourite version is 10-18-74 (this is the one from the Grateful Dead Movie). Keith's piano is awesome in this song and Jerry just couldn't hit a wrong note.

Anyone have a tasty version to recommend?

[Billbbill]

Hey Jack,
One of my favorites, somewhat biased maybe cause I was there, is 6/18/83 at SPAC.

http://www.archive.org/download/gd83-06 ... f2c134e9ca

Lengthy link. It's not the best quality (to say the least!) but it's very powerful. The whole 2nd set is probably one of my favorites of all. I could kick myself cause at one time I had a soundboard on cassette but no more.

Bill

[ebick]

That is a great Dew which I also got to enjoy live.....even with Jerry's one very off key line.

I'm also particular to 4/6/82 (Spectrum....that whole 2nd set and particularly the Truckin->Other One->Dew)

9/26/81 (I think that's the right date, Buffalo) which I also got to enjoy live.

And finally, 9/2/80, Iko Iko->Dew. It's on a Dick's Picks, but I have an audience recording that picks up the energy of it a lot better.

[amyjared]

I loved the SPAC Dew for years and being there didn't hurt. The other one that I loved while I was there was the Hershey Dew from '85. Haven't listened to it since I didn't want to sour the memory, so tell me if it's any good or it was just the 'state' I was in...-Jared

[violanojblues]

I'm partial to the 2/28/69 Dew since it was one of my first tapes back in the day. It has that psychedelic country feel that I love from those early "daze" w/TC.
I also love the version on Dix Pix 3. Underrated because of the Cornell show earlier in that month, but a very solid performance.
I have to mention the encore in Louisville on 6/18/74. It caps off a great show from an exceptional tour.

I don't think any of these make the general consensus for greatest versions but I think each show is definitely worth a listen.

Now that I think of it, I believe an overall good show makes a good Dew. I never heard a good Dew played at a "bad" show.

[strumminsix]

I'm partial to the 2/28/69 Dew since it was one of my first tapes back in the day. It has that psychedelic country feel that I love from those early "daze" w/TC.

Right fucking on. Finally another old school fan! To me Dew came alive when it was a ballad sung with great fervor and energy with a driving tempo and dripping with psychedelia. Listening to Jerry linking up overdrive and Phaser (I believe in that order despite phaser being an envlope effect which traditionally would reside before the preamp or any other drive effects) just sends chills down my spine!

Shit, the 60s were it for the dead and some ballads IMO. I've not heard a Dew past 69 that motiviates me like those in the 60s. Sure 72 had a few great DS's but man the 60s really made it rock.

Now that I think of it, I believe an overall good show makes a good Dew. I never heard a good Dew played at a "bad" show.

Ahh, you sound like me and my old bus saying that MAMU was a show barometer. That tune works especially well since it was played so often too!

[violanojblues]

No crap. Right in the middle of some spacey acid-soaked Dark Stars or Other Ones would emerge a cowboy classic courtesy of Bobby. Mood killer or "hey, we're on planet Earth!?" reminder.

[strumminsix]

no, no, no barometer as in the measure of a good show!


but yes, strangely enough I never understood the space > MAMU connection. However the only ones that come to mind were the pre "set 1" "set 2" days so maybe they were just throwing somethings up and seeing what goes well.

oddly enough, i dig it. there were too many times that space would launch a ballad and that to bored me to death. i despise the 90s dead when it seemed like ever night was "drums>space>drums>wharf rat" or "d>s>d>too" or "d>s>d>dar star". BORING!

it was a time when they didn't have boundries. where they were making music and connecting with the fans not just putting squares into squares, triangles into tris and circles into circles.

Prolly one of my favorite out of jam tunes has been I need a miracle. It's not cheezy, it's jammy, it aint country, but man it's a mood change! love it.

To me spacy jams need something uplifting but the boys forgot that along the way which is why I don't listen to much after 79.

Listen to Hard to Handle or equally as impressive Here Comes Sunshine. The boys knew how to build a jam, bubble it, and slam you back into a song. That's a jamband!

[violanojblues]

I was actually thinking of some of the Europe '72 shows like 4/7/72 where they wedge El Paso right in the middle of The Other One or
4/16/72 TOO>M&MU>TOO
4/24/72 Dark Star>M&MU>Dark Star
5/3/72 Space>TOO>Drums>TOO>Space>M&MU>TOO

To me this is classic Bobby and I think it's quite daring, but always fun.

[violanojblues]

Correction, the 5/3/72 should have a Bobby McGee in place of Me & My Uncle. Still classic Bobby Weir.

[Cosmic C]

Can't agree with you guys more. I like some 80's very few 90's most 70's but early 70 and prior is it for me. To me thats when the boys would rock and just put a big grin on your face and make you say, dammn thats good!

[violanojblues]

You do have a good point Cosmic C. I think by late '71 and early '72 they realized the potential and beauty of this song.

I still love the raw psychedelic energy of those played in early '69 and before. The boys had all this talent and creative energy and didn't quite know how to harness it.

[shakedown_04092]

Def. the Dew from the GD movie is spectacular. In my mind, that's what Morning Dew should sound like. That is probably my favorite era in GD lore.

If I had to pick something else, the first one that comes to mind is 4/21/69 from The Ark in Boston. Spectacular sound. Jerry's guitar literally screams through his amp, comes at you full force, and chokes the living shit out of you. It's horrific, in the best possible way.

Anybody heard this Dew? Comments?

[TomM]

I am very fond of the 5-8-77 Morning Dew. It followed St. Stephen-->NFA-->St.Stephen --> Morning Dew. It will bring tears to your eyes

[tigerstrat]

yes it's hard to believe it took this long for someone to mention the 5/8/77 Dew in this thread! That show's S>F is a bit overmentioned and overrated, but the Dew just might just be tops!!

I saw them play Dew about 15-20 times between 86 and 95, and by far my favorite one attended was 7/15/88 at the Greek... such a massive explosion! Another GRRRRRREAT one was 4/15/89 Milwaukee, one of the most SCORCHING shows of Brent's last chapter with the band.