[amyjared]

The best? That's kind of subjective. I have some I rate higher than others because:
I was there
I was high
I have a great sounding cd/tape
They broke something out
They had a special guest
They were just on

That being said, my fave for a long time was the Richmond show that they did a Dick's Pick of and the best New Year's Show I ever saw, the one with Branford and the bungy jumpers - forgot what year maybe 89? Anyhow, I liked it best when the boys had someone pushing them and adding horns to the boys was always a highlight for me! I thought they should have invited Branford to be in the band. I even caught him coming out with The Dead a couple of years ago in Raleigh and doing a killer version of Low Spark of High Heeled Boys with Warren.

[mttourpro]

Anyone know where I can get a good copy of 2/27/69 and that Lovelight with Janis. Ive heard it before but not in a long long time.

The best quality recording of that show (and the next 3 nights) are to be found on the recently released box set. I think it's called something like "Filmore West 1969". They only released 10,000 copies and I believe they are sold out but I'm sure you can get ot from someone. I think it is a 10 disc set that sold for about 100 bucks.

[tigerstrat]

Anyone know where I can get a good copy of 2/27/69 and that Lovelight with Janis. Ive heard it before but not in a long long time.

The Lovelight w/Janis is not on 2/27/69; its ummm... 6/7/69? One of those June Fillmore West's anyway... and also a July 1970 one.

[China Cat]

Lostsailor i saw you mentioned 10/11/83. that was a great show, but i cant stand the keys during China Cat>I Know You Rider. just my opinion. they sound too cartoonish, almost like theyre from some old nintendo game.

[jck_strw]

Yup, tiger's right. 6-7-69 has Janis. 2-27-69 weas during the infamous Fillmore run (released on that Fillmore 10CD box set). No time for Janis then.

[BlobWeird]

No I knew it wasnt from the same show. I was just askin for both lol. I got the 2-27-69 show already. Wow! Awesome show. Great everything in there. Love The Eleven in there.

[kevo]

The best? That's kind of subjective. I have some I rate higher than others because:
I was there
I was high
I have a great sounding cd/tape
They broke something out
They had a special guest
They were just on

That being said, my fave for a long time was the Richmond show that they did a Dick's Pick of and the best New Year's Show I ever saw, the one with Branford and the bungy jumpers - forgot what year maybe 89? Anyhow, I liked it best when the boys had someone pushing them and adding horns to the boys was always a highlight for me! I thought they should have invited Branford to be in the band. I even caught him coming out with The Dead a couple of years ago in Raleigh and doing a killer version of Low Spark of High Heeled Boys with Warren.

Branford tore shit up in the early 90's. First time i heard the Eyes on Without a Net i was hooked.

[tigerstrat]

Hard to imagine anything after '77 making any top 10, top 25, maybe even top 50 list.

Easy for me! Early 80's is simply totally amazing, with Jerry at his absolute top form and the two-headed drummer at the peak of his powers, a sobering and powerfully tight and energetic Phil and Brent providing tons of afterburner fuel... while 76-78 generally holds far fewer thrills for me.

... the jazz influences of the mid-'70s weren't there yet - that stuff peaked with those spring '77 shows,

I think many people would say that the jazziest of the jazzy clearly peaked between spring 1972 through fall 1974. Late 70's imho was definitely heading back into tight-as-can-be Rock territory, with growing World music and Pop(read: "Disco" and "Singer/Songwriter") influences.

[tigerstrat]

But I digress. I was doing my list according to how the thread author stated the question, with the word "legendary" in mind, not so much "the Best"... I was more trying to come up with some of the unique and highly magical settings or occaisions where they've played. And of course I left out the Festival Express!!

[BlobWeird]

Yeah Id definitely have to agree with Tiger on the jazz statement. When I think jazzy dead I think of one year and thats 1974 all the way. Whether its JGB or the Dead that year had jazz written all over it.

[droppeddminer]

I think many people would say that the jazziest of the jazzy clearly peaked between spring 1972 through fall 1974. Late 70's imho was definitely heading back into tight-as-can-be Rock territory, with growing World music and Pop(read: "Disco" and "Singer/Songwriter") influences.

When I think jazzy dead I think of one year and thats 1974 all the way.

Agreed on late '70s rock/world/pop/disco/singsong, but just maybe starting to head that way in spring '77, and I guess I'll have to go listen to some '74 again, maybe early-mid-70s and late-mid-70s are gettin' all mushed together in my so-called brain... However I must take issue w/spring '72 bein' heavily jazzy, there's def some jazz there (wasn't there always? GD = jazz approach to rock idiom... a lot o' this is pretty fine-distinction stuff, no?) but the whole Europe tour (love it) sounds more like C&W on acid to me

[tigerstrat]

However I must take issue w/spring '72 bein' heavily jazzy, there's def some jazz there (wasn't there always? GD = jazz approach to rock idiom... a lot o' this is pretty fine-distinction stuff, no?) but the whole Europe tour (love it) sounds more like C&W on acid to me

Agreed to that, but particularly the 1972(-74) one-drummer Dark Stars, Playin jams, Truckin jams, Other Ones, and some of the newer jams they added in the following couple of years have the some of the slickest and most excellent Kreutzmann/Godchaux monster chops ever. Something that very naturally couldn't have quite the same feel and flavor when they reentered the two-drummer config. in 75.

[Jake_Straw]

one of my fav's that hasn't been mentioned yet is 9-3-77 but 'legendary' might be just a handful... The list in an earlier post is pretty good start.... the order might change depending on the day of the week...

[grateful4booze]

Hollywood 8/6/71.

[Django]

Strange, I like the one drummer shows the best, but I like the "idea" of two drummers and I like Mickey. Most the shows I got to see were two drummer shows and the visual was great. Plus the whole Drums phenomena needs both of them. I guess it would have been cool if maybe portions of all shows would have been Billy alone with Mickey joining in for certain sets, but no one likes riding the bench. Especially in a band.