[tigerstrat]

A really good Estimated Prophet is always good too. I didn't list it above because I presently don't have a recording that I am partial to, so I wouldn't have a recommendation to back up the above if asked to.

12-16-86, its up on etree. Has been one of my favs for quite a while

Esty??

10/26/89 Miami, 12/28/88 Oakland(attendance bias) or 10/12/81 Munich

[oconnors_35]

Yes, excellent can of worms post!

Already I can see that Tigerstrat and I have very different tastes in GD songs. I was never a big Dark Star fan, though it's OK, and I always hated the song Truckin'. Anyway, a few I really enjoy are:

Funny, some songs (like Truckin') I never cared for much until I really tried learning the guitar parts, now I love it! There are so many cool riffs!

SeanO

[chinacat503]

china cat sunflower > i know you rider - 73-11-11
eyes of the world - 74-06-26
sugaree - 77-05-28, 77-05-22
morning dew - 89-07-19, 89-06-21, 77-05-08, 89-10-08
mississippi half-step - 77-04-30, 77-05-07, 77-09-03
uncle johns band- (many good versions, 81-03-09 is one)
bird song - 72-09-21, 72-08-27
they love each other - 73-11-30
brown eyed women - 78-02-03
deal - 78-02-03
jack straw - 1984-10-20
friend of the devil - 77-06-07
greatest story ever told - 73-05-20, 73-04-02

[Mick]

Thanks to those who posted suggested Estimated Prophet versions, I listened to all of them yesterday. Funny thing though, I didn't particularly care for any of them. I think maybe that is the point of the thread, or should be a point of a thread, what songs did you love in concert that just fall flat when recorded? For me, Estimated is clearly one of them. I even went back to some of the shows I was at where they played it (4-8-85, 6-28-85 are two examples), and didn't particularly care for those versions either. I remember when I was in college I had a version on tape that I liked, can't remember the date and all my old tapes hit the can a long time ago, maybe someday I will come across it again.

One thing about those mid '85 shows: I had forgotten how bad some of Jerry's vocals were that year. This was pretty timely given the other thread ripping Donna up pretty good for having a lot of bad shows. Jerry's guitar playing was all good from what I listened to, but he sang some pretty awful stuff. I would still gladly pay $50 to see those shows again live though, bad vocals and all.

[HOWEYMAN]

can anyone help what are the best live grateful dead songs????

The Grateful Dead are live. This question is so opened ended that there is just no answer IMO.

A better question would be what are the dead's best studio versions of their live songs.

[HOWEYMAN]

I don't believe that the Grateful Dead were known much for their live shows.

Try 'Go to Heaven' a fabulous studio album with a nice cover of the boys in some beautiful tuxes.

I seriously hope you are joking here.

[BlobWeird]

I don't believe that the Grateful Dead were known much for their live shows.

Try 'Go to Heaven' a fabulous studio album with a nice cover of the boys in some beautiful tuxes.

I seriously hope you are joking here.

He HAD to be joking there. Otherwise that is a ridiculous comment

[weirimpressed]

if he wasnt joking, we'd better turn him on!!!!

[Django]

HOWEYMAN wrote:
Django wrote:
I don't believe that the Grateful Dead were known much for their live shows.

Try 'Go to Heaven' a fabulous studio album with a nice cover of the boys in some beautiful tuxes.


I seriously hope you are joking here

[Django]

HOWEYMAN wrote:
Django wrote:
I don't believe that the Grateful Dead were known much for their live shows.

Try 'Go to Heaven' a fabulous studio album with a nice cover of the boys in some beautiful tuxes.


I seriously hope you are joking here

Look at the date of my post boys...
I will take the turn on though, weirimpressed!

[Henry]

There's so many tunes to choose from, but some of my personal favorites, the ones that best represent the "Live Dead" for me and always bring a smile to my face are more or less:

Scarlet>Fire
China>Rider
Sugaree
Bertha
Jack Straw
New Minglewood Blues, preferably the '80s version that starts on the I chord
Deal, also '80s version, when Jerry really lets it rip towards the end and Brent lays down some smokin' organ riffs at the same time
A complete Cryptical Envelopment/Drums/Other One/ from about '69-'71
and of course the classic Dark Star/St. Stephen/The Eleven from '68/69.

I have to admit I'm a big fan of the Dead from about '68-'71 and then of the Brent years, but not really that much of neither the Keith and Donna period nor the '90s.

[penny3000]

Thanks to those who posted suggested Estimated Prophet versions, I listened to all of them yesterday. Funny thing though, I didn't particularly care for any of them. I think maybe that is the point of the thread, or should be a point of a thread, what songs did you love in concert that just fall flat when recorded? For me, Estimated is clearly one of them. I even went back to some of the shows I was at where they played it (4-8-85, 6-28-85 are two examples), and didn't particularly care for those versions either. I remember when I was in college I had a version on tape that I liked, can't remember the date and all my old tapes hit the can a long time ago, maybe someday I will come across it again.

Hate to sound cliche, but I've always enjoyed the 5/8/77 Estimated Prophet; granted thats likely partly due to the fact that it comes right after the absolutely epic Scarlet>Fire from that date (and if you don't think this scarlet>fire was epic, then you got some screws loose [on a super-side note: I have come across some comments of people stating that they don't understand what is so special about the 5/8/77 scarlet>fire, and that they know of 50 other versions they like better.... yea i'm gonna have to go ahead on call bull$hit on that one, non-conformity to an extreme]... anyway.... But after the fire there is somewhat of a transition into Estimated, and its a pretty damn solid version, so just start with scarlet and let it ride and its all good listenin, then before you know it you hear those opening notes to st. stephen.
Also, to reply to the original post about what songs are good live, I'd def. agree with some others mentioning china>rider, and to get specific, the version on dick's picks 12 from '74 is pretty unique and scorchin.

[acidrain30005]

Oh man I absolutely LOVE the Scarlet>Fire from 5/8/77. That whole show is just insane.

[LazyLightnin]

ive always thought of 5/8/77 as having definitive versions of Scarlet>Fire and Estimated prophet. Esty from the very next day is a really good one too.
Im goin with 10/31/91 as my fave scarlet>fire. The boys are all charged up on Bruce, sans accordian for a little while, and put out a phenominal let it grow. but the transisition between scarlet and fire is wonderful the way the band just whips around to the signature riff into fire. the jam also features Jerry with his flute midi, which i am a fan of. makes me daydream about shooting stars and shit.

[Sugar]

Take the usual setlist vintage 73-74 and throw out the corny cowboy stuff (Me and My Uncle, El Paso). That is about as good as it gets. Great songs as well as performances!

For the very best, choose the ones that feature Jerry the most.

Sugar