[Cosmic Jimmy]

To return a favor, my buddy is downloading / burning me three GD shows. I have my pick of anything and don't know where to start. I just wanted to ask the question what would be your three best shows?

[Dozin]

Some Ideas. Some of these made it to Dick's Picks

Ithica 5-8-77
Hampton 10-8/9-89
Binghampton, NY 5-2-1970
Nassau 3/29/90
MSG 9/18/90

[mttourpro]

6-16-85 whole show

6-14-91 whole show

3-1-69 or 2-13-70

[bucketorain]

10-12-89, Killer bucket opener major bobby on the whammy bar...smoking wharf rat!! brent very eerie on this!

4-29-71 Filmore East...speaks for itself....

***must have!! 4-17-71 pigpen buys the brooklyn bridge for $1.25!!! clasic. "is that a girl? no that's the brookly bridge!!"

4-19-82 Baltimore Civic Aud. "The Raven" Space featuring Phil quoting Edgar Allen Poes poem...

[frankielee]

10/13/68...The Perfect Darkstar
8/27/72...Hot,long drippy show-guaranteed to melt your mind
2/24/74-Wall of Sound at Winterland!
4/29/71-what bucket said...gotta have a Fillmore show!
5/8/77-Perfect...Sorry but I could not keep it to three...all these shows are a must

[tigerstrat]

Get yourself a representative of the three Great Eras of GD: 60's, 70's, 80's

way too many to choose from so, off the top of my head, imho:

2/15/69 Philadelphia or 2/21/69 Vallejo
12/6/73 Cleveland or 10/18/72 St. Louis
2/27/81 Chicago or 4/15/89 Milwaukee

cue next 500 responses...

[pappypgh]

You need a representative of the 3 BEST eras. I know my buddy mttourpro says that great show from 1991 (I am sure without even looking that's the Help > Slip > Frank, Estimated > Dark Star show from RFK he went to and blathers on about ad nauseum )
BUT you simply CANNOT put 1991-1995 in with the best shows...period.

Pigpen era: I WOULD pick the 4/29/71 show, if they weren't out of tune every song. I WOULD however, pick a good one from 1971 Fillmore WEST....they played some hot stuff there....good Hard To Handle, rocking shows.

NEXT, you MUST give him 5/7/77. It's the standard. No way he's not gonna like THAT show.

FINALLY, you gotta pick something from Fall 1989 through Spring 1990. Can't go wrong with 90% of those shows. The Warlocks shows from Hampton are a nice choice....but my personal faves (eventhough song selection isn't nearly as monstrous as those Warlocks shows) would be either 3/16/90 from The Cap Center (breakout of BTWind, KICKASS Bird Song, GREAT Scarlet to open set II), 3/22/90 from Hamilton, Ontario (again with the SICKLEBERRY Scarlet > Fire, plus LOTS of other goodies) or 3/19/90 from Hartford (GREAT Deal to close the first set, nice 2nd set choices too...Box > Foolish > Playin' > Eyes ?!!!).

Anything with Vince Welnick would send him running for Motley Crue or something of that ilk.

[weirimpressed]

THANK YOU for mentioning that 5/7/1977

one of my favorite shows by far, the opening mississippi half/step is out of this world, and terrapin into samson is always fun

even if you dont burn it, add it to the inventory

[razmablues]

dicks picks 1 and 4 if you have em, both early 70's shows...

mind blowing

as for the 3rd show i love, 12-27-77, listen to the peggyo for a glimpse into the beauty of that night.

[pappypgh]

THANK YOU for mentioning that 5/7/1977

one of my favorite shows by far, the opening mississippi half/step is out of this world, and terrapin into samson is always fun

even if you dont burn it, add it to the inventory

ACTUALLY, I blew that...hehe

I MEANT that the STANDARD show was 5-8-77 CORNELL. HOWEVER, the night before, 5-7-77 at Boston Garden IS indeed a sickie!! BUT to correct you, Weirimpressed, the show opens with Bertha. The 1/2-Step > Big River is just before the Tennessee Jed > Music Never Stopped first set closer. That 1/2-Step is awesome....Jerry is EN FUEGO the whole show. Really, you can't go wrong w/ either one, but as far as THE STANDARD goes....you GOTTA go w/ the Scarlet > Fire from Cornell....PLUS the Morning Dew is to die for.

[weirimpressed]

I meant that most people seem look over the 5/7/1977 imo, but I almost like it more than the 5/8/1977 (dont hate me for it!!)

Thanks for correcting me, bertha is the first song played.
The scarlet fire from 5/8 is out of this world though, both shows the band was on "FIRE!!"

[tigerstrat]

2/27/81 Scarlet> Fire eats the 5/8/77 Scarlet> Fire for breakfast, and come lunchtime, is VERY hungry!

I really don't get it about the 5/8 S>F.... is it the phat bass swoops at the beginning? THOSE make it the "greatest" S>F? Because after the cool bass on the intro, it settles into a rather average version of this song pairing- where are the fantastic mindbending peaks?? Fairly weak Dancing In The Streets too... go to 5/19/77 for the really great Disco Dancin' jam. Great Dew, though, no argument there!

(ducking for cover)

[drums>space]

I really don't get it about the 5/8 S>F.... is it the phat bass swoops at the beginning? THOSE make it the "greatest" S>F? Because after the cool bass on the intro, it settles into a rather average version of this song pairing

i've always thought the exact same thing... couldn't have said it better myself.

[frankielee]

If you don't grab a show from 72>74...It's your loss. Maybe you already have some.but if you don't you need too.

[pappypgh]

I really like that Scarlet > Fire from Cornell. I think the entire show has a very magical energy. Most of that whole year does, but this night in particular is moreso than others. For me, those bass "swoops" don't even come into play (to note an earlier thread about DSO / GD, their bassist weilds that yang about every time they do the song...enough, already). Jerry's voice, the rhythm. It all comes together for me in that show. I STRONGLY disagree about the Dancin' 1st set closer, TS....I think it's fun & phat. Have I heard better riffs here & there from Jerry? Yes, but the whole package is a really special one, here IMO.
That disco Dancin' is garbage, IMO, too...that's how EVERYONE played it (the more "upbeat" versions of the early 70s & 80s). Their re-arrangement found on the Terrapin album, and played at Cornell and other shows in 77-78 are where it's at GDwise. The other version lacks BEEF.