Grateful Dead Music Forum

slow one by far is my favorite to listen to,

The American Beauty version for me everytime.

Though Garcia/Grisman did some tasty ones later on. This is nice:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U67PVvO7WI

As a gigging DeadHead whose been playing this tune live for audiences since about '78, I would say the fast version pretty much always brings twirling heads to the dance floor, but most of my fast versions were done in Bluegrass-ee band settings, and were usually acoustic based bands, and often times I was playing pedal steel (or acoustic guitar).
I find the Slow versin to be much "deeper" and expressive though, and have been favoring playing it this way in recent years in tribute band settings, wether on electric guitar or pedal steel.
In all those years I don't believe I ever saw a Live fast version by the boys.
I happen like Brents "Marimba" patch on his FOTD solo on Dead Set. I really like when Jer comes ripping in right after that.
~pb

I love the faster versions, when they slow it down it loses that bluegrass element that makes it such a good song. And the live versions might compare if they were to tour with grisman.

I guess it's the difference between chugging beer and sipping a fine wine. Both can sometimes be appropriate. They played it fast for about 4 years and then slow and THICK for another 19 (a taste faster in G&G). I definitely think Garcia made changes that the song needed to visit some very special places. Check out Jerry's solo on Closing of Winterland(12/31/78)!! Nothing like that ever would have been possible if the tempo hadn't been rolled back.

Funny how the mid-70's changed the tempo of several songs but in different directions. Songs like Eyes and Playin In The Band sped way up, FOTD and TLEO slowed down... just a few examples.

i just listened to a really cookin FOTD from 8-17-82 (audience) and it was just so gracious. the jam got really intense with brent filling in ever so nicely, propelling everything into overdrive. jerry was able to get much more emotional intent into his solos when it was slow and man did he rock it...

Dancin' changed so much from the 60's and continually throughout the 70's. they are all pretty awesome but i really like one from 5-6-70 at MIT a fuckin lot. they get into a sweet motown jam on that one, holy crap, its hair raising. so much different than the ones wit hthe mutron from the late 70's...

Live for the most part

The slow versions fit in well with the context of the late '70s/early'80s shows, but I personally tend to think of it more as a country-oriented song, so the studio and early live versions in a similar tempo are my favorites. I always play it fast when I play it myself, too.

yep, usually play it fast and with bluegrass/country feel when i'm jamming with my buddies. also prefer doing the song acoustic, or at least acoustic rhythm guitar...

like someone said before, always gets ppl dancing and smiling when u get a nice perky version going.

in any case, great song no matter how you play it.

Honestly, I actually kinda prefer the live one. I've got that on right now, in fact -- Dead Set. Of course, that was the first one I heard. When I first heard the studio version after listening to the live one so much, my first thought was, Sweet Jesus, that's fast!
When I first put on my new Dead Set record (Yes, I listen to vinyl), it was a soft, slow, and pensive tune, and I was kind of in a soft, slow, and pensive mood, so it fit well. Of course, I'm not sure the speed has anything to do with my preference of it. I've always liked live versions better.
When I play Friend, I kind of put the speed in between the studio version and the live version -- that sounds kinda nice. I'm playing that version on stage next month, and I might post a video of it o here.
But don't think of me as much of an authority on the Dead. I'm just putting my thoughts out there.
-Oceanbear

I prefer the live version to the studio. It's cool that we have preferences and we're all different in our own ways.

Alligator wrote:I prefer the live version to the studio. It's cool that we have preferences and we're all different in our own ways.

Yeah. It's great when people with different opinions say what they think without the discussion becoming an argument. That's one thing I love about talking to Deadheads.

Wow, CountryMile Cadillac. Wow.

(That's a good wow, by the way. . .)

Man that Lyle Lovett version is great. Saw him in concert last year--not the same kind of concert experience that many of us deadheads are used to, but the guy is just an outstanding performer and his band is incredible. They can jump from big band jazz to bluegrass to mainstream-ish country/pop, slicker than owl shit.

Anyway in regards to FOTD, I do love to hear Jerry sing the slow version, but when I try to play it like that with my band, it clears the dance floor.