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  • tennmatt
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    standing on the moon
    would love to know or be turned of to some of the best standing on the moon ?
  • TN John
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    Amen
    Great version!
  • Birdsong52
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    Found this version of
    Found this version of Birdsong over at Sex Drugs and Rock n Roll, a pretty groovy online-zine based on the principles we all grew up on!
  • Gr8fulTed
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    Vidbusters China Cat
    Well Carl, I'm stumped. I've checked a bunch of China's and I'm sure it must be from the spring of 1972(Europe)or possibly 9-17-72. In addition, I do not have 11/14/71 nor 7/21-22/72, so check them if you have the Roadtrip downloads. Close contestants include San Antonio 11/26/72 and Long Beach 12/15/72. Due to the poor quality of your mp3 link from vidbusters it's tough to really pin it down. I do know that Keith Godchaux is on a Steinway grand piano, not an electric piano or organ, so I searched forward from September '71. It's possible the song could be from 1973, but I'd stay in 1972. I found several great versions: 10/24/71 Detroit, 12/15/71 Ann Arbor, 12/31/71 San Francisco, 8/21/72 Berkeley, 8/27/72 Veneta, 9/3/72 Boulder, 9/9/72 Hollywood, 10/18/72 St Louis, 10/26/72 Cinci, and Wichita 11/17/72. The Europe '72 version is wonderful: Paris > 5/3/72My personal favorites come in 1973 and 1974, when the "Feeling Groovy" jam appears within the transitional jam between China and Rider. Check out the Sunshine Daydream 8/27/72 video performance on YouTube: Sunburn city!!
  • Anna rRxia
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    Carl, Your China Cat
    Is going through an MP3. Could this make up some of the differences between the DP4 and musical variation you say is there? I don't think this is from Europe 72, having listened to all of them.
  • franklintower88
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    best china cat?
    I think the best china cat was 6/16/74, assuming that rider is included
  • carlhungeez
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    China cat Sunflower
    I have a version of the China Cat Sunflower song I feel is THE DEFINITIVE live version. Please have a listen -- I have attached the link stream below from my private collection. Here's the catch: I dont know from what live performance it is from, and Ive been looking for over 7 years. People say its from Dicks Picks #4, yet others say it's from Europe '72. I own both of those versions (which are spectacular), and although close, this still bares musical differences. If anyone can help me identify the show this is played from, I would be forever grateful. Thank you so much and enjoy the song. http://www.vidbusters.com/~gator/Chinacatsunflower.mp3 4:43 is liquid cosmic magic. . .and then it cuts out soon after into the dark and lord only knows what beautiful melodies lay beyond it. . . -Carl
  • MattyE
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    does 8-27-72 have the most "best versions"?
    I think so
  • littlesmoke
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    bird song '73
    ok, i heard this Bird Song on sirius. I beleive it said April 19, '73, but i could have read it wrong. Bobby plays this line with just two alternating notes - its so simple, yet so beautiful. Dead at its best, imho. Can anyone tell me where this song is from?
  • wilfredtjones
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    9-2-80 China>Rider revisited
    Upon scrutiny, it actually sounds like Mr. Bob didn't come in where he was supposed to (that's where Brent's keys come in). I think what may have screwed him up a little is that they didn't all sing together as normal on the first verse. Jerry helps out after the Brent 'break' (where Bob was supposed to come in), and then proceeds immediately after with the correct lyric after helping Bob with his line. Either way, this version scorches! Just sweet. I just love the guitar filigrees Jerry adds which make this version truly unique.
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17 years 5 months
So, what are your all-time greats?
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13 years 8 months
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best is subjective, but these versions are my favorites and they are all from 2/18/1971, last show with Mickey for several years ... *Bertha *Loser Hard to Handle *Wharf Rat (with Beautiful Jam!) Me and My Uncle Me and Bobby McGee Big Boss Man Candyman Uncle John's Band * - first time ever played Bertha is very cool because it has this little coda at the end of the song, and this version is the only time it was ever played. My 3rd show, and the first time I was ever psychedelic at a show. New Riders opened the show with a great set. One of the best nights Jerry ever had, imho. You can't go wrong with this show.
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17 years 5 months
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First night of two at the Jai-Alai Fronton in Miami. This is without a doubt my favorite China/Rider of all. The jam out of China Cat is second to none in my opinion. It is a complete work of art filled with masterful playing by all, with with one peak after another, a continuously building crescendo that literally explodes into Rider. The first time I heard it, it nearly blew my mind and still has an incredible effect on me to this day.
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17 years 4 months
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Hollywood Bowl? 1971. pure funk. I barely even recognized it the first time I heard it. I really like "traditional" Mr C...but this one is tops...IMO, of course. Your mileage may vary
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6 years
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My personal favorite is the peformance of "Black Peter", Northern Illinois University, 1977.
I am from europe, and was studying at the university from 1976-1979. I didnt know the dead before that show, but i have loved them ever since. Love from Denmark.

Best regards
Søren Jespersen
Writer at https://bedste-blackfriday-tilbud.dk/

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5 years 11 months
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Cow Palace New Years Eve 1976. Simply because I just listened to it! No doubt, tomorrow will bring a new favourite 😎

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15 years
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I had a whim to find a Terrapin above Terrapins. The one that will send shivers down my spine and fill me up with cascading sound fields each and every listen.

I listened to all the ones I have, not that many, maybe 6-7 and this is what I found:

The infamous version from Englishtown '77 still stands out quite a bit. It was my first show and I thought I was just playing favorites, but indeed it quite a wonderful version.

The other one I liked was from 03/03/1990 Nassau Coliiseum

It was also and quite education to listen to Robert Hunter Jack O' Roses acoustic studio version which clocks in at 15:58

But, I thought I would ask here as I know I will get some solid sound advice.

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4 years 9 months
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My personal favorite is the peformance of "Black Peter", Northern Illinois University, 1977.
I am from europe, and was studying at the university from 1976-1979. I didnt know the dead before that show, but i have loved them ever since. Love from Denmark.

Best regards
Writer at https://www.ellipticalaudit.com/
Patkerr

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17 years 4 months
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I can only talk about what I actually saw. The second set opener at the magnificent Greek Theater, Berkley, was the best. They came out in a rather excited state to start the set. Then, they just erupted into a musical superlative. The jam into drums was a Bobby/Brent thing I never saw at any other show. Then the sun set. People need to listen to that 40 minutes turned up real loud. Archive.org has a Charlie Miller sound board that will do you well.
Sure there are probably better Playin>Uncle John's, but that one was a best for me. The energy!

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4 years
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The Great American Music Hall for sure.....one from the vault 1975.....the best version of eyes ever.....Jerry's solo's are out of this world

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12 years
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Seeing the Dead at Bickershaw with a miner and his family ( wife and several kids ). They had given myself and a friend a ride to the site and i invited them along....we all just walked in. I had paid they hadn`t but it didn`t matter. We all watched and listened totally transfixed......magical time

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14 years

In reply to by HenryCline

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The one from 3-18-77 with the Alhambra / Terrapin Flyer jam afterwards is pretty cool.

Some great ones from the 80's are 4/14/84 Hampton, 3/23/87 Hampton and 4/6/87 Brendan Byrne. That Spring tour in 87 they were pumped up and the Terrapin outros in particular are smokin. Also the Brendan Byrne one comes out of Space and goes into The Other One, so there's that...

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17 years 4 months
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First time I heard it live after only having heard it on vinyl. I "got it" then. Was not too sure about it based on the album

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3 years 10 months
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Alvin Lee from Ten Years Later! I have a compilation of videos about this and download it through this tool videopower.me/tips/category-videopower-red/download-video-from-a-website/

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6 years 11 months
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Can we coax David and company to release 4-21-69, The Arc, Boston, Mass. for the next Dave's Pick release?

Please? Pretty Please?

Forever dedicated to great Dark Stars.....

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3 years 4 months
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I stumbled across this beautiful set of 08/03/1969... There's a saxophonist that joins in on the jams and I particularly enjoyed the way Phil Lesh played around with this interesting jazzy addition to the band. It definitely gave me more understanding in the way Phil plays the bass. And seeing as he was a trumpet player originally and wrote several Jazz pieces as a composer before meeting the band, we can hear and feel this is right up his alley. Best version so far in my books

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2 years 8 months
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I found a new favorite but I need some help. What live version of It Looks like Rains is it that ends with Jerry singing What A Wonderful World?

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2 years 7 months
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7-2-87

Archive.org best version is not the mixed one fwiw - great energetic show - can't go wrong with the entire show, band was tight - no good copies of the show exist due to rain heat and humidity unfortunately but local tv station caught first 4 songs and it is on youtube fyi

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14 years
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Dead with Allman Brothers & Peter Green Fillmore East 2/1170? How about a release form the vaults?

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4 years
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Just went back and listened to the Charlie Miller mix of 9-2-88. Just amazing. The second set alone is worthy of a Dick or Dave's....how about some fall of '88 love with those Picks!
This show is on the Mt. Rushmore for me with 8/27/72, 8/13/75, 5/22/77 and 8/6/74. Fall '88 is very nice overall but juxtapose this with a hot 10/2/88 and you can hear the extra oomph in 8/27/88. Listen to the Stella's from both and you can hear how the Cap Center one is far more on point. This show has my go to Wheel, Watchtower, Scarlet/Fire, Sugar Mag and Stella....hence, Rushmore.

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2 years
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Unbroken Chains from Grateful Dead from the Mars Hotel. Phil Lesh sings and he is fabulous. This song has meant more to me that any other.

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1 year 3 months
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Given, I'm young in terms of deadheads at 54, so only saw the Grateful Dead around 10 times. Of those shows, June 23, 1990 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. One of those shows where you would swear they control the weather.

As for Dead & Co which I haven't missed any of the Boulder shows since I live here. Honestly, July 3rd, 2023, the last night in Boulder this summer was just over the top. Most of the Boulder Dead & Co have been great. June 18, 2022 & July 6, 2019 were also especially good.