Grateful Dead - worst performances of individual songs?

As the title says.

What do you consider to be the absolute worst of the worst as far as a live version goes?

I'm just curious to see how low things could go despite the highs.

 

Phil's lead vocal on "Eyes of the World" two nights ago at the second reunion gig was probably the worst I've ever heard that song sung. Listening to it, the thought hit me that maybe it would have been a good idea if they'd brought in a few rotating guest vocalists for select tunes.

 

Hey Jude - pick any version - with Pigpen, with Brent.....it doesn't matter. They are all bad.

 

I've always enjoyed the Brent versions that went into Dear Mr. Fantasy.

 

My last show was 04/19/1987 at Irvine Meadows. I remember Garcia absolutely murdering a particularly wretched version of Wharf Rat as I was walking out in utter disgust. So (sadly) my last memory of the (once great) band was, "bli<croak>nd <croak> and <croak><croak> dir<croak>ty."

 

You echo my thoughts. Considering that this aggregations (whose files I am listing as The Treyful Dead... just to keep from getting confused) only true weakness is in the vocal department, they definitely should invest in bringing in a couple of actual vocalist who could leave us with some memorable versions of whatever chestnuts they roast in Chicago.

Listening to Phil sing anything other than 'Box Of Rain' (because he has to) is painful, downright excrutiating... and can take the bloom off of any rose of a performance a song may otherwise be. Hopefully the organization, listening back to the Amtrack level train wrecks some of the recent performances were, due to er, less than acceptable vocals... will shore things up and send out an SOS for vocal support. To not do so would likely diminish otherwise credible performances that will haunt them on CD, DVD & Blu-Ray and the like, for ever more.

And as another poster suggested, spend the cash to bring in Donna Jean (if there are no personal issues preventing her participation) and as he suggested, at least let her wail one more time during 'Playing'... the crowd would go wild... and we know she CAN sing.. so let her do so.

 

It is a sad day when the "Queen of Caterwaul" is an upgrade in the vocal department. Her "wailing" on PITB has ruined (for me) more otherwise stellar performances of that song than I care to remember.

 

I can't understand how a not-so-fortunate vocal performance that lasts for a few seconds can ruin a solid 25-minute-long jam.

 

'Queen of Caterwaul' ... perfect! (always surprised no one developed a 'DONNA FREE' App, that could use digital technology to excise her screeches from old recordings... many of us would buy it)... But she would be an upgrade over the weak vocals and ragged kinda harmonies that marred otherwise enjoyable, if not outstanding sets. Anyone for some 'Let Donna Sing' T-Shirts? (I probably could not give them away on EBAY!)

 

Yeah, I don't know what to tell ya, and I can only speak for myself, but I personally don't like cringing and wincing while listening to music.

My favorite version of PITB is still on Ace. It's noteworthy that her first "wailing" opportunity is mixed wayyy down and the second (coming out of the jam) isn't even present in that version, which I greatly appreciate because the band is crisp and tight at that point, actually through the entire song. It really is a thing of beauty, every milllisecond of it.

 

Good point. That version of 'Playing' is still my go to one. Most of the often tediously lengthy versions others rave over, leave me sleepy. There was a relatively recent CD, recorded at a Texas show I believe, featuring a PITB that others were orgasming over, that I found to be quite average at best. The version on 'Ace' is a rare example of a studio jam, that for consistency, brevity and overall impact, tops most every live version of that Dead tune.

 

Probably veering off course, but I use PITB on Ace to introduce non-fans to their music. At 7:38, it still takes some commitment on the part of the listener in this day and age of short attention spans, but it is so tight, concise and masterful that it rewards the first time listener. The other piece I use is The Other One from Skull & Roses, sans the drum solo. Those two pieces for me always raise goosebumps and never fail to remind me what gods among men the band was during that period of time.

Unfortunately, these pieces set the bar very high. I always feel a bit sad that the band was never able to consistently operate at that level post-hiatus. I wish we fans had not given the band such a free pass to throw whatever turd might have been handy at the moment against the wall, knowing that a few would stick, which we would then celebrate. I feel that we were enablers in a sense of some very mediocre if not outright bad musicianship at times just because they could still sell tickets to those train wrecks.

 

A few I think I remember...................

Touch Of Gray - 3/27/85 Nassau Coliseum - after the guitar solo, Jerry sings the "I know the rent is in arrears" verses while the rest of the band is (correctly) playing the "It's a lesson to me" bridge part........it becomes chaotic.
All Along The Watchtower - 3/31/88 Meadowlands - captured in full glory on Road Trips.
Crazy Fingers - 4/3/88 Hartford - Jerry's voice dies......and he still plays "Franklin's Tower" afterwards . The whole set is bad.
Sugar Magnolia -> Foolish Heart - 9/12/91 Madison Square Garden - a complete slopfest.......worst "Foolish Heart" ever played.

 

An amusing "bad" version. 4/10/78 "Music Never Stopped." The band gets out of synch going into the "band beyond description" verse and never quite gets it sorted out. You can hear Donna laughing about it.

 

Regarding amusing mistakes, during the "Weather Report Suite" version of Road Trips Vol.2, No.3, after a beautiful solo, Jerry gets completely lost (around the 9:36-9:38 mark). Bob can't hold himself and kinda chuckles at 9:39. Grateful Dead, warts and all!

 

I love how an out of his gourd Bobby makes Donna crack up on the DiP 25 5/11/78 Dancing; something in the water for some of those ’78 shows.

There is the 4-21-86 "Maybe You Know” of course. I only bring it up figuring someone would eventually and I would rather it be said that he obviously had a lot on his mind with a failing marriage; maybe more the case of wearing too much on one’s sleeve than bad performance.

 

The Cosmic Charley debacle that I walked out of in 1994 comes to mind...

 

Agree terrible, but not the Grateful Dead.

 

Fortunately, none of the shows I saw between 1977 and 1982 had historically bad vocals. On record, it has to be the song Keith Godchaux sings on Wake Of the Flood. It's been an entire generation since I last heard it, so I don't remember the title, but he sounds like Ernie from Sesame Street.

 

"Let Me Sing Your Blues Away." He has some much worse singing on the Keith & Donna album.

 

"Let Me Sing Your Blues Away" is the name of the song, and on live performances (I think it was played only twice in 1973), sounded really awful.

 

Keith & Donna album...........

 

I know I'm in the minority, but I really like Phil's vocals on the reunion stuff. Yes, Eyes was pretty far away from home base, melodically, but I think it would have been fine if he'd had more support on the choruses.

 

Yes, but per the thread title, what performance?

 

I love Ace and tend to just count it as the Grateful Dead album we all know it is

It's a pretty good intro point for a newbie, or someone looking to start going beyond "the hits", I think.

As far as PITB live goes, I think the '72-'74 versions are among the best ever. I'm not one for space jams (yawn), but within the context of a show and the length of the jam etc. etc., when they got out there they could be pretty dang awesome and epic. Very cinematic jams sometimes.