Grateful Dead 2018 Peggy-O Funiculi Funicula Four Tournament

Game #7 is one of those matchups where you'd think you had your answer before you even listen, but looky here boys and girls, I'm only gonna say this once and only in the current context:

1993 destroys 1973.

Final score, game #7: 3/27/93 wins (slightly rough ending notwithstanding). Jerry's soloing is lithe and fluid and Phil's bass sits well in the mix.

 

And they dare to call me craycray...

You guys are just too much

 

First of all, I prefer the gravelly voiced Garcia on this song, so I might be prejudiced on my ranking. But I will try to consider the performances themselves rather than my preferences!

This is the quintessential Dead ballad for me. The best versions have that comforting, insistent but unobtrusive groove that sets up the foundation for that uniquely emotive, sympathetic Garcia storytelling. Usually played between 2 Bobby rockers, it's a chill-out-and-collect -yourself song set up with the dynamics (ebb and flow) we Deadheads understand and were part of the show.

Game 1:
1981-
Like others have said, Brent's tinkly keyboard tone during this period doesn't do much to create a solid foundation for the groove, but it's Brent and I love Brent! His keys tone here become more of the melodic voice, meshing with Garcia's guitar tone- sometimes blurring the overall sound in that register. Every verse should build a little, but here it stays tentative for too long. In the solo section, it almost sounds like Garcia was going to yield to a Brent solo, but Jerry returns after a few bars. It'd be nice to have a keys solo in this song actually. (Has there ever been one, you guys?)
Not much sense of momentum here, but it's solid- and probably so as it's between two standard Bobby shouters. It does pick up a little by the last verse & chorus. A standard version, but too tentative for my tastes.
1991-
Much more confident and generally has that flow I look for. Bruce fattens this one up. His accompaniment, along with Vince's touch, makes this more atmospheric. And Garcia's weathered voice! Yep. Rises and falls throughout.
The Jerry solo section fits the landscape just right! Above AND below the horizon. Floating on that groove- sometimes taking the wheel! The solo loses a little momentum toward the end of the solo section, but then the drummers AND Garcia pick it right back up!
I especially like the extra instrumental bars (holding on F#m) after the "Sweet William/he is Dead" verse before the last chorus.

If you haven't figured my vote yet, Greensboro is the stronger performance.

 

Game 2 - "Styles Make Fights"

Starlight '82 gets off the bus wanting to push the tempo. Portland '74, being the older contestant, wants to slow the pace. As the battle evolves, Portland sounds a bit leaden, while Starlight remains light on its feet. As the guitar solos approach, Starlight completely takes command, putting Portland on the ropes. As the song nears a close, Brent all but drops out, providing only the slightest but most poignant of accompaniment as Sweet William departs the material world. It's a knockout - Starlight '82.

 

Should we try to vote for every one of these or can we jump around?

Game 1 it is close enough that I hesitate to make a call. For once I sorta like the Brent 'plinky-ness' that helps drive the tune a bit. So by a hair I go with Rainbow, 1981.

Game 3 is a shocker in the fact that it isn't a complete blowout. Boston '77 wins due to a nearly flawless solo of staggering emotional weight. But 94 has a real nice softness to it, especially the solos where Jerry keeps it maybe a touch too mellow. Bobby's obsession with distorted guitar tones is bizarre throughout the decade, and certainly here as well, so that deducts a few points. That said, I really enjoyed hearing this version for the first time. The May 77 one is cheating because Ive heard it at least a dozen times by now.

 

So after listening to 14 versions of Peggy-O in the past 24 hours or so, I pulled out 1/22/78 and listened to...Peggy-O. It made me wonder how this version missed the tournament, but I suppose you can't put every version from 1977-1978 in the bracket or no other years would crack the list. Nice intense solo from Jerry, though.

For the record, Jack Straw and The Music Never Stopped also really rip it up. But y'all knew that. I still haven't listened to all of the porch crusher let alone some of the recent DaP's.

 

That’s probably the omission that stands out most to me, but ‘77 and ‘78 are well represented. And I know I like the Orpheum and Englishtown Peggy-Os more having listened to all three shows in the past month or so (so it’s not like a strong candidate to win missed out). Consider 1/22/78 the bubble team that didn’t make it.

 

Fair points all around, but that's also a bit like saying "let's just choose the top four and see who wins." Then again, the issue was choosing that top four. I posted that I agreed with the top four seeds and I think I do, but 7/17/76 might be my one question mark (I'm just not as familiar with that version as the other top seeds). I will endeavor to avoid listening to it until it comes up here, but I make no guarantees.

I still think the 1/22/78 version could have made the elite 8 as it has a wild-card factor: intensity that is rare in this particular offering. Once you get there, who knows?

 

LOL, I'm listening now.

So the 7/17/76 version is certainly top 10, but I wouldn't necessarily put it in the top 4. One thing I'm noticing on the official release is that Jerry, Bob and Keith are really clear in the mix, but Phil sounds as if there's a pillow duct-taped in front of his speakers. I don't know if this was a personal choice (i.e., rolling off the treble), but other tracks sound at least a bit like this as well (and despite my admiration for this release, I never noticed this until now).

In any case, carry on. I just got distracted. Nothing to see here.

 

Game 2 final: 8/3/82

 

Beautiful commentary. Mostly because I agree with all of it. 10/1/77's Peggy is very purty. She was a favorite from way back that has always remained one.

 

LLLOLLL I can't wait to compare these. Too funny...

 

Admittedly, some of the suggestions were picked out of a hat it seemed. A few of mine were. I was trying to widen the net, but I am not as familiar with as many shows after '78.

 

game 1: 3/21/81 Rainbow.

The 91 Peggy-O might have a better solo, but I prefer the vibe of the 81 show, and Jerry's vocals are great

 

Game 2: 1982 Starlight.

Jerry's guitar makes this version.
The 74 one was nice, but nothing special

 

Game 3: 1977 Boston

Not much to say about Boston. Everything is stellar.

I was a bit surprised at how strong the 94 version was though, but also a bit uneven.
Jerry's voice sounded really good in his last years! But I also get the feeling that he was reading from a teleprompter..? And Weir's guitar sounds bad

 

Game 2 - I listened to an AUD, the SBD, and the matrix of 5-19-74. Upon hearing the AUD I thought it sounded pretty good, though Phil was not quite loud enough, then I did the SBD after my first listen to 8-3-82, and thought 'this has no shot, but then I listened to the matrix, and it was very good. In the AUD Garcia is very prominent, and I found his first solo very effective in that recording, much less so in the others.

I'd respectfully submit that if you want to fairly judge 5-19-74, the AUD or the Matrix give a part of the picture that is missing from the Soundboard.

There's also a very good Charlie Miller AUD of 8-3-82. (I listened to the Miller SBD of this one as well.)

IMO the GD version of this tune achieved Aristotelian perfection in Spring of 78, and the 82 version here is a great example of that format, an uptempo ballad with a smoking solo, but there's a lot to be said for the 74 rendition as a version of the sing itself, and I appreciated the touches they later abandoned. (e.g the brief statement of the melody by Garcia, followed Phil's little cadence into the first verse.) Garcia has his pre-hiatus country voice here, and I enjoyed the thoughtful playing from Keith in the space afforded by the slower tempo. The solo doesn't touch 82, but I really liked what they built to in the final verse.

My final score for game 2 is 5-19-74.

 

I think the teleprompter didn't come in until 95.

He forgot most of Here Comes Sunshine when I saw them do it in October of 94.

 

Game 4: 1978

I thought 1980 was going to win. Really good version with biting guitar from Garcia.

But then I listened to 1978 and Garcia's playing was even hotter (no surprise really)

 

a) It doesn’t matter the order you listen to them as we only count votes at the end of a round when presumably everyone has finished each game whatever their order. b) We would love anyone to referee every game in the round and the tournament as it helps the tournament, but if anyone doesn’t get to all of the games their votes for the games they played will still be counted. I believe in our last tournament we could also look at the votes for only those who scored every game to see if they produced a different result. The last tournament was whole shows, so here I think we are getting more referees which is of course more fun.

 

I'm already liking this tourney because of the single-song format (although, I hope it doesn't burn me out on Peggy-O's anytime soon.) After not having the time to listen to the Dead over the past month or two, it's helping me get back into the swing of things. I hope you're starting to think about what the next tournament format should be (Continue with single songs? Specific jams? Another tour-based format?) The possibilities are endless!

 

It’s all fair discussion but remember this was mostly done via crowdsourcing on the GT. I purposely avoided top-whatever lists out there on the internet and used what we threw around and it seems 1/22/78 never came up. Also nobody, since it was me, listened to every one of these to seed them; the top three seemed easy, the fourth was more a guess and I based it off some comments in the GT. This is all of course friendly dialogue and not defensiveness; and I know if I ask you will take it that way so I’ll ask. Final analysis, hopefully it still shakes out well enough despite a lack of true expertise in the setup.

 

That was my first reaction, let’s explore the middle between songs and shows with transitions and jams, maybe between two or three songs max. Maybe longer 4-5 song>combos at another time.

 

But of course, kind sir. I didn't intend any sort of dissension and I hope none came across, but perhaps it did. Your work so far has been top-shelf and in the final analysis, @SBegonias17 is correct in noting that 1/22/78 probably wouldn't have made a big dent in the final analysis. Anyway, if it isn't Duke vs. Huntington (or perhaps Englishtown) in the final, then maybe Dark Star isn't always happening and I certainly don't want to live in that world.

In any case, if nothing else, my point serves to illustrate an axiom relating to this fine band: next time you think that what you're listening to couldn't be any better, just realize that there's a distinct possibility that it actually could.

 

This was my first close-call as well, but I'm going to go in the opposite direction and say:
Game 3 Final: 6/26/94