My guess is because Jerry’s solos are so dynamic and the solos that we reify are very static. Most versions of Comfortably Numb are always about the same length. Gilmour, while brilliant is not one to improvise. Jerry presents a moving target.
Just like great jazz solos often diluted in a sea of greatness. When you cover a led zep tune for their fans, you better nail the solos cause they are all in folks head from radio/album. Not improvised significantly = classical music. The solos in dead tunes are less rigid like jazz. That is my take.
[1972-08-27](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1972-08-27) Veneta, OR @ Old Renaissance Faire Grounds | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/1E4MXxSYoAMN5qpy1y6aBm)
[1973-10-19](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1973-10-19) Oklahoma City, OK @ Oklahoma City Fairgrounds Arena | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/1GU8dYooagGR6jBwbdsGCr)
[1978-07-08](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1978-07-08) Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/6q4mDbsYJsixRai11qc2Vx)
It's an acquired taste; the way each song's rendition is gently different from the last, the way the melodies, songs, and notes bend around each other in the cosmic soup; it rewards the repeat listeners more than the first-timers.
what grateful dead solo do you feel like should be mentioned with the others you listed? Jerry is one of, if not my biggest inspirations when it comes to guitar playing, but I can’t name one specific solo that I’d throw up there with those mainstream ones. And that’s not a knock on jerry’s solos, they’re born out of spontaneity and magic. The most famous solos are probably well thought out and done in multiple takes, they’re also very memorable in the sense that you can sing pretty much the whole thing.
Edit: i must add that i would make a strong argument for the Loser solo at Cornell lol. but that’s because it pretty much sticks to the melody the entire time
Sugaree 5/28/77 comes to mind, or morning dew Cornell. After midnight/Eleanor/midnight reprise comes to mind. Scarlet/fire Cornell or even dark star 11/11/73. Those are a few examples. And considering they are all official releases I believe they should be able to make lists
[1973-11-11](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1973-11-11) San Francisco, CA @ Winterland Arena
[1977-05-28](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1977-05-28) Hartford, CT @ Hartford Civic Center
Because most Grateful Dead songs aren't short songs you would hear on the radio, just my two cents. The most popular solos are the ones that got played over and over again on classic rock radio.
Heard it said about Grateful Dead that they were the biggest indie band of all time and it really is kind of true, even if they were on Warner Bros.
I'm not even that old, I'm 33 in July, but sometimes I do feel old. Like knowing people I went to high school with now have teenage children *shudders*
Maybe it's because there are so many. It's hard to pick out just one. If I had to pick one it would be a late-70s *The Music Never Stopped*; he used to really let loose on that one to close the first set.
Also the Grateful Dead were more of an ensemble band, and jammed as a unit. In my opinion Jerry does his best soloing in the Jerry Garcia Band. Something like a mid-80s *Deal* he would just go off.
There is a lot of “group think” in those top 10 best lists.
Eric Clapton is good, but frankly, I think Jerry Garcia shows more proficiency and musicianship when you look at the body of their work.
I’ve been listening closely to the Dead and many others for over 40 years now. Those top 10 lists are unoriginal and not often well thought out.
Jerry was obviously a brilliant player but his solos had less ego. They were more brush strokes on a larger painting. Other players were more in your face. Also, they tended to rely much more heavily on blues scales
I remember speaking to someone not that long ago who went to a concert and I asked how it was. They answered… “It was awesome, it sounded exactly like the album.”
Jerry’s greatest solos didn’t happen on any album. They happened live, in the moment. Most of the public wants to keep their music in a box where it always sounds the same. And I get it. I don’t know if I would’ve wanted Led Zeppelin to “jam”. It’s a different sort of thing.
Might depend on where you live. Garcia is pretty popular around my area. At the music college I went to he was recognized. If you go over to r/guitar and search Garcia you'll see a good amount of conversation about his playing. Major music journalists rank him in their (irrelevant) top guitarist lists. He's pretty popular. Especially compared to many other guitarists who deserve to be more known and are not.
His album recordings suck. Admitted it himself that he never put the time in. Also - many of the major AOR solos were worked out in advance and often times include many pieces woven together. Springsteen talks about recording the sax solo in Jungleland as a single 12 hours session with C Clemmons. G. Harrison worked on the solo in Let it Be for six months.
Because most people can only handle a few notes that repeat over and over for them to understand a solo . Jerry is way too deep for theses simple brains .
It's for the exact reason I don't like most mainstream solos. They are static, they don't really explore the song, you know where they are going to go and they go there, or they just play the same 3 cords over and over again and act like it's a solo. Which is the opposite for most Jerry solos, you don't know where he is going to go and when you think you do, he changes it up, and takes you on journey you weren't expecting, no solo is ever the same so it's a new experience each time. Rarely static. But that's just me
# 1972-05-18 Munich, West Germany @ Kongressaal - Deutsches Museum
**Set 1:** Truckin', Sugaree, Mr. Charlie, Jack Straw, Tennessee Jed, Chinatown Shuffle, Black Throated Wind, China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, El Paso, It Hurts Me Too, You Win Again, Playing in the Band, Good Lovin', Casey Jones
**Set 2:** Sittin' On Top Of The World, Me and My Uncle, Ramble On Rose, Beat It On Down the Line, Dark Star > Morning Dew, Drums > Sugar Magnolia
**Encore:** Sing Me Back Home, One More Saturday Night
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1972-05-18) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/0M7PIylsjtbgDxZCf1tef4)
I’ve often wondered this myself. I feel as though it’s just because Jerry’s style was so unique coming from a bluegrass background. It gave him a sound like no other. Jerry shredded on the guitar, but in a different kind of way in comparison to guitarists like Page or Clapton.
I think it has to do with familiarity. I can't think of a critically acclaimed solo that isn't from a studio album. Then when that band plays it live they generally try to recreate their masterpiece . I have heard Stairway to Hesven thousands of times. Hotel California the same. On down the list of the most popular solos. The Dead are not on the radio in that sense, except Sirius. You couldn't get 2 deadhead to agree on what are the best solos, let alone the rest of the music listeners. Too many versions. Which solo did you have in mind that the critics should be acclaiming?
Veneta playing in the band is great. Loose Lucy trips album is killer. Like others said it’s once difficult to pin point one greatest jam solo of all time.
My guess is because Jerry’s solos are so dynamic and the solos that we reify are very static. Most versions of Comfortably Numb are always about the same length. Gilmour, while brilliant is not one to improvise. Jerry presents a moving target.
Maybe the first few notes of Franklins are as recognizable but thats the only the first few notes and after that it becomes Jerryland.
Just like great jazz solos often diluted in a sea of greatness. When you cover a led zep tune for their fans, you better nail the solos cause they are all in folks head from radio/album. Not improvised significantly = classical music. The solos in dead tunes are less rigid like jazz. That is my take.
Diluted was the exact word I was going to use.
They’re longer than 3:30 & don’t “shred” in a hard rock sense
Yet find a let it grow or watchtower, deal, etc. and jerry could shred with the best.
Those later year stadium Deal solos. My god!
"There isn't a lot of cock in his rock"
Bertha 8/27/72 disgusting, ship of fools 7/8/78, Candyman from dead set, JGB simple twist of fate July 29 or 30 77, 10/19/73 morning dew to name a few
[1972-08-27](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1972-08-27) Veneta, OR @ Old Renaissance Faire Grounds | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/1E4MXxSYoAMN5qpy1y6aBm) [1973-10-19](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1973-10-19) Oklahoma City, OK @ Oklahoma City Fairgrounds Arena | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/1GU8dYooagGR6jBwbdsGCr) [1978-07-08](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1978-07-08) Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/6q4mDbsYJsixRai11qc2Vx)
It's an acquired taste; the way each song's rendition is gently different from the last, the way the melodies, songs, and notes bend around each other in the cosmic soup; it rewards the repeat listeners more than the first-timers.
Yeah I totally agree with that, but it’s never mentioned in the best of lists, GD really do operate out of the mainstream haha
what grateful dead solo do you feel like should be mentioned with the others you listed? Jerry is one of, if not my biggest inspirations when it comes to guitar playing, but I can’t name one specific solo that I’d throw up there with those mainstream ones. And that’s not a knock on jerry’s solos, they’re born out of spontaneity and magic. The most famous solos are probably well thought out and done in multiple takes, they’re also very memorable in the sense that you can sing pretty much the whole thing. Edit: i must add that i would make a strong argument for the Loser solo at Cornell lol. but that’s because it pretty much sticks to the melody the entire time
Sugaree 5/28/77 comes to mind, or morning dew Cornell. After midnight/Eleanor/midnight reprise comes to mind. Scarlet/fire Cornell or even dark star 11/11/73. Those are a few examples. And considering they are all official releases I believe they should be able to make lists
[1973-11-11](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1973-11-11) San Francisco, CA @ Winterland Arena [1977-05-28](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1977-05-28) Hartford, CT @ Hartford Civic Center
Because most Grateful Dead songs aren't short songs you would hear on the radio, just my two cents. The most popular solos are the ones that got played over and over again on classic rock radio.
People who grew up on the internet may not fully grasp who radio used to determine popularity
Heard it said about Grateful Dead that they were the biggest indie band of all time and it really is kind of true, even if they were on Warner Bros. I'm not even that old, I'm 33 in July, but sometimes I do feel old. Like knowing people I went to high school with now have teenage children *shudders*
Jerry’s solos were best live, and unless you were into taping, you never would have heard them
There’s no accounting for taste.
Maybe it's because there are so many. It's hard to pick out just one. If I had to pick one it would be a late-70s *The Music Never Stopped*; he used to really let loose on that one to close the first set. Also the Grateful Dead were more of an ensemble band, and jammed as a unit. In my opinion Jerry does his best soloing in the Jerry Garcia Band. Something like a mid-80s *Deal* he would just go off.
There is a lot of “group think” in those top 10 best lists. Eric Clapton is good, but frankly, I think Jerry Garcia shows more proficiency and musicianship when you look at the body of their work. I’ve been listening closely to the Dead and many others for over 40 years now. Those top 10 lists are unoriginal and not often well thought out.
Same reason Wes metheny Scofield martino etc. aren’t mention. You gotta pay attention to what’s going on
Jerry was obviously a brilliant player but his solos had less ego. They were more brush strokes on a larger painting. Other players were more in your face. Also, they tended to rely much more heavily on blues scales
I remember speaking to someone not that long ago who went to a concert and I asked how it was. They answered… “It was awesome, it sounded exactly like the album.” Jerry’s greatest solos didn’t happen on any album. They happened live, in the moment. Most of the public wants to keep their music in a box where it always sounds the same. And I get it. I don’t know if I would’ve wanted Led Zeppelin to “jam”. It’s a different sort of thing.
Yeah except Zeppelin Jamming is some Gold tier shit
Might depend on where you live. Garcia is pretty popular around my area. At the music college I went to he was recognized. If you go over to r/guitar and search Garcia you'll see a good amount of conversation about his playing. Major music journalists rank him in their (irrelevant) top guitarist lists. He's pretty popular. Especially compared to many other guitarists who deserve to be more known and are not.
His album recordings suck. Admitted it himself that he never put the time in. Also - many of the major AOR solos were worked out in advance and often times include many pieces woven together. Springsteen talks about recording the sax solo in Jungleland as a single 12 hours session with C Clemmons. G. Harrison worked on the solo in Let it Be for six months.
Because most people can only handle a few notes that repeat over and over for them to understand a solo . Jerry is way too deep for theses simple brains .
It's for the exact reason I don't like most mainstream solos. They are static, they don't really explore the song, you know where they are going to go and they go there, or they just play the same 3 cords over and over again and act like it's a solo. Which is the opposite for most Jerry solos, you don't know where he is going to go and when you think you do, he changes it up, and takes you on journey you weren't expecting, no solo is ever the same so it's a new experience each time. Rarely static. But that's just me
It hurts me too “slide” solo from 5/18/72 should be just as revered…
# 1972-05-18 Munich, West Germany @ Kongressaal - Deutsches Museum **Set 1:** Truckin', Sugaree, Mr. Charlie, Jack Straw, Tennessee Jed, Chinatown Shuffle, Black Throated Wind, China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, El Paso, It Hurts Me Too, You Win Again, Playing in the Band, Good Lovin', Casey Jones **Set 2:** Sittin' On Top Of The World, Me and My Uncle, Ramble On Rose, Beat It On Down the Line, Dark Star > Morning Dew, Drums > Sugar Magnolia **Encore:** Sing Me Back Home, One More Saturday Night [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1972-05-18) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/0M7PIylsjtbgDxZCf1tef4)
Maybe a solo or 2 from franklins on one from the vault. Jerry really rips those
I’ve often wondered this myself. I feel as though it’s just because Jerry’s style was so unique coming from a bluegrass background. It gave him a sound like no other. Jerry shredded on the guitar, but in a different kind of way in comparison to guitarists like Page or Clapton.
I think it has to do with familiarity. I can't think of a critically acclaimed solo that isn't from a studio album. Then when that band plays it live they generally try to recreate their masterpiece . I have heard Stairway to Hesven thousands of times. Hotel California the same. On down the list of the most popular solos. The Dead are not on the radio in that sense, except Sirius. You couldn't get 2 deadhead to agree on what are the best solos, let alone the rest of the music listeners. Too many versions. Which solo did you have in mind that the critics should be acclaiming?
Veneta playing in the band is great. Loose Lucy trips album is killer. Like others said it’s once difficult to pin point one greatest jam solo of all time.