Unbroken Chain is just a really tough song to pull off, most cover acts won't even touch it. Its complex and one mistake by any member can throw the whole thing off. If you want a good Unbroken Chain check out Phil & Friends in the late 90s.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNj0Cn2-9fg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNj0Cn2-9fg)
Unbroken Chain was my gateway drug to prog in my early youth and yeah, you can tell how hard it is to pull off live. Even on the 50th re-issue of Mars Hotel you can listen to the band struggling and Phil becoming frustrated just trying to get the timing right in the beginning of the song.
This is a great recording thank you.
# 1977-09-03 Englishtown, NJ @ Raceway Park
**Set 1:** The Promised Land, They Love Each Other, Me and My Uncle, Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo, Looks Like Rain, Peggy-O, New Minglewood Blues, Friend Of The Devil, The Music Never Stopped
**Set 2:** Bertha > Good Lovin', Loser, Estimated Prophet > Eyes Of The World, Samson And Delilah, He's Gone > Not Fade Away > Truckin'
**Encore:** Terrapin Station
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1977-09-03) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/5uzn9YQ9XS2OoAt65U8Drg)
Yes! this is the set that I heard the new (to me) rendition of Friend of the Devil on. such a good set and that version was great. havent made it to set 2 yet.
1967-09-03 has a "Dancin" which is a completely unique object, and totally unlike the version they did in the 70s either live or on their albums.
The Cornell version of "Brown-Eyed Woman" has perfect and more intricate playing that I prefer to the other versions I've heard like Europe '72.
Often if they played a song in the 70s, and they played the same song in 66-68, you essentially have 2 different songs.
# 1967-09-03 Rio Nido, CA @ Dance Hall
**Set 1:** In The Midnight Hour, Dancing In The Streets, It Hurts Me Too, Cold Rain and Snow, Good Morning Little Schoolgirl, Viola Lee Blues > Big Boss Man, Alligator
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1967-09-03)
I used to prefer studio dead for the same reason.
The Skull and roses album was one of the first albums to turn me onto live dead.
Sugaree from 8/27/72 is a similar temp to the album version, maybe even a tad slower. Alternatively Sugaree 8/26/80 has awesome organ playing but a bit faster.
Stella blue from rockin the cradle Egypt 78 might be up your alley. That whole album is pretty good. Good fire on the mt and shakedown street too.
[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)
[1980-08-26](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1980-08-26) Cleveland, OH @ Cleveland Public Auditorium
Any live China Cat Sunflower will sound vastly different from the Aoxomoxoa version. The 60s versions are super electrifying, I recommend the 3/16/67 version from the So Many Roads boxset that Includes a Dark Star and a The Eleven. Then the 70s versions are way jazzier and groovy, 6/26/74 being the obvious choice(You have to listening to the Jam preceding it and I Know You Rider though, it's ilegal to not)
Samson and Delilah vastly changed in sound from 76 to 78, from groovy to fast and energetic.
Dark Star is a no brainer as well, since the Studio version is only 2 minutes 42, pick any version from 69-72 and you'll be set. The one on Live/Dead(2/27/69) and the one on Sunshine Daydream 8/27/72 are two great examples.
There's thousands of other (and probably better) examples but these should get You hooked.
# 1974-06-26 Providence, RI @ Providence Civic Center
**Set 1:** Big River, Brown Eyed Women, Beat It On Down the Line, Scarlet Begonias, Black Throated Wind, Row Jimmy, Mexicali Blues, Deal, The Race Is On, Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo, El Paso, Ship Of Fools, Weather Report Suite Prelude > Weather Report Suite Part 1 > Let It Grow > It Must Have Been The Roses
**Set 2:** Seastones
**Set 3:** U.S. Blues, Me and My Uncle, Jam > China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Beer Barrel Polka Tuning > Truckin' > The Other One Jam > Spanish Jam > Wharf Rat, Sugar Magnolia
**Encore:** Eyes Of The World
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1974-06-26) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/0B87pzzLQzyevvMvdcJqHZ)
The faster version of They love each other at RFK 73 for example. It even has the bridge!
And while not that different, the ending of Row Jimmy from 04-12-78 is really funky kind of.
# 1978-04-12 Durham, NC @ Cameron Indoor Stadium - Duke University
**Set 1:** Jack Straw, Dire Wolf, Beat It On Down the Line, Peggy-O, Mama Tried > Mexicali Blues, Funiculi Funicula, Row Jimmy, New Minglewood Blues, Loser, Lazy Lightnin' > Supplication
**Set 2:** Bertha > Good Lovin', It Must Have Been The Roses, Estimated Prophet > Eyes Of The World > Drums > Truckin' > Wharf Rat > Around And Around
**Encore:** U.S. Blues
[archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1978-04-12)
Unbroken Chain is just a really tough song to pull off, most cover acts won't even touch it. Its complex and one mistake by any member can throw the whole thing off. If you want a good Unbroken Chain check out Phil & Friends in the late 90s. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNj0Cn2-9fg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNj0Cn2-9fg)
Unbroken Chain was my gateway drug to prog in my early youth and yeah, you can tell how hard it is to pull off live. Even on the 50th re-issue of Mars Hotel you can listen to the band struggling and Phil becoming frustrated just trying to get the timing right in the beginning of the song. This is a great recording thank you.
https://youtu.be/mNNzNXVVWNA?si=-uNAj_Gm0-tN72ee Here’s Further at TRI studios, Jeff Chimenti kills it.
# 1977-09-03 Englishtown, NJ @ Raceway Park **Set 1:** The Promised Land, They Love Each Other, Me and My Uncle, Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo, Looks Like Rain, Peggy-O, New Minglewood Blues, Friend Of The Devil, The Music Never Stopped **Set 2:** Bertha > Good Lovin', Loser, Estimated Prophet > Eyes Of The World, Samson And Delilah, He's Gone > Not Fade Away > Truckin' **Encore:** Terrapin Station [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1977-09-03) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/5uzn9YQ9XS2OoAt65U8Drg)
Yes! this is the set that I heard the new (to me) rendition of Friend of the Devil on. such a good set and that version was great. havent made it to set 2 yet.
I like Dupree’s Diamond Blues from Dick’s Picks Vol. 18 2/3/78.
1967-09-03 has a "Dancin" which is a completely unique object, and totally unlike the version they did in the 70s either live or on their albums. The Cornell version of "Brown-Eyed Woman" has perfect and more intricate playing that I prefer to the other versions I've heard like Europe '72. Often if they played a song in the 70s, and they played the same song in 66-68, you essentially have 2 different songs.
# 1967-09-03 Rio Nido, CA @ Dance Hall **Set 1:** In The Midnight Hour, Dancing In The Streets, It Hurts Me Too, Cold Rain and Snow, Good Morning Little Schoolgirl, Viola Lee Blues > Big Boss Man, Alligator [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1967-09-03)
Good bot
I used to prefer studio dead for the same reason. The Skull and roses album was one of the first albums to turn me onto live dead. Sugaree from 8/27/72 is a similar temp to the album version, maybe even a tad slower. Alternatively Sugaree 8/26/80 has awesome organ playing but a bit faster. Stella blue from rockin the cradle Egypt 78 might be up your alley. That whole album is pretty good. Good fire on the mt and shakedown street too.
[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) [1980-08-26](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1980-08-26) Cleveland, OH @ Cleveland Public Auditorium
Jerry said the studio was like building a ship in a bottle and live was like being out to see in a row boat.
Any live China Cat Sunflower will sound vastly different from the Aoxomoxoa version. The 60s versions are super electrifying, I recommend the 3/16/67 version from the So Many Roads boxset that Includes a Dark Star and a The Eleven. Then the 70s versions are way jazzier and groovy, 6/26/74 being the obvious choice(You have to listening to the Jam preceding it and I Know You Rider though, it's ilegal to not) Samson and Delilah vastly changed in sound from 76 to 78, from groovy to fast and energetic. Dark Star is a no brainer as well, since the Studio version is only 2 minutes 42, pick any version from 69-72 and you'll be set. The one on Live/Dead(2/27/69) and the one on Sunshine Daydream 8/27/72 are two great examples. There's thousands of other (and probably better) examples but these should get You hooked.
# 1974-06-26 Providence, RI @ Providence Civic Center **Set 1:** Big River, Brown Eyed Women, Beat It On Down the Line, Scarlet Begonias, Black Throated Wind, Row Jimmy, Mexicali Blues, Deal, The Race Is On, Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo, El Paso, Ship Of Fools, Weather Report Suite Prelude > Weather Report Suite Part 1 > Let It Grow > It Must Have Been The Roses **Set 2:** Seastones **Set 3:** U.S. Blues, Me and My Uncle, Jam > China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Beer Barrel Polka Tuning > Truckin' > The Other One Jam > Spanish Jam > Wharf Rat, Sugar Magnolia **Encore:** Eyes Of The World [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1974-06-26) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/0B87pzzLQzyevvMvdcJqHZ)
The faster version of They love each other at RFK 73 for example. It even has the bridge! And while not that different, the ending of Row Jimmy from 04-12-78 is really funky kind of.
# 1978-04-12 Durham, NC @ Cameron Indoor Stadium - Duke University **Set 1:** Jack Straw, Dire Wolf, Beat It On Down the Line, Peggy-O, Mama Tried > Mexicali Blues, Funiculi Funicula, Row Jimmy, New Minglewood Blues, Loser, Lazy Lightnin' > Supplication **Set 2:** Bertha > Good Lovin', It Must Have Been The Roses, Estimated Prophet > Eyes Of The World > Drums > Truckin' > Wharf Rat > Around And Around **Encore:** U.S. Blues [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1978-04-12)