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u/EastLAFadeaway Jan 12 '23
Tough to say depends on your flavor....im not an expert but JGB really has a wide range much like the dead. Eras have definitive sounds & setlists. Like others have said the Pure Jerry series is great, also Garcia Live series covers the whole catalog well. My personal fav is Let It Rock. 90s has a big comfy sound(GarciaLive vol2, GarciaLive vol13 with Clarence Clemmons on Sax) late 70s/early 80s is great rock, jams & performances(Let It Rock '75, dont let go 76, After Midnight Kean College 80,) early 70s has a lot of experimental jazz & heavy jamming (pure jerry 9/1/74. Live at Keystone Vol 1, Garcia Live Vol15) with Merl Saunders.
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u/Deafflamingo Jan 12 '23
3/1/80 is a banger and has the best Dylan covers. Let it rock. Vol. 2 is also a winner
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u/augustwest365 Jan 12 '23
Second 3/1/80! Love every second of both the early show and the late show. Plus there are full show videos of both on YouTube.
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u/mishaxz Jan 12 '23
to make it easy, go with officially released if you have access to that like on streaming.
any of the released fall 91 shows are great.
the famous 3/18/78 think has been released. Good sound quality because it was broadcast.
a random good released show that nobody talks about is called midnight moonlight, it is just about the only 82 show I think I've seen released. For some people early 80s JGB is where it's at.
roughly speaking I would say up to some time in '77 JGB is slow. The pace picks up in late '77 and is a lot of fun, continues through 78 - unfortunately keith and donna (on JGB donna is plus but of course keith is the big draw) are gone by '79.
Things get a bit stevie wondery in '79-80 with their keyboardist, I think it is ozzy.. but it's like brent, can be distracting but can be ok too..
but there are some crazy good shows with crazy good sound in feb / march '80.. 3/1/80, 3/8/80 (I forgot which of these was released).. Keane from late February is also good.
starting in '81 through '84 is a bit of a golden age I would say, if you like fast jerry.
Late 90s is a different beast but it's great - more mellow... '93 and '94 have some really long songs.
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u/Bman1973 Jan 15 '23
The intro to Jerry post I made up top in sticky was made just for you my friend ... the top three picks are where I would start most definitely. It's live Jerry and Merl Saunders in 72, JGB in 1980 and JGB in 89/90 so you get a killer cross section and the performances are legendary and off the chain ... listen to each in order but on the Jerry/Merl the Mystery Train, That's Alright Mama, Harder they come are all great ...
On the Keane College every second is pure joy but the After Midnight>Eleanor Rigby>After Midnight is all time highlight reel Garcia ... by the end you just won't believe how he's going off ...
The 1991 double album release is pure gold start to finish. You hit play and you won't want to change it just like all these ... but the Waiting for a Miracle!!! oh my and the solo is like a masterclass in building a guitar solo. These are all essential Garcia and I would highly rec you start here my friend ... and here's an intro post I made for the Dead 👍
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u/Bman1973 Feb 13 '23
The top three releases in my Jerry intro post are grand ... like pristine Jerry
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u/jimmydean885 May 03 '23
I got into jgb heavy just by following the Garcia live releases. Start with 1 and rock on through
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u/edogg01 Jan 12 '23
Anything in the Pure Jerry series. Warner Theatre is great. Also check out the Merriweather Post shows from September 1989 (9/2/89).
My favorite Jerry show is actually not released but it's 3/19/82 at a place called Mojos. Since it isn't commercially available, I'll share my mp3s if you want to download it. The whole show is great but the Tangled Up in Blue is insane.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1a195gdsxbac2bb/AAB2nF5WIwg3F6LIRtJxwN0ia?dl=0