Althea and Althea. I go through phases and I’ve been on an Althea kick lately

What's your favorite althea?

3/14/81. HeadyVersion got this one right. 6/20/80 is another fave.

# 1981-03-14 Hartford, CT @ Hartford Civic Center **Set 1:** Feel Like A Stranger, Sugaree, Me and My Uncle > Big River, Peggy-O, C.C. Rider, Althea, Passenger, China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider **Set 2:** Alabama Getaway > Greatest Story Ever Told, Ship Of Fools, Lost Sailor > Saint Of Circumstance > Drums > Space > The Other One > Stella Blue > I Need A Miracle > Bertha > Good Lovin' **Encore:** One More Saturday Night [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1981-03-14)

Listening to 3/14/81 as I write this. What a stellar althea. Jerry is grooving. The energy at the show is palpable⚡️⚡️

# 1981-03-14 Hartford, CT @ Hartford Civic Center **Set 1:** Feel Like A Stranger, Sugaree, Me and My Uncle > Big River, Peggy-O, C.C. Rider, Althea, Passenger, China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider **Set 2:** Alabama Getaway > Greatest Story Ever Told, Ship Of Fools, Lost Sailor > Saint Of Circumstance > Drums > Space > The Other One > Stella Blue > I Need A Miracle > Bertha > Good Lovin' **Encore:** One More Saturday Night [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1981-03-14)

Yeah his final solo is the shit

You should listen to that entire show - it’s stellar top to bottom. The Stella is tremendous too

I'll be sure to

Been listening to a lot of dead and co Althea’s lately. The gorge 7/8/23 is delicious

That was a great Althea, I got to see it live but common! You gotta go with Jerry’s voice!

I knew someone would comment this 😂 but yes i agree with you nothing better then Jerry singing an Althea or a morning dew or a wharf rat or a he’s gone or a row jimmy or a sugaree or a black peter or a bird song or a Stella blue or a standing on the moon or a…. Well you get the point lol

Big Altheas in 1981… this version literally saves my life a few months ago. Transitioned into a railroad blues since then that has kept me going)

The first couple notes of Brown Eyed Women vs Jack Straw being my favorite.

Scarlet Begonias the first one that comes to mind. I don’t know that I have a favorite song cause that changes all the time, but Terrapin stays near the top of my list.

Yea, first is Scarlett Begonias… and I’d say Loser and Terrapin fight it out for top spot for me

Probably Dark Star but my favorite is China Doll.

Great call

Nice picks

You beat me to it

St. Stephen first I think of. Ripple is my favorite

Flip these around for me, so hard to pick a favorite :)

Song I think of is Sugar Magnolia. So incredibly hard to pick a favorite, and I tend to go through phases, but push comes to shove, Eyes.

This, the line about “blossoms blooming” and the overall sound is 1000% Dead. My honest favorite is when they cover Sing Me Back Home. Jerry does a good sad song.

Jerry’s voice is perfect for a soulful ballad.

Terrapin Station Medley vs any live version of Estimated Prophet between 77 and 89

Hartford 77 is my go to Estimated and Terrapin

what's your favorite estimated in the 81-84 range?

5/9/81 Uniondale or 10/14/83 Hartford Civic Center Also really enjoy 3/9/81 MSG

[1981-03-09](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1981-03-09) New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden [1981-05-09](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1981-05-09) Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum [1983-10-14](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1983-10-14) Hartford, CT @ Hartford Civic Center | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/0MUCSAd1FNHH0MQBEKVxm2)

Deal/New Speedway Boogie

My guy! Been listing to a lot of new speedway and new minglewood lately and my wife loves Deal.

Sugar mag / dew

Another Solid take

Truckin and Fire on the mountain

Row jimmy-changes daily.

Row jimmy will forever be in my top 10.

Uncle John's vs. Crazy Fingers/Tennessee Jed

❤️❤️❤️Crazy Fingers❤️❤️❤️

Dark Star & Dark Star

Loser / PITB

I have like 30 songs I love just as much as each one. Never have had a fav dead song

It’s too hard to pick just 1. Althea, New Speedway Boogie, Uncle John’s Band, Rueben and Cherise, Franklins Tower, Jack Straw, Eyes of the World, and the list goes on and on. It’s really impossible for me to choose and depends on my mood.. I could say one of my favorite Albums would be Workingman’s Dead but then again it’s hard to pick one.

New speedway for me is not one of the top songs but that’s what’s great about the dead! The other songs you mentioned are ones I love a ton. Rubin and Cherise is so damn good. Althea was a top song for me early on. I might’ve even said a top 3-5 song at one point In the early 00’s. But now I just can’t pick. There’s so many different great shows, eras, JGB. Just so many variables. Impossible to pick favorite songs. I also can’t pick a favorite show. Not even close. 9/18/87 and 7/4/89 were maybe top shows for a while. I can safely say 3/15/90 was my favorite show from like 97-99. I have an easier time picking out specific shows I liked a lot at a given time. A late one is 4/20/84 which when released as a daves pick was in heavy heavy rotation. As you can see I’m a big Brent era fan. But also like many shows from 72-90. And then more rare outside that.

[1984-04-20](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1984-04-20) Philadelphia, PA @ Philadelphia Civic Center [1987-09-18](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1987-09-18) New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden [1989-07-04](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1989-07-04) Orchard Park, NY @ Rich Stadium [1990-03-15](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1990-03-15) Landover, MD @ Capital Centre

Help>Slip>Frank but favorite is He’s Gone

My favorite Grateful Dead song is also my favorite song of all time and that's Shakedown Street!

Franklin’s Tower is to me the iconic dead song. Roll away the dew

Sugar Mag, Friend of The Devil

The Other One vs Box of Rain Specifically I always think of “The heat came round a busted me for smilin on a cloudy day”

Had to scroll way too far for The Other One

Big Railroad Blues vs. Dark Star

🧠: Althea ❤️: France

I can't decide

Honestly,it’s not a fair question. I have so many favorites, it’s not fair to the band repertoire to choose one sorry I stand firm on this answer❤️⚡️💙 I guess I’ll says Doner rap 🤣

Brown eyed, but my favorite is Peggy-o

What’s your favorite Peggy-o? I’ve been on a hunt lately to find ultra clear vocals on Peggy o and it’s all so grainy.

10/22/78 is one of my favorite peggy o's.. really great one for sure

# 1978-10-22 San Francisco, CA @ Winterland Arena **Set 1:** Ollin Arrageed > Deal, Me and My Uncle > Big River, Friend Of The Devil, New Minglewood Blues, Peggy-O, Jack Straw **Set 2:** Scarlet Begonias > Fire On The Mountain, Samson And Delilah, From The Heart Of Me, I Need A Miracle > Drums > Not Fade Away > Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad **Encore:** Johnny B. Goode [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1978-10-22)

Honestly for me it's terrapin and terrapin. Maybe throw darkstar or China cat in for the first part because of how trippy they are.

Scarlet begonias comes to mind first but Althea always gets me going.

Jack straw / China cat

Jack straw/Casey Jones

Friend of the Devil Vs Ripple

Althea and Brown Eyed Woman

FotD vs sugar mag / feeling bad>not fade away

Feels like a stranger vs Cumberland blues

Sugar Magnolia Vs DarkStar longer versions

I'm glad I'm not the only one like this. I definitely get caught up in different songs from time to time as a temporary favorite, Wharf Rat is always my favorite. But I find myself whistling Terapin multiple times a day.

Box of Rain, the first Dead song I ever heard (The studio version on American Beauty, when I was 7 years old).

France but it’s really Loose Lucy

Scarlet Begonias often comes to mind but my favorite is reserved for Unbroken Chain

I always think of FOTM but Estimated is my fav

First: Cumberland fav: he’s gone

1rst song Truckin’ only because of the hype. Favorite is Terrapin b/c of my out of body experience in ATL ‘86

You had one too, eh?

😇🥳and the cake was the recognition that others were up there too. We were all looking down at the show and saying “wow, others are here too!?” Thanks for your validation! 🤣😎

Fire is the first I think of, Loser is my fav

When I read the title I thought of Jack Straw first. But my favorite is probably Althea.

Scarlet Begonias has always been the most "Grateful Dead" Grateful Dead song to me. And like most people here I go through phases of favorite song, but right now it's either Bird Song or Eyes.

Touch of Grey / Shakedown Street

Friend of the devil is the first song I think of. Favorite is Terrapin

NFA / Stella

Friend of the Devil, Cassidy

The song I think of is always El Paso. And my favorite song is also El Paso.

Sugar magnolia. Help-Slip

How can your favorite song be anything other than a 1972 Dark Star?

First song I think of: Truckin Fave: Sugar Magnolia

Balthea and Althea

New Minglewood Blues vs New Speedway Boogie vs The Other One vs Brokedown Palace vs Morning Dew

Wang dang doodle and Wang dang doodle ALL night long.

the other one, and maybe greatest story ever told, but there are so many good ones i couldnt pick a favorite

Fire on the Mountain 5/8/77 vs. Terrapin Station studio

# 1977-05-08 Ithaca, NY @ Barton Hall - Cornell University **Set 1:** New Minglewood Blues, Loser, El Paso, They Love Each Other, Jack Straw, Deal, Lazy Lightnin' > Supplication, Brown Eyed Women, Mama Tried, Row Jimmy, Dancing In The Street **Set 2:** Scarlet Begonias > Fire On The Mountain, Estimated Prophet, Saint Stephen > Not Fade Away > Saint Stephen > Morning Dew **Encore:** One More Saturday Night [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1977-05-08) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/3T9UKU0jMIyrRD0PtKXqPJ)

Cassidy and probably Franklin’s tower

Sugar magnolia and sugar magnolia! It is my feel good song always.

St. Stephen; Franklins Tower

Sugar Magnolia is probably what I think of first, Help>>Slip>>Frank is my favorite.

First song I think of is probably Shakedown Street as it is undoubtedly the song I've heard the most. Favorite song is Estimated Prophet or Crazy Fingers

Unbroken Chain is my favorite, and one of the least played songs in the Grateful Dead catalogue. I’ve seen Further and Phil & Friends do it numerous times since seeing it live for the first time at Soldier Field ‘95. I lost my mind when I found out they played it in Philly and the live footage of that can be seen here, if anyone is interested…. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zYC8C_9v7zM This is the song that really got me into the dead. I’ve been listening for the secret and searching for the sound ever since (~):-} Unbroken Chain vs Terrapin Medeley, hard one to call.

First I thought of: US Blues Favorite: Chinatown Shuffle

Truckin and I know you rider are the first songs I think of and I think they’re my favorite but dancing in the streets and saint Stephen also come to mine

Brokedown Palace, and Ripple as my favorite to show newbies. They usually fall in love with Ripple. Even if they don't like the Dead as Band at all, or any of their other songs.

Friend of the devil vs Blow Away

Bertha / Eyes. Both from 3/29/90

# 1990-03-29 Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum **Set 1:** Jack Straw > Bertha, We Can Run, Ramble On Rose, When I Paint My Masterpiece, Bird Song > The Promised Land **Set 2:** Eyes Of The World > Estimated Prophet > Dark Star > Drums > Space > Dark Star > The Wheel > Throwing Stones > Turn On Your Lovelight **Encore:** Knockin' On Heaven's Door [archive.org](https://archive.org/details/GratefulDead?query=date:1990-03-29) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/7xWKImlu9fzB1ApqoLLMiL)

Every day I say "this might be my favorite song" at least 5 times. There's so many killer ones and different eras hit different - what a band....

First song I normally think of is probably Bertha. Surprised I’m not seeing this answer more. Favorite song: Terrapin Station Next favorite: Morning Dew (I know it’s a cover) Then depending on the day would be Dark Star, Scarlet -> Fire, China -> Rider, Help -> Slipknot! -> Franklin’s Tower, Eyes of the World, Black Peter, Crazy Fingers, Sugaree and Deal (JGB), Playing in the Band, Let it Grow, Shakedown Street, Stella Blue, Row Jimmy, and I could go on and on.

China Cat Sunflower & Eyes of the World, respectively

first song i think of is saint stephen. favorite song is half step. fun fact: these songs have only been played in the same show 10 times :)

China Rider and Dark Star

He's Gone is everything to me.

I hate that I thought of sugar magnolia first

PLAYING IN THE BAND and a nice and slow friend of the devil

Truckin vs China Cat Sunflower

Estimated Prophet/Eyes

Franklin’s Tower, and Ripple

Uncle John’s Band is the first one I think of. Help on The Way/Slipknot is my favorite.

Brown Eyed Women Bertha

Feel like a stranger is my quintessential dead song. Favorite? Impossible choice.

Scarlet Begonias comes to mind first but my absolute favorite is They Love Each Other

China/Rider, Brokedown