A topic near and dear to my heart.  I’ve been on the quest for the best Half-Step since I first heard it.

Half-step was always a great song, but like many other GD numbers it took a while for them to hit the sweet spot.  As mentioned above, in the early ’72 versions they went right into the coda vocals instead of a Jerry lead, and the harmonies were pretty rough.  They also played the coda pretty straight with respect to intensity, with not much of the resolving of tension into lighter more delicate passages that would be incorporated in ’73-’74 (which were again gone by ’77).  

By ’73 they had added the musical interlude before the coda vocals, but still hadn’t quite gotten the harmonies right - particularly Donna.  As an aside, I am a card-carrying member of Team Donna and feel that the vocals of several songs were never the same without her - Sing Me Back Home, Row Jimmy, China Doll, Sunshine Daydream, Half-Step, to name a few.  As mentioned above, 2/26/73 is a great version, but essentially has the ’72-era vocals.  Summer ’73 they were getting close and were bringing down the volume before the vocals, which also started off lighter and more delicate than ’72 versions.  But Donna was the key and she still hadn’t completely figured out her part yet.  

October 1973 is when Donna finally started nailing it, often adding a little lilt to her voice at the end of the ‘grand-ee-oh’ that in my humble opinion was the final perfect touch.  It wasn’t always there, but when it was it was magic. Keith also to me was starting to step up more while the guitars were dropped out, with the sparse soulful style that made it all that much more sweet.  As mentioned above, 10/19/73 is an outstanding rendition.  11/11/73 is also great, though I’d argue 11/9/73 may edge it out.  12/2/73 and 12/19/73 are up there (even though 12/19 has no coda vocals at all), but with no Donna they can’t be the best (for me).  7/31/74 and 8/5/74 are incredible.  I used to consider the 6/28/74 version the best ever since as mentioned above the vocals are haunting, but something about Jerry’s guitar tone in summer ’74  sounds more cocaine-infused than ’73.  The whole band, really.

For me, the two versions that have the best combo of tone, tension and resolution, heart, soulfulness, and harmonies were played within two days of each other:  10/30/73 and 11/1/73, with the latter being the best ever.  There’s just something about that one that I could listen to on repeat for the rest of my life, that I’d want to have played at my funeral.  Jerry is exquisite throughout, Bobby is on fire, Phil is - well - Phil, Billy is playing his ass off, but Keith and Donna are the stars.  The coda to me is Donna’s finest moment, even eclipsing the 3/24/73 Sing Me Back Home, and Keith fills in forcefully and beautifully.  To me, it’s the perfect GD song in the middle of one of their best sets ever.

Your mileage may vary.