headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

please login or register.

Carrion_Crow

Stealth Head

+49667


Submissions

6
Beat it on Down The Line
Aug. 21, 1972
Berkeley Community Theater

Has one of Jer's longest continuous strings of up-tempo 16th note solo lines (in the changes) I can recall. Wicked fast and right as rain.
3
He's Gone
Aug. 20, 1972
San Jose Civic Auditorium

This version, and the one on the 12th, are just butter. I admit to sometimes not even noticing He's Gone, but this is a high spot for it.
2
Me and Bobby McGee
Aug. 20, 1972
San Jose Civic Auditorium

One of those amazing versions of this underrated song where everyone is blazing along in collective improv to genius effect. Just beautiful.
3
Sugaree
Aug. 20, 1972
San Jose Civic Auditorium

Damn fine swagger on this one, in spite of a murky tape. Show cleans up after a few songs - thanks to C. Miller.
2
Truckin'
Aug. 12, 1972
Sacramento Memorial Auditorium

High voltage 18-wheel Truckin'. Mix and sound on this show keep it in the shadow of others this month, but the music is all there.

Comments

Truckin'
Nov. 14, 1972
Oklahoma City Music Hall

...and the Truckin' stands on its own with a high-octane jam led by Jerry initiating several repeating figures that play up and tease the Truckin'-TOO connection. The whole suite is so sweet.
Dark Star
Nov. 13, 1972
Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall

This meltdown leaves me shaken each time hear it, and is totally worth the long (23 minutes+) trip to get there, but I wouldn't use this one to introduce your Dead-skeptic friends to the hard acid side of Dark Star - you'd scare them off for good. The Philo Stomp that follows is a righteous thing of beauty. Also, around 31:00, I can't help but think they were just about to break into the first Dancin' in the Streets in almost a year, but instead settle on that awesome double-time FG. Great ending to a great Star.
Playin' In The Band
Nov. 13, 1972
Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall

There are a lot of Playin's, and they may have been more jazz-infused and tighter in '73-'74, or more polished in the later 70s and 80s, or more whatever towards the end, but were they ever so freakin' dangerous as they were in Fall '72? From the end of Europe through November the jam gets so heavy, so frenzied and wild, that Bacchus Freaking Dionysius himself probably had to take a few deep breaths and make sure he could catch his grip before he once-more entered the pudding. This one is no exception, with a wild one followed by a much spacier free-form jam for the ages.
Tomorrow Is Forever
Nov. 13, 1972
Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall

Such sweet country.
Playin' In The Band
Nov. 12, 1972
Soldiers' and Sailors' Memorial Hall

Musicians out there can really dig in deep to these weird recordings with tracks missing. You can really hear every single note Jerry plays in glorious isolation. It isn't quite the Dead, as all the vocals, piano, and drums are mostly gone, but it is Jerry, Bobby and Phil is pristine quality. Great for study. Non-musicians can dig it too, heck, it's just an interesting and a bit of weird tape from the archive and definitely worth a listen.