headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

please login or register.

Carrion_Crow

Stealth Head

+49682


Submissions

15
Greatest Story Ever Told
Feb. 23, 1974
Winterland Arena

Electrifying and high-power jams, with some of the weirdest sounds Donna ever made. Great fun and a wild ride.
10
Beat it on Down The Line
March 18, 1967
Winterland Arena

Surf Punk! Never thought I'd hear California surfer thrash so clearly in the Dead, but here it is: Bobby as primordial punk rocker? Why not?
7
Morning Dew
March 18, 1967
Winterland Arena

Are you kidding me? This is just blazingly good. Jerry's on fire, vocals and axe. Too good for words.
5
Row Jimmy
Feb. 22, 1974
Winterland Arena

Solid and sweet, with some beautiful slide solos and nice vocals, Donna included.
8
Black Throated Wind
Feb. 22, 1974
Winterland Arena

A powerful triumph, just exploding with intense jamming and emotion. Real dynamite here.
show more submissions

Comments

Cassidy
April 26, 1977
Capitol Theater

Wharf Rat
April 25, 1977
Capitol Theater

Hey I just listened to this suite again and think the WR>Jam idea might be wrongly labeled. At 10:48 or so Jerry changes key back into Playin' and the band follows immediately. Their meter changes too and it sounds more like 10/4 (Playin') than 6/8 (WR) to my ears. This doesn't change a damned thing or detract from what's been said, but I think this is a Playin'>WR>Playin'>Meltdown>Playin' suite. Thoughts?
Wharf Rat
April 25, 1977
Capitol Theater

Gets my vote for best of the year, but I also think it hard to say just where comes back into the Playin' space during the deep jam... They're so far out of the WR structure and into the wild outer spheres before coming back into the recognisable reprise. Not too often that Wharf Rat dips into Dark Star territory, but this is something special.
Playin' In The Band
April 25, 1977
Capitol Theater

Brings the expansive length and transitive madness of the most epic pre-hiatus versions if you take it as part of the whole suite. I don't say 'under-rated' often, but it fits here.
Deep Elem Blues
May 7, 1981
Tomorrow Coast To Coast with Tom Synder

Here it is with great video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chADQBmosEQ. It's quite cool to see this era with a decent/professional camerawork: Nice in-focus closeups of the band, Jerry singing beautifully and his fretwork. A beaut of a version any way you look at it.
show more comments
headyversion loves the dead but is in no way affiliated with The Grateful Dead or affiliated enterprises. find out more >:) >:)