headyversion
find the best versions of grateful dead songs
please
login
or
register
.
Carrion_Crow
Stealth Head
+49707
Submissions
3
Cumberland Blues
Dec. 15, 1971
Hill Auditorium
Joyful chaos: A brilliant splatter. Bobby's voice never sounded so good to me as it did in '71.
5
Mister Charlie
Dec. 15, 1971
Hill Auditorium
Pigpen at his best with the band at its grit-in-the-gears crunchiest. They were on this night and this one is just full of butt.
6
Wharf Rat
Dec. 12, 1973
Omni Coliseum
Very passionate version, some distortion or tape speed issues (?) remind me of my cassette trading days and bring out the trippiness to the song.
11
China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
Dec. 12, 1973
Omni Coliseum
If this hard grooving China jam and Feeling Groovy transition doesn't just get you moving, then nothing can. Just perfect.
10
Pretty Peggy O
Dec. 12, 1973
Omni Coliseum
First version ever is real nice... but listen to the soundcheck version for insight into the bands working dynamics. Cool to hear them working on it.
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
hot songs
Dark Star
Playin' In The Band
Eyes Of The World
Scarlet Begonias -> Fire On The Mountain
new submissions
Wharf Rat, Winterland Arena, Dec. 31, 1977
Sugaree, Alexandra Palace, Sept. 11, 1974
Friend of the Devil, Oakland Auditorium, Dec. 27, 1981
more submissions
recent comments
Not that impressed; check ...
So-so. Compare with 12/9/71, ...
Nice rec OrangeTango. Love ...
more comments
resources & sponsors
about