headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

please login or register.

Carrion_Crow

Stealth Head

+49687


Submissions

3
Deep Elem Blues
April 13, 1982
Letterman

Sweet version with just Bob and Jerry for the David Letterman Show. Funny interviews + a Monkey & the Engineer. On YouTube. Jer outsmarts David L.
3
Playin' In The Band
April 5, 1971
Manhattan Center

'71 Playin's are a special kind of love: nothing like what it became, a clang machine 10/4 poppin' country yodel. This one knocks my socks off.
4
Weather Report Suite
Nov. 19, 1972
Hofheinz Pavilion

The Prelude only, but really it's a thematic and 2nd meltdown to the mind-blowing Dark Star. Under certain circumstances this one could be dangerous.
12
Nobody's Fault But Mine
July 29, 1974
Capitol Center

A seamless sweet groove - into a very cool TOO. This show doesn't get enough love - all Summer '74 is hot, but this is a real corker.
10
Deal
July 29, 1974
Capitol Center

Some of the best boogie-woogie cowboy barroom stride piano from Keith here.

Comments

Scarlet Begonias
June 3, 1976
Paramount Theatre

Revisiting after a long spell, and this is as pure as they come. No FoTM, but natch, it wasn't written yet. What a beauty.
Cassidy
June 3, 1976
Paramount Theatre

Years later and back for another dose of this historic show. Sure, there's some rough patches, but can you imagine being there as a head, waiting out the hiatus and they bust out with new repertoire including Cassidy? This is some of Barlow's greatest writing for the band, and I've always considered this one of the most philosophical songs in their oeuvre deceptively simple, but "scattered like lost words" speaks beauty, and "I can tell by the mark he left you were in his dream" is mysterious dark poetry of the highest order. This might not be the tightest version ever, but it's definitely one of the most satisfying - at least for me.
Sugar Magnolia
Dec. 31, 1972
Winterland Arena

Totally bonkers. Really, like zonkers bonkers: It's more uptempo - maybe our boys took their vitamins during the break - and Crosby's addition gives it an almost orchestral quality. Really a beauty.
The Other One
Dec. 31, 1972
Winterland Arena

Goes deep weird. (I love that.) But it also has a floaty ethereal passage before heading into Morning Dew that is just sublime. Phil and Billy's Drum and Bass solo is brilliant. Did they freakin' invent the genre? They did a similar solo on the 12th of the same month which is worth a listen, too.
Truckin'
Dec. 31, 1972
Winterland Arena

Scorching hot jam, with a great radio broadcast version on the Archive with a perfectly balanced soundboard. Everyone is audible, and they're deep in the pocket, plus Jerry is just inspiration on wheels. Truckin' when it's hot is unbeatable, and this one kicks off over an hour-long sweet sweet suite.