headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

please login or register.

Carrion_Crow

Stealth Head

+49677


Submissions

2
Big Railroad Blues
Aug. 15, 1971
Berkeley Community Theater

Kicks off an excellent show with intense and driving energy. The quintet is super-charged and bursting with energy. One of the best versions I know.
2
Playin' In The Band
Aug. 14, 1971
Berkeley Community Theater

Packs a lot into its 4.5 short minutes. Great bass-heavy SBD gives you a Phil masterclass. Love the short ones, love the long ones....
4
Casey Jones
Aug. 5, 1971
Hollywood Palladium

Just kickin', this one. The whole show is dynamite.
2
El Paso
Aug. 4, 1971
Terminal Island Correctional Facility

One of the slower waltz versions, with lovely vocals from Cowboy Bob, who gives us a nice country warble. Sweet backup harmony and Jer being Jer.
6
China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
Aug. 4, 1971
Terminal Island Correctional Facility

Philzone masterclass. Hot and tight jam, the Rider three-part harmonies sound like some of the acoustic versions from the previous year.

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.