headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

please login or register.

Carrion_Crow

Stealth Head

+47940


Submissions

2
El Paso
Sept. 30, 1976
Mershon Auditorium, OSU

Phil rips this one wide open with a brilliant countersolo to Jerry's brilliancies and whirlygigs. Strong version here.
3
Johnny B. Goode
Sept. 28, 1976
Onondaga County War Memorial

I think they encored JBG whenever they knew they'd absolutely nailed it. It's like comedians telling "The Aristocrats". Musicians can just tell....
9
Dancin' in the Streets
Sept. 28, 1976
Onondaga County War Memorial

How on earth is this not up yet? It really kicks off the Fall '76 retooling of Dancin' with style. Brilliant, tight, and part of an enormous 2nd set.
6
New Minglewood Blues
Sept. 28, 1976
Onondaga County War Memorial

This one and the 07.18.76 versions are both so goddamned good. Jerry is a tsunami behind snarlin' Bobby. So gritty, so good.
2
Samson and Delilah
Sept. 27, 1976
Community War Memorial Auditorium

Stunning. Chronically underrated song in a chronically underrated year: Listen to Jerry blaze through this like a man with 100 fingers.

Comments

The Other One
March 20, 1977
Winterland Arena

This one has a great arc to it. They cruise at warp6 for 10 hot minutes before leaving the jaw-grinding peak for a blissful spaceout. It's gripping as they find their way into Stella. Shout out to Keith, who just as they're coming into that peaceful interlude hits on a 4 over 12 vamp that I hadn't heard before, adding to the beauty.
St. Stephen
March 20, 1977
Winterland Arena

The outro jam is pretty special, warts and all. I love the few post-hiatus versions that have a clear "bell" jam before the last shout. Here it starts around 7:50 with repeating bass notes that sound like booming church bells, just like the lyrics tell us.
Promised Land
March 20, 1977
Winterland Arena

Jerry is just ripping it up here, as he is throughout the show.
Samson and Delilah
March 20, 1977
Winterland Arena

Shuffles along a bit loose until Jerry takes his solo after the second chorus that just rips the sky apart with his buzz saw. On the C. Miller edition you can hear some of Bobby's cool counterpoint spurring Jerry on that's missing too often from other versions.
Scarlet Begonias
March 20, 1977
Winterland Arena

That ending scrambled some brains, my god. That said, I can't be the only one who thinks that for all if its glory, Scarlet/Fire gave up the awesome lead-up to Scarlet's punctuated ending (here beginning around minute 11:00) that couldn't be regained when it always morphed into FoTM. But can we also have a moment for that rising intensity Jerry-driven insanity starting with the solo after "let her pass by"? Keith's kool kooky Kraftwerky keyboards also give this a nice Mars-era throwback sound (like the Phil and Ned stuff) during the slow sizzle period before that oooooh god-yes ending.