headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

please login or register.

Carrion_Crow

Stealth Head

+49652


Submissions

4
Mister Charlie
March 21, 1972
Academy of Music

Part of a great first set, the band is on fire, and Pigpen in great form. Tight rocker.
4
Loser
March 21, 1972
Academy of Music

Cracklin' and snappy version. The band is über tight and having fun.
3
Greatest Story Ever Told
March 21, 1972
Academy of Music

Bobby blows a gasket on this one. Raw and powerful, showing exactly where they were headed before Europe. High energy rocker.
4
Playin' In The Band
March 21, 1972
Academy of Music

I'd argue this was the first Playin' as we came to know it after the end of the "Main Ten" and "country warbler" versions from '71.
2
Casey Jones
March 5, 1972
Winterland Arena

After a pretty sloppy 1st set, they charge up and nail this one. Phil goes bananas on the out chorus.

Comments

The Eleven
Jan. 17, 1969
Civic Auditorium

This is a hot version, no doubt, but everything about this era runs hot. The electric high-tension and crackling energy is something like no other era. Leave it to the gear-heads to explain why, but I think this was just at the end of the first era - before he went to jail - with Bear and his audio effect on the sound was palpable. Musically this has a few rough spots of everyone playing on top of each other, like just before transitioning into the first solo, but they always come back in and overall it's a rollicking good time more than a blow-your-face off steal, IMHO.
Eyes Of The World
Feb. 22, 1973
Assembly Hall, University of Illinois

Jerry's first two solos are radio-play perfect, and the ensemble singing on each chorus is a joyous yowp for life. To my ears it drifts out of sync a bit in the outro, but the transition to China Doll is just sublime.
Uncle John's Band
March 19, 1977
Winterland Arena

Lot's of love here for the intro... but damn did you guys make it to the outro? The intro starts like silky gossamer and ends like a seven-cylinder jackhammer. It has that nice virtuoso '77 clean feeling while keeping the grit-in-the-gears and hard rocking energy.
Sugar Magnolia
March 19, 1977
Winterland Arena

Maybe it suffers a bit in comparison to the outrageous excellence of both the first and second set jams? The transition from Franklin's is a bit wobbly - and it takes getting to the first solo for it to really pick up steam, with the Devils driving it back on track for the win.
Eyes Of The World
March 19, 1977
Winterland Arena

Up-tempo, but not rushed. Keith is brilliant throughout, complimenting Jerry's endless wingspan.