headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

please login or register.

Carrion_Crow

Stealth Head

+49667


Submissions

13
Dark Star
Aug. 21, 1968
Fillmore West

First DS>Stephen>Eleven merits mention here, plus it's freaking groovy '68 Dead: No meltdown here (not yet), just 13 min. of 1st edition Dark Star.
5
Mountain Jam
Feb. 7, 1969
Stanley Theater

Check out "Primal Alligator Jam" on Feb. 07, 1969 and tell me this isn't a Mountain Jam. Anyone? In any case, I'm blown away by it.
2
Turn On Your Love Light
Feb. 7, 1969
Stanley Theater

Under the radar show, but blazing, blistering, and hard rocking Love Light. The whole set is outrageous.
5
Estimated Prophet
Feb. 27, 1977
Robertson Gym, UC Santa Barbara

Perfect execution, Jerry just note for note brilliant, Bobby sings like a man possessed. AUD quality A/A-
6
Franklin's Tower
June 7, 1975
Bob Weir's Studio

You ain't never heard anything like this. It's about half-speed, super mellow, almost Jamaican vibe. For a rehearsal, this sounds just oh so sweet.
show more submissions

Comments

Playin' In The Band
Dec. 31, 1976
Cow Palace

Agreed that this is a beaut. This one goes through several phases, with the noted jam at around 10:00 and then another transition into a more biting/buzzsaw tone around 15:00. It holds at a simmer rather than a boil, however so if you're looking for mad freaky weirdness then this won't necessarily scratch every itch.
They Love Each Other
Dec. 31, 1976
Cow Palace

This signals exactly where they've been and where they're going. The transition year behind them, '77 coming on strong... a great and historically relevant version. Could be much higher, but probably sits between the '73 and the '77 fans' choices.
Bertha
Dec. 31, 1976
Cow Palace

Best one of the year: Deliberate, tight and right. Compare this to the weirdly accidental previous one they played on 15 October (the only clunker in that otherwise world-shatteringly brilliant show) and this makes me think they'd been thinking about bringing Bertha back into rotation, rehearsed it, nailed it, and brought it back in with diesel.
Comes A Time
Oct. 15, 1976
Shrine Auditorium

The transition out of this is so good it transforms the Franklin's that comes after it into an almost entirely different song. Strong performance and great show. Check out around 08:00: They go into a 12/8 meter riff that may be unique in the oeuvre. In any case this may be my top choice Comes A Time of all time.
The Other One
Oct. 15, 1976
Shrine Auditorium

Both a musically tight, breakneck roller-coaster and a psychedelicore madhouse filled with twists and turns a jump-out-at you moments of mind melting gooeyness. Around 08:35 they sound like they're going into a totally new jam, but it gets whisked away like so many hallucinations. Brilliant suite and one of the best of the few TOO of the year.
show more comments
headyversion loves the dead but is in no way affiliated with The Grateful Dead or affiliated enterprises. find out more >:) >:)