headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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Carrion_Crow

Stealth Head

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Submissions

6
The Wheel
June 22, 1976
Tower Theatre

Such floating beauty, you can feel the tires humming down the highway. Part of a magic Playin' sammy too. Everything about this is brilliant.
3
Cassidy
June 22, 1976
Tower Theatre

Just exactly perfect here. Bobby and Donna were perfection in '76, The little AUD patch doesn't hurt at all. Jerry and the Devils tear it up.
2
Looks Like Rain
June 22, 1976
Tower Theatre

Donna and Bobby in perfect sync, beautifully harmonizing, and backed up with brilliant Jerry fretwork. '76 was Donna's best year by far.
4
The Music Never Stopped
June 21, 1976
Tower Theater

Short set opener, but if there's one where Donna saves it all with breathy ahhhs and mmmms, it's this one. Gentle whispers around 03:30.
3
Brown Eyed Women
June 21, 1976
Tower Theater

Smooth version with flawless, FM airplay quality.
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Comments

Wharf Rat
April 25, 1977
Capitol Theater

Gets my vote for best of the year, but I also think it hard to say just where comes back into the Playin' space during the deep jam... They're so far out of the WR structure and into the wild outer spheres before coming back into the recognisable reprise. Not too often that Wharf Rat dips into Dark Star territory, but this is something special.
Playin' In The Band
April 25, 1977
Capitol Theater

Brings the expansive length and transitive madness of the most epic pre-hiatus versions if you take it as part of the whole suite. I don't say 'under-rated' often, but it fits here.
Deep Elem Blues
May 7, 1981
Tomorrow Coast To Coast with Tom Synder

Here it is with great video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chADQBmosEQ. It's quite cool to see this era with a decent/professional camerawork: Nice in-focus closeups of the band, Jerry singing beautifully and his fretwork. A beaut of a version any way you look at it.
Dire Wolf
May 7, 1981
Tomorrow Coast To Coast with Tom Synder

What a rare treat. Sweet video of the performance on the "Tomorrow Show": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chADQBmosEQ.
Estimated Prophet
April 25, 1977
Capitol Theater

Agree with Ernie5 - this is right in the sweet spot for the development of the song. Jerry's coda solo is a wild ride through the scrambled madness of the narrator. Bobby's voice in the C.Miller clean-up (I didn't get the box set!) is smoky and beautiful. For me this song has always been *the* emblem of '77 perfection and here it is on display.
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