headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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Carrion_Crow

Stealth Head

+49742


Submissions

9
Jack Straw
June 26, 1973
Seattle Center Coliseum

Purrs along like a smooth stretch of highway. The whole first set has understated beauty. A gem.
15
Hard to Handle
Feb. 18, 1971
Capitol Theater

Pigpen's voice is deep, SC-soaked and clear. The jam is ballsy and pushing out against the seams.
10
St. Stephen
Oct. 13, 1968
Avalon Ballroom

Blasting '68 psyhedelia - A bit wilder than the legendary night before's version. Goes into one of the all-time great 11s after, too.
10
Scarlet Begonias
May 25, 1974
Campus Stadium, UCSB

Great early version, Donna and Jer are on. Sorry my version sounds like they played in a tin can, though.
28
Eyes Of The World
June 24, 1973
Memorial Coliseum

Builds and builds from subtle spaceyness to a burning jam. Whole show seems overlooked but well worth it.
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Comments

Playin' In The Band
Aug. 2, 1976
Colt Park

Definitely a weird one, the meltdown is long and heavy, even a bit aggressive - maybe the weirdest one of the year not known for acid meltdowns. This isn't a first-time, convince your friend about the dead kind of Playin', unless your friend is into Trout Mask Replica and free jazz, and all that. The transition into Wharf Rat, is all the more amazing for it, out of wild abstraction they come in fast, landing on one of the more literal, prosaic (in the good sense) and story-telling songs in their oeuvre.
Lazy Lightnin' -> Supplication
Aug. 2, 1976
Colt Park

Jerry reaches terminal velocity. The band is absolutely shredding, reaches Colemanesque harmolodic polyrythms at on point right before the Supplication re-entry.
Looks Like Rain
Aug. 2, 1976
Colt Park

The only reason this isn't much higher is that we don't have a SBD for it. Check it out, everything Glynn said here was right on.
The Music Never Stopped
July 18, 1976
Orpheum Theater

Absolute stunner. There isn't a dud in this whole first set.
Scarlet Begonias
July 18, 1976
Orpheum Theater

How have I gone this long in life without hearing this? Goddamn, this is perfect. I love how they take it down to almost zero, (some Heads probably thought, "hey, man, are they stopping?") before slowly building it back up into a long exploration of theme and rhythm make it such a danceable and beautiful homage to sudden inspiration and love. The Ferguson SBD has a great mix, especially for an old Philzone freak like me.
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