headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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Carrion_Crow

Stealth Head

+49667


Submissions

9
Sugaree
Sept. 10, 1972
Hollywood Palladium

So perfect, it's hard to believe that people could improvise music like this together. This amazing show deserves a clean-up!
14
Big River
Dec. 6, 1973
Public Hall

Overlooked: Between one of this site's favorite HCSs and one of its favorite Dark Stars is a perfect, articulate, and virtuoso version of Big River.
3
Casey Jones
Oct. 28, 1972
Cleveland Public Hall

Just outrageous. Problematic show b/c of mix and cuts in the source. Not here: just a blizzard of jam.
4
Greatest Story Ever Told
Oct. 28, 1972
Cleveland Public Hall

Show is overlooked b/c mix problems, but they're absolutely on fire and this version shreds like all get-out. Call C. Miller for this one please!
6
Playin' In The Band
Oct. 28, 1972
Cleveland Public Hall

Could be massively heady, but Billy is so high in the mix that it's hard to follow others. Any cleaner versions out there? Has everything but the mix.

Comments

Shakedown Street
June 30, 1985
Merriweather Post Pavilion

Go to the Charlie Miller cleanup and you get a great deal more out of Bobby's brilliant work gearing up Jerry and Brent's extensive jam. Jerry has an endless supply of ideas, bringing it on like ten musicians in a high-steppin' conversation with themselves.
Truckin'
Sept. 18, 1974
Parc des Expositions

I always say that listening to a show's Truckin' is the best way to tell how switched on they were on any given night. A lot of Heads overlook it, but done right - and this one is a fully heady 'done right' - Truckin' is the anthemic 'We are the one-and-only Grateful Dead' head-turner that put people on the bus for good (or for ill!).
Black Throated Wind
Sept. 18, 1974
Parc des Expositions

As much as I love this show and this song and the stripped down '74 one-drummer coherency, it does sound a bit in places like they were struggling to hear each other through the monitors. There's just enough delay and scramble to make it a bit looser than probably intended. I'm just picking nits, but by Scarlet (next song) they're much more in sync. It's Europe '74 so it's all good. So much love for this show.
Not Fade Away
Oct. 20, 1974
Winterland Arena

Almost all of them? There's great energy, sure, and it's a famous show and movie we all love, but they sound disconnected from each other for about eight minutes before scrambling what might be the easiest lyrics in the whole repertoire. They do finally catch the groove, but then go into The Other One for 2.5 seconds before giving the Devils their due and letting Billy and Mickey loose. Sorry if this sounds snarky, but there are 100 better NFA's on this page.
Dark Star
April 14, 1972
Tivolis Koncertsal

So much to say again about this one, but really this melodic feedback transition into Sugar Mag hardly even counts as a 'meltdown'. It's a few moments of nerve-jangling tweaky bits at the end before it arrives in peace and beauty for a soft landing. Haven't you guys ever just taken a little bit too much, and passed through a hairy freak-out patch on your way back into the beautiful light? It's just like the lyrics describe: "reason tatters, the forces tear loose from the axis" and "mirror shatters in formless reflections of matter". The best DSs show us how to get into and back out of the hard part and this gives you just a wee taste rather than the whole deep dark dangerous shattering. I wouldn't change a note. If you want the really heavy dose of weirdness check this rarity out: http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=550860