headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

please login or register.

Ernie5

No cholesterol.

+3529


Submissions

1
Not Fade Away
March 21, 1972
Academy of Music

Picture Perfeck Academy of Music NFA! Kreutzmann and Weir scoot this gem along.
3
The Other One
Dec. 12, 1970
Santa Rosa Fairgrounds

Adventure soundtrack - the group plays out a number of scenes. Garcia's the acrobatic narrator for the most part. Superb and interactive.
2
The Other One
Dec. 10, 1969
Thelma Theater

Big and round. Lesh is the wacked-out chauffeur. What a cool, bizarre run.
4
Big River
Nov. 20, 1973
Denver Coliseum

A strike-zone era Big River. Smooth & prickly.
4
The Other One
July 14, 1970
Euphoria Ballroom

ATOMIC! Garcia's subversive wah work only makes the area less safe for the public.

Comments

Estimated Prophet
Jan. 14, 1978
Bakersfield Memorial Auditorium

Where did this one come from? Shite! Tons of energy and a little '77 precision work. Need to listen to more of this show! Garcia's got the envelope filter set for Extra-Sticky. Wonderful guitar playing.
The Other One
April 22, 1979
Spartan Stadium - San Jose State University

Super lively take - Garcia comes out guns a-blazin'. Doesn't really let up either - Mydland's stuff is very subtle. Cool.
Uncle John's Band
May 25, 1972
Strand Lyceum

This could be The One. But even if it's not, it's got all of your Uncle John's Band bases covered. And then some.
Brown Eyed Women
Feb. 9, 1973
Roscoe Maples Pavilion - Stanford University

Really nothing not to like here. This show is close to perfect. For Brown-Eyed Women, they take it a smidge slower and really tease out all of the song's narrative depth. And it sounds fucking great.
Estimated Prophet
Dec. 26, 1979
Oakland Auditorium

Very strong! Some inspired, cool shit in this one. But blows 5-25-77 out of the water? I don't get that. This one, zesty as it is, is a bit of shaggy dog vs. 5-25-77's sick groove. My main issue is the Mydland tinkling - which doesn't always not work. Problem is mainly that sometimes it just strikes me rinky-dink. Also, though: the big solo peak post-bridge portion in the middle is just too long and they can barely find their way out of it back into the next verse. Just gets cluttered. Less is more and everything just sounds and feels better with Godchaux and Garcia rockin' the Bean. The outro is sweet, but nothing like the dark Garcia soliloquies of 1977 - the sound of out-of-body. Sonically, they're already making lots of sonic compromises by late 1979. I do like this version, though, I swear.