headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

please login or register.

catalonia

neshaminy

+2153


Submissions

3
Mississippi Halfstep Uptown Toodeloo
Oct. 14, 1976
Shrine Auditorium

The last halfstep of '76. After Rio Grandeo everyone including the crowd gets into it. The source is a B+ AUD.
1
U.S. Blues (Wave That Flag)
Dec. 30, 1977
Winterland Arena

Topical
3
Ship of Fools
Dec. 30, 1977
Winterland Arena

Timely
1
Franklin's Tower
May 4, 1980
Baltimore Civic Center

Different types of solos at each turn: straightaway, Listen-to-the-music-play, spacey, bluegrassy
2
Brown Eyed Women
May 4, 1980
Baltimore Civic Center

This one is fiery, especially the solo, in the vein of 8/24/80, including a hint of a Delilah Jones growl.
show more submissions

Comments

Sugaree
June 21, 1980
West High Auditorium

I like this one for Jerry's tone when he starts his second solo - its outer space travel soundtrack material. That follows one of those occasional solo breaks taken by Mydland in Sugaree early in his tenure.
The Other One
June 8, 1977
Winterland Arena

This one gets a vote for the outro which is so sweetly played into wharf rat. If you like the way Eyes goes into WR on 5/22/77, you'll find something similarly beautiful here. The Other One itself is solid (what on this box isn't?), but the outro is what brought me here.
Bird Song
March 9, 1981
Madison Square Garden

Jerry tears out of the gate on this solo. There are some weird choices and an emphatically psychedelic jazz aesthetic - it belongs up on the list. I saw some names I knew up here talking about this version a couple of days ago and made a mental note. These guys usually know what they're talking about.
To Lay Me Down
Dec. 31, 1980
Oakland Auditorium

Great call - there's a YT video and the playing and the harmonies say that this is peak dead. It's early on NYE and everyone's clear and on. A fantastic opener.
Samson and Delilah
Dec. 31, 1976
Cow Palace

This intro stands out. All other versions are so similar, it's hard not to wish that they'd played it like this at least occasionally. I'd have to put this close to the best ever, if not actually #1.
show more comments
headyversion loves the dead but is in no way affiliated with The Grateful Dead or affiliated enterprises. find out more >:) >:)