headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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Books and Music

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Submissions

24
Franklin's Tower
May 1, 1981
Hampton Coliseum

One of the best played versions from one of the best played shows in the Brent era---ever.
16
Shakedown Street
March 24, 1981
Rainbow Theater

15+ minutes of funk w/extended overlapping vocal rounds of "just gotta poke around", etc. before jam Brent adds cool "fuzzy" SFX
1
Big Railroad Blues
Oct. 30, 1971
Taft Auditorium

Check out Keith on this one! He's never been so up front before & right outta the gate!!
21
Cream Puff War
July 3, 1966
Fillmore Auditorium

Peppy early version w/Jer belting out lyrics & Pig doin' some nice work on organ. No archive copy exists; got this off 30 Days of Dead-worth the DL!
9
Passenger
May 7, 1979
Allan Kirby Field House

Super-charged EARLY Brent version rips and tears and shreds. Final jam before the coda is the best they ever did in this tune. Goes to 11.
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Comments

Pretty Peggy O
April 7, 1978
The Sportatorium

Adding my sincere upvote on this total sleeper pick-lost amid a sea of great versions from this month/year but honestly you gotta give a listen---Jerry's solo starts out quiet and builds not to a raucous jam like Englishtown or some other '77 monsters but flows gorgeously and delivers wave after wave of beauty until washing up on shore as satisfyingly as any rendition you've heard. The realness right here.
Brown Eyed Women
June 26, 1974
Providence Civic Center

Only reason this has just a handful of votes must be due to the spotlight being focused on all the "big" songs and jams from this amazing show but this might be a candidate for "best of" early BEW's. Jerry's vocals are so syrupy good here and the relaxed cadence allows the song to breathe in ways it doesn't in later versions--good as those are for the extended bridge jams in between verses. You also get outstanding foundation from Phil in this one--it deserves to be higher for sure.
Brown Eyed Women
June 26, 1974
Providence Civic Center

Only reason this has just a handful of votes must be due to the spotlight being focused on all the "big" songs and jams from this amazing show but this might be a candidate for "best of" early BEW's. Jerry's vocals are so syrupy good here and the relaxed cadence allows the song to breathe in ways it doesn't in later versions--good as those are for the extended bridge jams in between verses. You also get outstanding foundation from Phil in this one--it deserves to be higher for sure.
Let It Grow
Jan. 31, 1978
Uptown Theater

Best version you've (probably) never heard. Absolute scorching jam sections and just when you think it can't get turned up to 11 Garcia goes full Spinal Tap after the final "I am" chorus--just all-out synapse-snapping lightning fingers...this is one of those buried treasure shows - maybe it's the date, who knows ?-but man, this version of LIG at the very least should tearing up the board
China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
May 20, 1973
U.C.

Garcia throws some extra wood on the fire in the jam leading into the 3rd verse...as others have said this one flows with such ease you feel like you're floating down a river until it starts to pick up speed in the rapids heading into Rider. Should have voted this up a while ago.
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