headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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grendel

Books and Music

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Submissions

7
Big River
April 19, 1978
Veterans Memorial Auditorium

Segues perfectly out of MAMU and rolls along beautifully til Jerry goes ballistic on the last solo. Must hear.
5
China Cat Sunflower
April 5, 1969
Avalon Ballroom

Nice early stand alone with a long intro. You can hear the transition from the old intro to the more familiar pickings of later versions.
5
Darkness Jam
Nov. 21, 1973
Denver Coliseum

Not really a darkness jam but more of a dark star jam than what it's listed as (PITB) leads into Wharf Rat & is beyond beautiful.
8
Wang Dang Doodle
Oct. 22, 1983
Carrier Dome, Syracuse U

The boys really "throw a mess" on this one, making the carrier dome sound like a down and dirty old time saloon. Slinky sick stuff
2
Row Jimmy
April 18, 1987
Irvine Meadows

Check out Jerry's "giddy-up" riffs in the final "Row" choruses!
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Comments

Estimated Prophet
May 26, 1977
Baltimore Civic Center

oops mean to comment on the eyes from this show but this is a very worthy lead-in estimated
Eyes Of The World
Dec. 6, 1973
Public Hall

^^^^poster bladexni totally nails it re: my absolute favorite thing about this version. That little foray into space/slipknot/breakdown at around the 9:30-10:00 minute mark trails off like Wile E. Coyote running past the cliff edge where he hangs in mid-air a full long second or two before realizing what's happened...you think maybe they've kost the thread but when the bottom falls out they all plunge as one headlong back into the main theme and it is pure Grateful Dead magic. I've yet to hear a bad '73 version but I'm not sure I've ever heard one where they pull off that particular trick.
Aiko Aiko
July 5, 1978
Omaha Civic Auditorium

You just found buried treasure if you made it down this far to find this serious underrated version. Played at a brisk clip w/tight contributions from all (great drums here) esp. all (fair warning for a tad too much Bobby slide) but Jer's growling out the vox for a very big crowd & Donna's right there w/him. Oughta be way higher.
Pretty Peggy O
June 30, 1974
Civic Center

There are lots of more jammed out versions to come in '77 but I don't think I've ever heard Jerry's vocals better sung than on this little early ditty right here. I mean like sweet as honey vocals...easy upvote for that alone but also Keith fans will swoon over his beautiful fills here. .
Eyes Of The World
June 30, 1974
Civic Center

Go directly to this Miller source: https://archive.org/details/gd1974-06-30.sbd.miller.96275.sbeok.flac16/gd74-06-30d3t05.flac & tell me this isn't one of the greatest intros to EOTW you've ever laid ears on....oh, & the rest to follow is typically jazz jam '74 Deadheaven. Sleeper indeed.
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