headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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grendel

Books and Music

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Submissions

52
Dark Star
Dec. 31, 1978
Winterland Arena

Farewell to Winterland; Not 40 mins. long ; no break down into feedback nonsense. Just sweet jazzy jamming; Just exactly perfect send off.
10
Scarlet Begonias -> Fire On The Mountain
Sept. 25, 1981
Stabler Arena

Transition jam weaves into spaces most fail to go; touch-down into Fire is GOLD. Jerry flubs first line in Fire-after that: 1 of the BEST ever!
19
He's Gone
Sept. 26, 1972
Stanley Theatre

Perfect, self-contained, blues-infused, stellar vocals, 14+ minutes of bliss. Extra fun: Check out the "Birdsong" riff about 10 secs. into the intro
36
Dark Star
Sept. 16, 1972
Boston Music Hall

Amazed this isn't here yet Gorgeous, melodic, jazz-infused, mellow, trippy, spacey into hard ripping Jerry riffs; melts into Brokedown Palace. Sublime
48
Cold Rain and Snow
Oct. 12, 1984
Augusta Civic Center

Kicks off with authority a 2d set every DeadHead needs to hear. Perfect bookend to Jerry's scorching Dew. They say it was cold&rainy that nite in ME.
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Comments

Brown Eyed Women
May 26, 1977
Baltimore Civic Center

Adding this to the Mount Rushmore of BEW's to stand alongside 11/4/77, 12/27/77, & 8/24/80 as the best ever.
Scarlet Begonias -> Fire On The Mountain
Dec. 30, 1979
Oakland Auditorium

Wow, still under double digits? I just re-listened & am even more enamored of this super groovy, relaxed yet full of color reading on both tunes. Sadly neglected to this point, I really think this needs more ears on it.
China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
Sept. 24, 1973
Civic Arena

Great version, sources not so much. I think it was a recent 30 days of dead DL though and worth seeking out b/c this is a long, well jammed '73 gem, mostly undiscovered to this point.
Stella Blue
Oct. 1, 1994
Boston Garden

Nice vocal reprise but the rest is a sloppy, disappointing version from a show that otherwise is pretty great. Jerry's phrasing is tentative, not much gusto in the lyrics and uninspired playing by just about everyone. I suspect this one has its relative high slotting here due solely to the vocal "stella" call backs at the end & the show being a very good one for the year, but this version pales in comparison to the much better 3/21/94 which is easily the best of the year and perhaps only second to the Knick for best of the 90s
He's Gone
Oct. 2, 1972
Springfield Civic Center

Had to scroll nearly all the way down the list to find this superlative, dig your heels in, super-confident bluesy gem of a rendition? Come on, folks, it's fall 1972 & everyone's in sync on this fantastic reading from a great (& sadly underrated) show. There are myriad reasons to bump this one way up the ladder. More ears & votes please.
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