headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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grendel

Books and Music

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Submissions

1
Aiko Aiko
Feb. 23, 1993
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum

Hey Now! Played on Mardi Gras day with 10 minute drum percussion lead-in to start the 2nd set! You'll like what the Big Chief say.
3
Space
March 16, 1990
Capital Centre

Not Space, but since there's no category for "jam" this beautiful calypso improv out of WomenRsmarter will have to do (also has an "Eyes" tease)
2
Greatest Story Ever Told
Oct. 9, 1982
Frost Amphitheatre

From the show always overshadowed by the next night, which is a shame. Fantastic Jerry/Brent conversation mid-jam. Give a listen!
11
Let It Grow
June 10, 1976
Boston Music Hall

Liquid
5
Althea
July 1, 1980
San Diego Sports Arena

3 versions on archive. Grab the SBD seeded by Brian Cole. Listen to the insane end jam. Listen to the whole thing. This is an A+++ version!

Comments

Scarlet Begonias -> Fire On The Mountain
Sept. 20, 1982
Madison Square Garden

Indeed the matrix is the best source for this great version with lengthy mellow transition jam and sweet Fire entry. Jer does his all too frequent lost in translation with the first verse thing but almost seems to be laughing about it, then gets down to the business of ripping the roof off. From a show that would get a ton more attention if it had a killer SBD but this Seamons hybrid is fantastic in its own right.
China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
April 9, 1983
Hampton Coliseum

To each his own, of course but to be clear, I'm not reviewing the whole show at all. There are always flaws in '83 shows, even the best of them, but I'm only raving here about the China>Rider, which I think is far better than just OK. I can't seem to find a better one in this year and the 80s weren't always kind to this combo anyway so this one is a standout that I think you're giving a bit short shrift due to the rest of the show being pretty sloppy. This is a hard kicking nailed t down version & Jerry's clearly into it as you can hear in his northboind train moment. You may be be right that this show as a whole is overrated but this combo is just the opposite.
China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
April 9, 1983
Hampton Coliseum

You're all gonna hate me commenting over and over on this version until it gets at least out of the 3-vote zone it's in now. You've been warned. Just freaking listen already.
China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
April 9, 1983
Hampton Coliseum

People. Please. For the love of Jerry, what is this masterpiece doing at less than a handful of votes? There is no doubt my mind this is THE best version of 1983 and you might as well launch it into the Top 10 of the whole damn decade while you're at it. You can't go & listen to this and hear Jerry stretch out the jams and just push each one higher in BOTH tunes and not come back and upvote this. Ya just can't. It even contains a belt it out "northbound train" shout from Garcia & the rest of the crew is right there at every step. Come on, this has gotta move up the board or we're just not paying enough attention.
Playin' In The Band
Nov. 9, 1973
Winterland Arena

I'm not a better writer than you but all I can say after spinning this one again is that it gets caught in that weird vortex of songs so plentiful (PITB was played more times in concert than any other Dead song) and with so many of those versions being excellent, that inevitably some will get overlooked and passed by. But logically, when you think about the time frame of this one, it begs to be heard because it's both a progression in scope from some of the Europe '72 versions and a precursor of the way out there let's explore psychedelia renditions to come in '74. Whatever the reason, I was guilty of not paying this one more attention, too, and it was an easy upvote when I did, thanks to your post! This three show run is extraordinary and as a microcosm example of the point I'm making here, 11/11 tends to overshadow the other two superb shows that preceded it and maybe this Playin' gets the short shrift again as a result. Gonna revisit the Eyes from this show next.