headyversion

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grendel

Books and Music

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Submissions

5
Wharf Rat
Sept. 27, 1976
Community War Memorial Auditorium

Keith shines on a long, flowing intro section that spills into space-mellow Rat-Goodness
14
Last Time
Dec. 8, 1993
Sports Arena

Emerges from Space with a very long intro & very distinct and sustained St. Stephen tease! My favorite version.
10
Dear Mr. Fantasy
July 18, 1989
Alpine Valley

Part of what made this Alpine run so legendary. Soulful and Brent-astic.
5
Big Railroad Blues
Aug. 14, 1971
Berkeley Community Theater

Maybe the best pure hard riving Rock&Roll version. Lean, mean, and Jerry supreme!
38
Scarlet Begonias -> Fire On The Mountain
Nov. 2, 1977
Field House - Seneca College

Rarely heard (left out of DP Bonus tracks for Vol. 34) but another sweet/smooth '77 winner.
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Comments

Greatest Story Ever Told
Aug. 21, 1972
Berkeley Community Theater

Unique, confident, just about damn near perfect. Slower, funkier pace to this one that starts with a slow drum beat after Bob implores Billy to get things started. Keith is also all over this version in the jam sections just crushing every fill he gets. Garcia cranks it up too but again at that more relaxed pace than usual.Top 5 all time territory here.
Morning Dew
Dec. 31, 1972
Winterland Arena

Unique among most Dews in that the intro is psychedelia - charged from the space jam it emerges from--rather than the usual dramatic ominous Phil bomb... this one brings some swirly/jangly carry-over and the rest is just Garcia and co. in charge of an emotional powerhouse version. Somehow less than 20 votes when I got here--deserves a much higher ranking.
Brown Eyed Women
March 18, 1977
Winterland Arena

Stellar version. May not have quite the extra g-round on the jam that marks some of the all timers like 11/4/77 but Keith shines on this one more than any other I'be heard and it's all around great stuff
Bird Song
Sept. 15, 1972
Boston Music Hall

No idea why I slept on this version (& this whole show in particular) for so long. Outstanding '72 Birdsong--vocally one of Jerry's best--and the China>Rider from this show is pretty killer too. Hidden gem.
Scarlet Begonias
July 3, 1984
Starlight Theatre

Easily overlooked as it doesn't connect directly to Fire but takes a turn into Touch instead...but this gets my upvote based on the Scarlet alone which really is beautifully played--some of the best pacing, especially on the flawless intro --propel us into a juicy and jammy '84 Garcia fingerpickin' fest of liquid lightning--check out the jam into Wind in the Willows--this is the stuff right here. Only caveat being Garcia's voice is in classic '84 stranglehold mode but he doesn't botch any lyrics and is giving it his all which more than makes up for the croaky vox. Real nice find here.
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