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

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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