headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

please login or register.

merryjerry

wacked

+6835


Submissions

9
The Wheel
Oct. 2, 1977
Paramount Theatre

It's so apt that The Wheel would roll into Truckin' that the outro is short but the rest is very nice.
9
Eyes Of The World
June 27, 1984
Merriweather Post Pavilion

Jerry really mines the changes on this one and pulls out plenty of little gold nuggets (like Coltrane). Good interplay, too. An inspired version.
11
China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
May 12, 1981
Veterans' Memorial Coliseum

A cheesy video of this kickass version would have Garcia playing atop a steam locomotive as it barrels down the track.
10
China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
Oct. 18, 1972
Fox Theater

Incomplete, but what remains is top-notch and essential.
12
Me and Bobby McGee
March 26, 1973
Baltimore Civic Center

I just gotta nominate this one, that's all.

Comments

Playin' In The Band
Dec. 19, 1973
Curtis Hixon Convention Hall

Yeah, man, I've come to respect this one a lot more. With each additional listen this thing keeps revealing little secrets
Hard to Handle
Aug. 6, 1971
Hollywood Palladium

There are still some municipalities that have blue laws which forbid this version from being played upwind of main street.
Eyes Of The World
Sept. 11, 1974
Alexandra Palace

Union Jack and the Giant—this thing is HUGE! A 5+ minute intro in ’74? And with some nice (brief) leads on the Fender Rhodes? C’mon! Jerry’s first lead is sweet—just when you (and the band) think he’ll start playing the chords to go back into the verse he gets some more great ideas and keeps going (and not just once either). And then during Phil’s solo (which is particularly melodic and similar to the studio version) it’s obvious that Jerry is having a ball. It seems to me that during the outro material (‘Stronger than Dirt, etc.) there was the feeling that anything could happen, and while it may not be the cleanest execution I’ve ever heard, it is interesting as hell with the boys almost playing gotcha with each other. It all comes to an end when Ned unleashes an alien insect attack. It then goes into a jam that itself has some good moments. Check out the ‘Cassidy’ chords just before it goes into ‘Wharf Rat’. Just out of curiosity, what is the longest ever pre-verse Eyes intro jam? (This could certainly be the longest pre-‘retirement’/touring hiatus). I suspect this Eyes isn’t higher because it hasn’t been heard as much. Also, this is the first version played in the olde world.
Playin' In The Band
Dec. 19, 1973
Curtis Hixon Convention Hall

If this thing were a basketball player, it would come off the bench and give valuable minutes scoring, rebounding,and protecting the ball, all the while giving the starters a necessary rest.
China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
Feb. 15, 1973
Dane County Coliseum

Okay, I see now that this show isn't in the vault. (http://agitators.com/gd/dick_1973.html) The source is a bit old but could still be accurate.