headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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nonoyolker

Weirs Jort Army

+56130


Submissions

39
Shakedown Street
Oct. 31, 1979
Nassau Coliseum

Big jam here, very funky
63
Althea
July 19, 1989
Alpine Valley Music Theatre

Scorcher
146
Stella Blue
Oct. 21, 1978
Winterland Arena

SHOCKED this one wasn't mentioned yet. Even with the crushing cut out in the SBDs, this version still stands at the top
15
Cassidy
June 16, 1990
Shoreline Amphitheatre

Very hot, tight jam segment. Song has the best lyric ever written: "Let your life proceed by it's own design"
28
Brother Esau
April 27, 1985
Frost Amphitheatre

By all accounts, this is a rather goofy song, but i love this version. Entire show is spot on

Comments

Playin' In The Band
March 23, 1974
Cow Palace

Genuinely surprised to see how low this is rated. Aside from a rather comical false start, this leads off a major jam sandwich for the ages. This Playin' in particular is gooey, flowing, creative, and melodic. Just my kind of jamming for the song. Flows effortlessly into subsequent segues. Haven't respun in ages and this segment holds up perfectly, on new vinyl release no less!
Morning Dew
July 4, 1989
Rich Stadium

I had a serious moment with this one last night... A complete emotional powerhouse. This version is everything
Loose Lucy
July 25, 1974
International Amphitheater

Big and bouncy. As noted, Phil pumps this Lucy UP
Looks Like Rain
Dec. 26, 1979
Oakland Auditorium

Put me firmly in the LLR fan grouping. Bobby's emotive chaw and Jerry's peaky guitar are a serious draw for me. And while lyrically, the second verse is indefensibly bad, the first verse is actually quite nice and one that I always enjoy. This version has all of the goods - Bobby digging deep on emotional blast and Jerry railing home the song's gravity in his solo. Nice version
Bertha
Aug. 27, 1972
Old Renaissance Faire Grounds

While many of the songs played in this show are unnecessarily glorified compared to equally as good, if not subjectively better versions of songs, the show and versions within are still cannon and for defensible reasons. It's a rock solid show cover-to-cover, with any-era level highlights of versions. Cases can easily be made for many other far less lauded shows as being as good, though this one emerged over time as legend. This Bertha though, my. GOD. To complement the previous comments, Jerry has rarely ever blazed such a fast and tight solo in the jam portion. I hadn't heard in a while and it took me by complete surprise how ferocious and nimbly he takes that one. Definitely a fantastic version and yes, Veneta is peak output. Not every version is best ever, but as a complete performance, this show is obviously really damn good