headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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parrott56

millennial head

+5024


Submissions

4
Cumberland Blues
July 16, 1972
Dillon Stadium

Jerry's in primal Viola Lee mode more than per country twang.
19
Tennessee Jed
July 19, 1974
Selland Arena

What an ending jam. Jerry improvises astonishing structures with ease and fluency. The others are right there with him.
12
Sugar Magnolia
Oct. 14, 1983
Hartford Civic Center

Bursting with feeling and well-played by all.
4
Picasso Moon
April 3, 1990
The Omni

Blazing version of this wild song. Lots of fun.
3
Tennessee Jed
Sept. 6, 1980
State Fairgrounds

Jerry's solo is so articulate -- immaculately constructed. Some very fine stuff.

Comments

St. Stephen
March 20, 1977
Winterland Arena

“Some of the worst singing the Dead ever did”? You’ve got to be kidding me. There are some vocal performances from the ’60s and mid-’80s that would like to have a word with you. This is average singing from one of their better years vocally. Also, the noodling here is fairly substantive. All in all, an easy upvote, if not quite the absolute best post-hiatus version. (Check out 1/11/78!)
China Doll
Sept. 10, 1983
Downs of Santa Fe

I love the ’83-style pre-Drums China Dolls. Jerry and Phil bail on the jam pretty quickly, but then we get to enjoy some fine, harmonically adventurous Bobby, Brent, and Rhythm Devils jamming. Great stuff.
Bertha
May 13, 1977
Auditorium Theatre

Uptempo but not rushed, effervescent, and clean as a whistle. There are a ton of great May '77 Berthas, and this is one of them. Don't miss it.
Friend of the Devil
May 13, 1977
Auditorium Theatre

Keith’s smoooooth chromatic scale entry into his solo must be heard to be believed.
One More Saturday Night
May 13, 1977
Auditorium Theatre

Apparently the version on the box set is from 5/28/77, as the 5/13 tape was irreparably damaged. The Archive links are truly 5/13, though.