headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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Carrion_Crow

Stealth Head

+48135


Submissions

1
Dancin' in the Streets
July 17, 1966
Fillmore Auditorium

Cuts out in the out-chorus, but shows the initial move from cover band into exploratory jams and bendy form. Very cool testament to where they were.
4
King Bee
July 17, 1966
Fillmore Auditorium

Pig is in perfect form, the band throbs behind him with intensity and purpose. Pristine recording.
2
Cream Puff War
July 17, 1966
Fillmore Auditorium

A rip-snortin' wild ride. Not as stretched out as the day before, but still an explosive starting pistol at the earliest days of the Dead.
1
High Heeled Sneakers
June 1, 1966
Owsley's House (rehearsal)?

Rare and obscure, on the Archive at gd1966-06-01.136642.watts.sbd.mr.dat48k.sirmick.flac16
2
I Know You Rider
March 12, 1966
Danish Center

Still in its infancy, but listen to Jerry swarming all over it like ten thousand honey bees. Lightning fast, almost a "let's do this for 50 years".
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Comments

Good Lovin'
Dec. 31, 1976
Cow Palace

That's a mysterious little theme they bring in twice, but it doesn't sound that much like the Samson to me. It seems way too precise to be totally spontaneous, as they all land on it both times without a single note or beat a hair out of place. Maybe they were rehearsing a new song or jam that didn't survive into '77? Cool stuff.
Wharf Rat
Dec. 31, 1976
Cow Palace

The transition in from a brilliant Eyes is a thing of pure beauty. Man, could a good sweet Wharf Rat bring you back in to reality when you needed it most, and here everyone is just whispering and cooing into your ears in just the sweet spot. Check out the gentle Donna tones around 5:30 and tell me that wouldn't put peace into your heart? But then of course trickster Jerry comes in with that biting tone (some guitarist out there know what he was using then?) that would tear through the world like a flaming buzzsaw. Great version in a wall-to-wall highlights show.
Eyes Of The World
Dec. 31, 1976
Cow Palace

Fast and precise, with beautiful ensemble playing... but that transition into Wharf Rat is the smoothest just-exactly-perfect thing I've heard. Spectacular transition: Must have pulled a lot of trippin' hippies out of a wild spin and back into the sweet sweet mellow mellow.
Playin' In The Band
Dec. 31, 1976
Cow Palace

Agreed that this is a beaut. This one goes through several phases, with the noted jam at around 10:00 and then another transition into a more biting/buzzsaw tone around 15:00. It holds at a simmer rather than a boil, however so if you're looking for mad freaky weirdness then this won't necessarily scratch every itch.
They Love Each Other
Dec. 31, 1976
Cow Palace

This signals exactly where they've been and where they're going. The transition year behind them, '77 coming on strong... a great and historically relevant version. Could be much higher, but probably sits between the '73 and the '77 fans' choices.
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