headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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Carrion_Crow

Stealth Head

+49667


Submissions

17
Good Lovin'
Dec. 31, 1978
Winterland Arena

Blissful dancealong. As clear a statement of what the good times feeling of the later Donna era could sound like. Nice times.
17
Drums
Dec. 31, 1978
Winterland Arena

19 minutes, man it gets weird: whistles, gamelans, melodica solo, bird calls, kazoos, explosions: was every one in on the jam? Anyone remember?
6
Playin' In The Band
Oct. 23, 1971
Easttown Theatre

Adrenaline bursting hard driver. Exciting. Jerry at 3:00 solos in all 720 degrees, just propulsive. Give her a spin.
21
Not Fade Away
May 3, 1972
Olympia Theater

Flawless trance-inducing NFA with a perfect transition into GDTRFB. Note for note perfect show.
10
Sing Me Back Home
Sept. 10, 1972
Hollywood Palladium

Perfect. May have the best vocal harmonies of all of them. Not here because of low-level boards? Try headphones, heads.
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Comments

Me and Bobby McGee
April 5, 1971
Manhattan Center

That's Jerry, not Phil, I'm fairly sure. Anyone else? My headphones are busted (don't ask),so I can't listen really deeply like I want to, and it does sound like a little bit of three-part harmony on the very last lines, but Jer is singing backup throughout and the yodel is within his timbrel range. Any historians out there know for sure? Sure is a beaut, anyway.
Good Lovin'
May 3, 1972
Olympia Theater

Pig gets good and filthy right around 10:00.
The Other One
May 2, 1970
Harpur College

Apparently two years and change since I've rechecked this one: I agree with crankyoldhead above. This is an insane rager, for sure, but hard to figure it as the top o'the list other than that it's been released commercially. Strong points: relentless and coherent, but it never tips over the edge, but just stays close to it for a great long journey. To me the cryptical reprise gets closest to the supernova power of, for example 04.26.72 and probably twenty-five others on this page. Not meant as a criticism, but simply an observation.
Dark Star
Sept. 10, 1972
Hollywood Palladium

A wonderful, long, inventive version, full of pure musical jams, a wild post-verse spacemelt, and a glorious return into a beautiful Jack Straw. I reckon it's no higher on the list because the board levels aren't top-shelf, but the recording itself is great, and there's good channel separation so you can hear Bobby's angular knifey stabalong clearly, which is a too-rare treat for the era. (His interaction with Keith and Jerry at about 24:00 is just brilliant.) Listen to it, it's got it all, and I'd nominate this show (excellent all-round) for a cleanup if possible.
He's Gone
Sept. 10, 1972
Hollywood Palladium

Bliss. As close to a perfect statement of He's Gone as I know. The soloing is full of clear, purposeful ideas and Billy drives the whole thing forward with just the right amount of push, never letting it drag a bit. Could be much higher on the list.
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