headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

please login or register.

Carrion_Crow

Stealth Head

+48136


Submissions

4
Uncle John's Band
Aug. 21, 1972
Berkeley Community Theater

Brilliant outro and high-energy version, a bit more up-tempo than others from the time. All-round sweet show, overshadowed by other giants of Aug. '72
6
Beat it on Down The Line
Aug. 21, 1972
Berkeley Community Theater

Has one of Jer's longest continuous strings of up-tempo 16th note solo lines (in the changes) I can recall. Wicked fast and right as rain.
3
He's Gone
Aug. 20, 1972
San Jose Civic Auditorium

This version, and the one on the 12th, are just butter. I admit to sometimes not even noticing He's Gone, but this is a high spot for it.
2
Me and Bobby McGee
Aug. 20, 1972
San Jose Civic Auditorium

One of those amazing versions of this underrated song where everyone is blazing along in collective improv to genius effect. Just beautiful.
3
Sugaree
Aug. 20, 1972
San Jose Civic Auditorium

Damn fine swagger on this one, in spite of a murky tape. Show cleans up after a few songs - thanks to C. Miller.

Comments

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.
Bertha
Dec. 31, 1976
Cow Palace

Best one of the year: Deliberate, tight and right. Compare this to the weirdly accidental previous one they played on 15 October (the only clunker in that otherwise world-shatteringly brilliant show) and this makes me think they'd been thinking about bringing Bertha back into rotation, rehearsed it, nailed it, and brought it back in with diesel.
Comes A Time
Oct. 15, 1976
Shrine Auditorium

The transition out of this is so good it transforms the Franklin's that comes after it into an almost entirely different song. Strong performance and great show. Check out around 08:00: They go into a 12/8 meter riff that may be unique in the oeuvre. In any case this may be my top choice Comes A Time of all time.
The Other One
Oct. 15, 1976
Shrine Auditorium

Both a musically tight, breakneck roller-coaster and a psychedelicore madhouse filled with twists and turns a jump-out-at you moments of mind melting gooeyness. Around 08:35 they sound like they're going into a totally new jam, but it gets whisked away like so many hallucinations. Brilliant suite and one of the best of the few TOO of the year.
He's Gone
Oct. 15, 1976
Shrine Auditorium

This is one of the best shows of 1976, and every song just jams and jams beautifully (except maybe Bertha, which sounds like an unplanned mess). This He's Gone is one luscious peak after another. So beautiful, so fine.