headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

please login or register.

Ernie5

No cholesterol.

+3673


Submissions

4
Loser
July 31, 1971
Yale Bowl, Yale University

Garcia crushes the guitar break and everything else.
2
Candyman
April 1, 1980
Capitol Theatre

Warm, gooey, and dynamic.
2
Jack Straw
July 22, 1972
Paramount Northwest Theatre

Casually Regal - An Eatery
16
China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
Feb. 21, 1971
Capitol Theater

Crackling with energy. Tight as a single drummer.
5
Estimated Prophet
Sept. 28, 1977
Paramount Theatre

Garcia skipping to the lou in warm stereo ooze

Comments

Dark Star
April 27, 1969
Labor Temple

Great revisit - hallucinogenic from the start/falls immediately into a downey soft groove and gently (but firmly) pushes outward.
Scarlet Begonias
June 9, 1976
Boston Music Hall

Full mastery right here. How do you handle dynamics in a complex, up-tempo song? Listen & learn. Garcia with the spirited vocals (at least when the words come to mind). In the coda, he forgets nothing. Crackin'.
Samson and Delilah
Oct. 9, 1976
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Stadium

I, for many a moon, believed that the best of this song was from May 1977. Now, given Garcia’s silky smooth clean runs and the precision of the group overall, I must reconsider. Pretty fucking perfect.
China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
March 24, 1973
The Spectrum

Chill verging on bravado. Kreutzmann's transition into the second verse is the stuff of legend. Swingin' legend. Such a beautiful, dynamic rendition of a fave (around these parts).
Scarlet Begonias
July 19, 1974
Selland Arena

This Scarlet jumps out of its skin from the very beginning. Lesh's playing is just out of this world - all over the place but totally coherent and coordinating. Cruising into the 4 minute mark, it's a sweet, smooth, tight-as-a-drum Scarlet with plenty of mustard. Then Garcia takes over like even he doesn't often do. Top sleeve material you got here. And a gorgeous Dave's 17.