headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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Ernie5

No cholesterol.

+3568


Submissions

4
Beat it on Down The Line
Nov. 14, 1971
Texas Christian University

Searing version - groovy false start, then Garcia soars like an acrobat. Plug in!
2
The Other One
Feb. 6, 1969
Kiel Auditorium

CRUSH. Hard to believe they brought this intensity and dynamic precision all the time then, but they did! Ace!
6
Bertha
March 31, 1973
War Memorial

Unknown Genre - iTunes. Kreutzmann drives this hovercraft - as he seems to in all of the great Berthas of this time. Look out for the guitars.
1
China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
Sept. 29, 1971
Practice Studio

Have always loved the San Venetia tapes - almost like an x-ray of the GD. You can so hear the guitar architecture. So tempted to make that one word.
8
Mexicali Blues
March 24, 1973
The Spectrum

'73 Mexicali? Smokesville, USA.

Comments

Cryptical Envelopment
Aug. 24, 1968
Shrine Auditorium

فوق العاده حماسی! - for a while a soundtrack to a completely different story. I'm not entirely sure what the Arabic stuff says, but something like "super epic" according to Google.
Casey Jones
Oct. 2, 1977
Paramount Theatre

Hearing so much high praise, I approached this version perhaps too hopeful. I admire the stick-to-it spirit, but the wheels coming off is really just the wheels coming off. Some inspired moments, but not really feeling this one. Maybe not horrible, but in somewhat depressing disarray.
Scarlet Begonias -> Fire On The Mountain
April 3, 1982
The Scope

Garcia sounds like he's really having fun singing this one - he improvises different grace notes and tails (giving that extra swirl). The Big Guitar sounds fucking tiparillo. And that's the Scarlet! A 14-minute version that just screams! Gets pretty far out. The Fire is merely a crushinator.
Terrapin Station
Feb. 4, 1978
Milwaukee Auditorium

Where has this been hiding???? Weir slashing & compressed. Garcia is in great voice and his guitar pierces the hazy air like an arrow (of sound, obviously).
China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
April 11, 1972
Newcastle City Hall

I can't really think of many better ones. Into the 3rd verse = sick. The transition is just nasty! And, yeah, Garcia's Charles In-Charge.