headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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Ernie5

No cholesterol.

+3673


Submissions

4
Brown Eyed Women
Aug. 21, 1972
Berkeley Community Theater

Smooth with wicked edges in all the right places!
1
China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
July 25, 1972
Paramount Theater

Overlooked, patient little gemerald.
4
Jack Straw
March 31, 1973
War Memorial

Bright, snappy, and full of mello P&V.
2
Loser
March 24, 1971
Winterland Arena

From the opening little parlay, hooked.
3
China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
April 29, 1971
Fillmore East

This one is the sound of a band that knows it can do pretty much anything. Smooth and fiery.
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Comments

Here Comes Sunshine
March 22, 1973
Utica Memorial Auditorium

You can almost hear Garcia's Strat go Weeeee!!!! at about 3:40. No one lets up in this version - early, but wholly formed magic. Kreutzmann here is, as he so often is, the secret flavorator. And a lovely recording.
Not Fade Away
Oct. 9, 1976
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Stadium

Garcia laying out the terms in aluminum-necked sweetness - '76 NFAs are a sneaky fave. The two drums are still pushing things and Garcia's working on a dissertation. Nice interstitial intertwining between Weir-Garcia-Godchaux. Keeps moving forward with creeping inevitability. As it should be.
Dark Star
April 22, 1969
The Ark

I'm reading an article about Charlton Athletic and this is on in the room. It weaves the perfect spell around a tale of somewhat hapless mid-table mediocrity and eventually pulls me away from the article. Everything from the April 69 Ark shows is top sleeve. Everyone knows it. It's not a secret. And yet everyone tiptoes around going "what is one to do?" What I do is this: I hereby proclaim today September 2nd as National April 22nd Day!
Jack Straw
Oct. 19, 1971
Northrop Auditorium, U. of Minn.

Godchaux leaves a dent right out of the bat chute. Although this song changed some over the years, it lacked nothing even at the very start. And it was waiting for Godchaux.
Brown Eyed Women
Dec. 31, 1971
Winterland Arena

Quickly becoming a favorite - so much confident energy - they know they're onto their next phase, but they're still getting there. A little jumpy and jittery, but it's part of the narrative. Still plenty smooth.
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