headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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Ernie5

No cholesterol.

+3673


Submissions

8
Mexicali Blues
March 24, 1973
The Spectrum

'73 Mexicali? Smokesville, USA.
11
Loser
March 24, 1973
The Spectrum

Heavens! It took a Dave's Picks to get this on the board! Soft, seductive, dark, and pretty much perfectly realized. Guitar break: shit yeah.
3
Estimated Prophet
Dec. 29, 1977
Winterland Arena

Bold, sharp, confident version with plenty of 1977 squoosh. This version has that great '77 restraint with Garcia speaking in MuTron tongues.
6
Brown Eyed Women
Oct. 29, 1973
Kiel Auditorium

Attention. To. Detail. - ESP Weir. Not the world's greatest recording, but the band is bubbly & effortless.
3
China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
July 31, 1971
Yale Bowl, Yale University

Listened to this on a big PA outside over the summer and it's so alive, athletic, and filled with beautiful instrumental cross-talk. Improv!

Comments

He's Gone
Sept. 3, 1972
Folsom Field, University of Colorado

He's Gone in peak condition, Best In Class. The guitar break is just nasty! Jells and never stops jelling. A classic.
Estimated Prophet
May 22, 1977
The Sportatorium

The effort to bring down May 1977 is just bizarre to me. Especially this song. And Bruce added depth to no song. True, though, Bobby went over the top in subsequent years. And it's fun! But what a silly comparison.
Dancin' in the Streets
May 22, 1977
The Sportatorium

Full throat! The group is liquid. Different from Cornell. Not better/worse, but deserving of its own piece of American History. Cleaner than Cornell. Not the personality of the Cornell jam/breakdown. Just different.
Weather Report Suite
June 23, 1974
Jai-Alai Fronton

They squeeze every last drop out of this WR. Lesh is out of his mind. He bounces the entire group on his shoulders during the first half. Kreutzmann swaggers underneath the Let It Grow and secretly moves it forward. Fucking smooth.
Terrapin Station
Feb. 26, 1977
Swing Auditorium

Agreed, but it gets deserved votes for being the first and a spirited go at a pretty challenging piece of music. It isn't like anything else they did, so there's a thrill in listening to them take the plunge. That said, Spring of 77 had numerous better versions. Doesn't mean it doesn't deserve an up vote - just that others do as well.