headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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Ernie5

No cholesterol.

+3568


Submissions

7
China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
March 21, 1985
Hampton Coliseum

Voice shot, Garcia hums through his spidery 13 lb. guitar. With a lovely China Cat peak @4:30.
11
Tennessee Jed
March 19, 1977
Winterland Arena

(a) Garcia with aluminum pipe, (b) Purdie Shuffle '77 Pace, (c) Perfect Dynamic Control
7
Sugaree
Dec. 8, 1973
Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke U

As a queen sits down, knowing that a chair will be there,/ Or a general raises his hand and is given the field-glasses
3
Big River
Dec. 4, 1973
Cincinnati Gardens

Dictionary entry: 1973 Big River - effortless & downstream. Exhibit A.
10
Jack Straw
June 10, 1973
RFK Stadium

Relaxed and joyous space-age electric guitar semi-ballad.
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Comments

Playin' In The Band
April 29, 1972
Musikhalle

One of my favorite Playins - and I still love that it's an opener. What an orientation! Did they at least have a Powerpoint deck running in the background? Contact initiated!
Loser
April 29, 1972
Musikhalle

An overlooked show and an easy-to-overlook Loser. Which would be an unforced error. Weir and Lesh sorta star.
St. Stephen
Jan. 17, 1969
Civic Auditorium

Rough + ready version, but you can clearly hear Hart's severe limitations (as a drummer, not a percussionist). He just doesn't have the rhythm on snare or kick. And I'm not a drummer! Make no mistake, this version is worthy of your time (as is the whole show), but the Love of the Single Drummer perhaps starts here for me. Then again, when they kick it, they whomp the shit out of it,
China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
Nov. 15, 1972
Oklahoma City Music Hall

Pretty hard to go wrong with a China>Rider from this time. Gets off to a slowish start - Garcia's hi E is out of tune. Perhaps more. And it seems to throw him just a pinch. Of course he fixes by/in the second guitar break. A snap! Weir and Lesh push things about as hard & swingin' as possible throughout. When Garcia takes the Captain's Chair, his playing is pastoral and gorgeous. In charge.
Bird Song
June 10, 1973
RFK Stadium

The new release reveals even more dynamic detail in this conversational Bird Song than I heard before (when I voted for this version). Lovely. Hand-made.
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