headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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Ernie5

No cholesterol.

+3568


Submissions

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.
6
Tennessee Jed
Oct. 26, 1971
The Palestra, U. of Rochester

Jed As Tight Little Pop Song. Tight and snappy, enthusiasm for a new classic.

Comments

The Music Never Stopped
April 30, 1977
The Palladium

Whooooosh! So many gems in this show, how did I overlook the opener? And what an opener! Lesh plays a large role - big choco-bass! Strings are a big plus! And Garcia's Garcia - constructing the long outro speech.
China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
Feb. 14, 1970
Fillmore East

A loverly re-visit.
Bird Song
June 22, 1973
Pacific Coliseum

About as good as Bird Songs get! Kudos to Godchaux are well earned - he does as much to create the gliding-on-astral-plane mood as anyone. That's saying something: everyone is in top form.
Mission in the Rain
June 29, 1976
Auditorium Theatre

A beautiful version. Always preferred the GD versions to JGB (although I like those too) - mostly b/c Lesh is a much more interesting bass player than Kahn (to my ears).
Estimated Prophet
May 9, 1977
War Memorial

A rare song that peaked at it's introduction - which isn't even to disparage later versions. These are just perfect in their dynamics and their edge work. No surprise then that on one of their crowning nights, this should smash. Garcia's narcotic outro oozes through the War Memorial, natch.