headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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Ernie5

No cholesterol.

+3668


Submissions

1
Cumberland Blues
Dec. 13, 1969
Swing Auditorium

A cozy little delight - hand percussion, contemplation, great stereo drums, and some rip roaring riffage. Comes in under the radar, but worth a visit.
12
Sugaree
June 18, 1976
Capitol Theatre

As much as I love May 77 Sugarees, Spring 76 is where it's at for me. Subtlety, separation, and Garcia's whispery, silver-dipped guitar breaks.
6
Candyman
April 19, 1978
Veterans Memorial Auditorium

1978: Prime weather for Candyman. This performance, like many from then, highlights the bleak world of the narrator. Garcia's break: spidery.
4
Tennessee Jed
Oct. 29, 1971
Allen Theatre

Bubbly, bratty storyboard version. Character & twang for miles. I'd pay to see this band. Two for a tenner? Four please.
9
Terrapin Station
April 27, 1977
Capitol Theatre

This is a very sweet Terrapin. Everyone's fired up to play it. All you need to do is watch the vid to see the pure joy this brings Garcia. Memorable.
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Comments

Scarlet Begonias
April 29, 1977
The Palladium

Love the long intro - that's always a treat. Good, raucous audience, but you can pretty much hear everything. Tennessee says it's "relaxed and unforced" & that's dead on. Imperfect, but full of charm. Garcia is in that reading-defenses mode - going to second and third reads and just taking what the defense gives him. A very unique outro with the heavy arpeggiation forming a mesmerizing pattern until Garcia skitters out with the smokin' pitterpat of TB notes.
Dire Wolf
April 16, 1972
Aarhus University

Authoritative. Following a lethal, mini-epic Playin', this does more than simply cleanse the palette; it's a display: band at full confidence & swagger.
Playin' In The Band
April 16, 1972
Aarhus University

Perfect length, easy acceleration. Garcia's ridiculously under-appreciated wah work with Godchaux Van Gelder resonant chord comps. At its peak, it is so completely its own beast. And it is a beast. Biblical.
The Other One
Aug. 24, 1968
Shrine Auditorium

Yeah: "raw, elemental" is right! This is no frills with all the frills. Crisp, psychedelic, slaloming colossus.
Scarlet Begonias -> Fire On The Mountain
Feb. 3, 1979
Market Square Arena

Pretty smokin' Garcia guitar break in Scarlet. Good sounding audience. But not a favorite for me. Drummers are flopping around like fish on a dock. Garcia forgets the verse after the bridge on Scarlet - that's one of those things that annoys the fuck out of me! Irrational of me, perhaps. I hate to be a dick about it, but this one lacks the detail of the best Scarlet>Fires. Has some inspirational moments, but also lots of sloppy work and Godchaux's often barely there. In general, a little too much indistinct musical chatter for my tastes. Still, totally worth a listen, but not competitive with the truly elite renditions. To me.
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