headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

please login or register.

OrangeTangoJam

yeller dawg

+785


Submissions

1
Ship of Fools
Sept. 21, 1974
Palais Des Sports

1974 and Ship of Fools go together like peanut butter and jelly. Full of emotion. They're really giving their all in this.
1
Big River
Sept. 21, 1974
Palais Des Sports

Like the breaking of a dam, this just flows at a truly ferocious pace. Jerry is relentless in his playing, the second solo will knock your socks off.
1
It Must Have Been The Roses
May 12, 1974
University of Nevada

Any '74 version of this tune is a treat. Incredibly lovely with great Keith lines. Billy sways.
1
Jack Straw
Feb. 15, 1973
Dane County Coliseum

Definitive for its time. The soundcheck gave us a preview, here's the full thing. Solid version.
1
Mexicali Blues
Feb. 15, 1973
Dane County Coliseum

Just a damn near perfect performance. Shocked not to see this one submitted. One of MANY highlights from this show.

Comments

Greatest Story Ever Told
Sept. 24, 1972
Palace Theatre

Donna is awesome on this. Transitions right into Bertha so seamlessly. Great version.
Playin' In The Band
Sept. 24, 1972
Palace Theatre

Incredibly intense. Not your entry level Playin’. One of the most densely packed jams you’ll hear in a year of already great Playin’s. This one is powerful, spiritual, and takes you through space and the ever expanding cosmos. Cataclysmic and free. Erupting with energy and reaches the very edge of the universe. one of the best I’ve ever heard. A very unique standout version that quickly became a new favorite that I’m going to listen to over, and over again. One of my all time favorite shows.
China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
Sept. 9, 1972
Hollywood Palladium

Hidden gem for sure. During Jerry’s solo I think I hear Jerry quote the chorus of “Patches” by Clarence Carter. I know it’s a similar melody so if anyone else has heard it somewhere else please let me know! Really tight version that’s genuinely up there with the best of 72. Great show.
Let It Grow
May 25, 1974
Campus Stadium, UCSB

I think the whole band was shocked they ended up here lol. Once they find their footing, which doesn’t take long, they lift off into the cosmos, using the music to visit different dimensions and spaces while using their energy to keep it all going. Relentless jamming that’s too hot to put out. A fiery performance that cools down into a space that seems to hint at Dark Star, but Jerry decides he’s had enough of space and rightfully goes into Wharf Rat. Stellar version. What a sequence, don’t forget to start at Truckin’. Hell you can even start at Tennessee Jed it’s so darn good!
Truckin'
May 25, 1974
Campus Stadium, UCSB

Can we just appreciate early Bobby for a second? His confident stage presence is so infectious and when he’s on, especially in the early 70s, he has some of the most creative ideas for the rest of the band to latch on to and bounce off of. A Truckin that reaches radioactive levels of warp speed jamming. Bluesy and funky, Jerry screams, cries, and lets it all out on this one. Especially during the space section Jerry pulls out some really unique lines to go along with Keith’s 8 bit brain melter in the background. Billy is also an unsung hero of this jam, swaying ever so perfectly along to the unpredictable waves and currents. Gets spacey and acidic and a high voltage jam ensues that leads right into Let it Grow. What a time to be alive.