headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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Mexicali Blues
June 16, 1974
Iowa State Fairgrounds

Often a throwaway, this super bouncy version from a top 10 show sparkles.

Comments

Help On The Way > Slipknot > Franklin's Tower
April 26, 1983
The Spectrum

The 83 slightly-fuzzy fusion sound delivers the goods again. Killer rendition.
Let It Grow
April 26, 1983
The Spectrum

Rarely is the best version so obvious IMHO. I like the full WRS, but this is just a firestorm of fusion. Jerry turning a certain amount of distortion back onto his guitar was definitely the right move in the 80s and a shame it took him so long. This cooks.
Eyes Of The World
Oct. 29, 1977
Evans Field House, Northern Illinois University

The double-drummers really don't play to the strengths of the brisk, lightly melancholic/wistfully happy, song portion, but this is one of Jerry's greatest sets of solos. The audible cheering from the crowd right after the second portion in the darker jam portion, before the song even ends (a surprisingly infrequent occurrence pre-stadium tours) says it all.
Eyes Of The World
June 18, 1974
Freedom Hall

The song portion of this jam vehicle is one of the most beautiful pieces of songwriting the Dead did, so this super-crisp rendition of the "head" plus a tremendous solo from an excellent show gets my nod for the best ever.
Playin' In The Band
July 17, 1989
Alpine Valley Music Theatre

Much like the China>Rider, even this really solid later version suffers from [edit] some awkwardness in the song portion: these dudes were all really individually talented, but staying in perfect time during some tricky syncopated bits with two drummers in a giant stadium...not the easiest task. I dig this for what it is, and the freer bits are as good as ever. The Dead were just not really a stadium band when you get down to it.
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