headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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grendel

Books and Music

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Submissions

8
Row Jimmy
Feb. 4, 1978
Milwaukee Auditorium

If a SBD of this version and show existed we'd all be talking it up. But the AUD is pretty good, & this RJ has tasty Garcia licks. Don't overlook it!
54
Jack Straw
June 4, 1978
Campus Stadium - University Of California

For the love of Jerry you MUST listen to this immediately. Cease all other activities and prepare to have your jaw hit the floor!
14
The Music Never Stopped
Sept. 24, 1976
William and Mary College Hall

Seguing out of a sick Franklin's Tower it gets fast, flawless rolling licks from Jerry and great timing from the rest +killer final Jam
5
Brokedown Palace
April 19, 1982
Baltimore Civic Center

Sweet end to a magical show. Perfect harmonies w/Brent. Only flaw is when Bob says "careful up there" to someone doin' somethin' werid in the rafters
120
Scarlet Begonias -> Fire On The Mountain
April 20, 1984
Philadelphia Civic Center

Talk about slipping through the cracks: This is a classic long, jamming sick slick trip thru both tunes. Intro to FIRE one of the best ever performed
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Comments

Cassidy
Oct. 12, 1983
Madison Square Garden

^^^^ Makes my heart sing to read these reviews, Dude420. I was beginning to think I was hearing something no one else was. Maybe b/c the recordings available aren't 100% perfect (not that the provided sources are bad), but I seriously and honestly have never heard a better overall version than this one and I agree that if you stack it up head to head w/Frost '82 (I show I love btw) it still blows it out of the water.
Bird Song
Aug. 22, 1972
Berkeley Community Theatre

Just digging everything from this show lately. Another '72 Birdsong gem here, this one especially notable for Jerry's beautiful vocal reading. Honestly, after listening to how he sings this song in this year it's painful for me to listen to early 80's or really any other year when his voice is so croaky and he just can't sustain the note. Sure, the jams are still there in many later versions, but these '72s have that lovely interplay with Keith and the loping pace that just makes the song really, well....soar. This one should be a lot higher.
Black Throated Wind
Aug. 22, 1972
Berkeley Community Theatre

Easily my new favorite, Just listen to Keith, who shines on this throughout, especially in the end coda section. Bobby's lyrical reading is emotional and spot-on and he's completely in lockstep with Keith on this one. Love too the wah-wah psychedelic sound thrown in during the intro. Superior version right here.
Uncle John's Band
March 19, 1977
Winterland Arena

I've got to agree. I really love this site & all the discussions we have, but the one thing that grinds my gears is how low some truly awesome versions of songs are on the list despite the passionate pleas of knowing Heads to listen and bump, while other "leading" versions rack up superfluous votes one after another. This is one of the finest UJB's you'll hear from the band's most "just exactly perfect" year of playing (like it or not, '77 is inarguably the year of most consistently well-played--i.e. fewest mistakes--shows), and there's no way this should be sitting around in single digits.
Dark Star
Oct. 21, 1971
Auditorium Theatre

A lot of the stuff from this show is getting my upvote lately and this DS is the latest...just when you think it's going to tail off into dissonant space-waste time it turns on a dime into an outta nowhere Sittin On Top of the World & back into the DS theme after. Prior is 15 minutes of the new guy (Keith) showing he's more than up to the job of digging into the long form jams as he is the first set ditties. Good stuff.
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