headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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grendel

Books and Music

+24543


Submissions

7
Big River
April 19, 1978
Veterans Memorial Auditorium

Segues perfectly out of MAMU and rolls along beautifully til Jerry goes ballistic on the last solo. Must hear.
5
China Cat Sunflower
April 5, 1969
Avalon Ballroom

Nice early stand alone with a long intro. You can hear the transition from the old intro to the more familiar pickings of later versions.
5
Darkness Jam
Nov. 21, 1973
Denver Coliseum

Not really a darkness jam but more of a dark star jam than what it's listed as (PITB) leads into Wharf Rat & is beyond beautiful.
8
Wang Dang Doodle
Oct. 22, 1983
Carrier Dome, Syracuse U

The boys really "throw a mess" on this one, making the carrier dome sound like a down and dirty old time saloon. Slinky sick stuff
2
Row Jimmy
April 18, 1987
Irvine Meadows

Check out Jerry's "giddy-up" riffs in the final "Row" choruses!
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Comments

Cold Rain and Snow
May 24, 1972
Strand Lyceum

Time I upvoted this. It's not my favorite all time (see 10/12/83 for that) but as it's been noted in the comments here, this version is vocally superior and just so very polished. Exceptional version.
Mexicali Blues
March 9, 1993
Rosemont Horizon

Still not a tune I love but true that these 90s versions go the extra mile compared with the mostly throw-aways of the 80s (and 70s too if we're being honest.) Similar additions in the jamming to tunes like El Paso,(the acoustic guitar change-over was a nice touch) Big RR Blues, & Promised Land made many early 90s versions more interesting than some of the older ones.
Cassidy
May 14, 1978
Providence Civic Center

Like 4/24/78 this one ends on an intense rolling jam that pulls into the final coda without Weir adding the last "flight of the seabirds" line, and it's almost better for it. This and the aforementioned 4/24 may be the two best versions in the era before they expanded the song with longer jam sections around '82-'83. It's also beautifully sung and less rushed than its early 80s counterparts. Higher ranking, please!
Althea
June 18, 1983
Saratoga Performing Arts Center

It's because there's no clean SBD available. A lot of great shows suffer low ratings for the same reason. Great show and version, though.
The Eleven
April 20, 1969
Clark University

Whole show is an under the radar gem. Don't miss the Dark Star from this one either.
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