headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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grendel

Books and Music

+24543


Submissions

52
Dark Star
Dec. 31, 1978
Winterland Arena

Farewell to Winterland; Not 40 mins. long ; no break down into feedback nonsense. Just sweet jazzy jamming; Just exactly perfect send off.
10
Scarlet Begonias -> Fire On The Mountain
Sept. 25, 1981
Stabler Arena

Transition jam weaves into spaces most fail to go; touch-down into Fire is GOLD. Jerry flubs first line in Fire-after that: 1 of the BEST ever!
19
He's Gone
Sept. 26, 1972
Stanley Theatre

Perfect, self-contained, blues-infused, stellar vocals, 14+ minutes of bliss. Extra fun: Check out the "Birdsong" riff about 10 secs. into the intro
36
Dark Star
Sept. 16, 1972
Boston Music Hall

Amazed this isn't here yet Gorgeous, melodic, jazz-infused, mellow, trippy, spacey into hard ripping Jerry riffs; melts into Brokedown Palace. Sublime
48
Cold Rain and Snow
Oct. 12, 1984
Augusta Civic Center

Kicks off with authority a 2d set every DeadHead needs to hear. Perfect bookend to Jerry's scorching Dew. They say it was cold&rainy that nite in ME.

Comments

Goin' Down The Road Feelin' Bad
May 26, 1977
Baltimore Civic Center

Barn burner for sure. Best of the year is still 6/8/77 but this one comes close.
Goin' Down The Road Feelin' Bad
May 26, 1977
Baltimore Civic Center

Barn burner for sure. Best of the year is still 6/8/77 but this one comes close.
Shakedown Street
Aug. 31, 1978
Red Rocks Amphitheatre

Sounds almost like the album version but indeed very tight, short, and sweet. Not up voting only b/c I don't think being first necessarily means "heady", but for sheer historical interest this is fun to hear.
Shakedown Street
Jan. 10, 1979
Nassau Coliseum

One of the better AUDs you'll ever hear is available for this killer '79 that I can't in good faith let linger at 2 measly votes. Don't tell me this one ain't got no heart, you just gotta poke around. Trust.
Dark Star
March 23, 1972
Academy of Music

Struggled with whether to upvote this given a fairly heavy section devoted to dissonance but it's not as annoying as most and actually maintains a forward progression rather than slowing down the proceedings and the jams that emerge, as many have pointed out already are spectacular and unique among Dark Stars of this or any era. Ultimately it's an underrated version with a closing section just before the 2d verse that needs to be heard to be believed. +1