headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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grendel

Books and Music

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Submissions

37
Promised Land
Sept. 18, 1990
Madison Square Garden

New #1 version--all time best. This is a stretched-out jam-fest for a song usually given the quick-off. Killer fills from Hornsby. MUST HEAR!
6
Sugar Magnolia
Sept. 25, 1981
Stabler Arena

Incredible Sugary-Mag Club sandwich: Sugar>BlackPeter>Round&Round>SSDD. Energy off the charts, and the SSDD starts spot-on the downbeat from R&R
13
Big River
July 31, 1974
Dillon Stadium

Scorcher start to finish. Keith comes up big, and Jerry goes ballistic in the final instrumental bridge. Check it out on Dave's Pix Vol. 2
45
Help On The Way > Slipknot > Franklin's Tower
June 19, 1976
Capitol Theatre

Just when you think you've heard 'em all...Peppy&Zippy yet tight HELP >groovy-spacedout Slip>killer jumping-Jerry-led Franklins. Must Hear!
44
Estimated Prophet
Oct. 29, 1977
Evans Field House, Northern Illinois University

From the show that never stops giving--a spacey-jazzy-goeey-Wah-Wah-chunk-fest-of-Jerry.
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Comments

Mississippi Halfstep Uptown Toodeloo
April 30, 1977
The Palladium

This really is crazy good. I never realized how much until I got the DL version. It's a flawless rendition w/belted Jerry vocals & w/several great heady jams--not QUITE on par w/the splashdowns you get on 11/6/77 but up there w/5/25/77, 5/7/77 and 5/17/77 to name a few other winners. Top 5 all time for sure. Listen and bump it.
Jack Straw
May 7, 1977
Boston Garden

Nice underrated version from the old Gah-den.
Scarlet Begonias -> Fire On The Mountain
March 31, 1984
Marin County Civic Center

Proves you can still find great Scarlet>Fires even far down on the list. Brent is all over this sleeper version, especially on "Fire", and the whole pairing is a jammed out gem. Get out of the usual suspects comfort zone and into this hidden treasure version.
Eyes Of The World
Nov. 30, 1973
Boston Music Hall

Been re-appreciating DP14 lately and this version of Eyes is THE highlight of the entire 4-disc set, which is saying quite a bit given how good both shows are. Long, flowing, jazzy, liquid-like Eyes. Up there with the very best of '73, and perhaps even the best of them all,
Scarlet Begonias -> Fire On The Mountain
March 22, 1990
Copps Coliseum

It's a great version among those that went deep into MIDI territory but it's a non-starter for those of us who couldn't stand that sound. If I wanted to hear the Dead with a flute I'd rather they'd invited Ian Anderson on stage to jam with them. It's just a huge waste of opportunity (in my opinion) to have Jerry shred for a large portion of this great song and have it come out sounding like something a bad synthesizer produced rather than his glorious-sounding guitar. I understand they were trying to "update" their sound for the 90's and I appreciate that, but I think it's an experiment that fell short.
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