headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

please login or register.

grendel

Books and Music

+24543


Submissions

24
Franklin's Tower
May 1, 1981
Hampton Coliseum

One of the best played versions from one of the best played shows in the Brent era---ever.
16
Shakedown Street
March 24, 1981
Rainbow Theater

15+ minutes of funk w/extended overlapping vocal rounds of "just gotta poke around", etc. before jam Brent adds cool "fuzzy" SFX
1
Big Railroad Blues
Oct. 30, 1971
Taft Auditorium

Check out Keith on this one! He's never been so up front before & right outta the gate!!
21
Cream Puff War
July 3, 1966
Fillmore Auditorium

Peppy early version w/Jer belting out lyrics & Pig doin' some nice work on organ. No archive copy exists; got this off 30 Days of Dead-worth the DL!
9
Passenger
May 7, 1979
Allan Kirby Field House

Super-charged EARLY Brent version rips and tears and shreds. Final jam before the coda is the best they ever did in this tune. Goes to 11.
show more submissions

Comments

Mississippi Halfstep Uptown Toodeloo
Sept. 3, 1977
Raceway Park

Agree with Estimated insofar as that while Englishtown is a fine show, it is not to my ears as spectacular as its rep seems to be. For the greatest 1/2 step ever performed--by a country mile--I go immediately to Broome County 11/6/77, and have yet to hear a better one. Yes, that includes 5/7/77, which is terrific.
Brown Eyed Women
Aug. 8, 1982
Alpine Valley Music Theatre

Nice call. Fast-pickin' by Jerry but controlled at the same time--nice, extended bridge solo and no flubs on the lyrics. I tend towards 1977 versions but this one speaks well for its time!
Eyes Of The World
May 18, 1977
Fox Theatre

I can't vote for this twice but can add that it is indeed criminally underrated here. The opening jam alone before a word is sung is a thing of beauty and the ensuing jams in between are stunning in execution and inventiveness. It's not quite the level of the IMO best-ever 10/29/77 but it's not far off either.
Fire On The Mountain
Oct. 31, 1980
Radio City Music Hall

This is the longer, un-cut original version from "Dead Set"!
Scarlet Begonias -> Fire On The Mountain
Dec. 30, 1978
Pauley Pavilion

Props to Donna on this one. Possibly her finest moment of adding lovely, in-tune scatting for the first portion of the transition jam. Rolls it along nicely into the instrumental jam section. The "Fire" in this pairing is noteworthy as well for Jerry's excellent vocals--belting out the lyrics, and--a rarity--not missing a single word.
show more comments
headyversion loves the dead but is in no way affiliated with The Grateful Dead or affiliated enterprises. find out more >:) >:)