headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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grendel

Books and Music

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Submissions

10
Black Peter
Sept. 25, 1981
Stabler Arena

After 10/29/77 this should be your go-to BP. Emotion oozes and Jer shreds the outro.
11
Beat it on Down The Line
March 22, 1990
Copps Coliseum

A breezy bouncin' bubbly Bobby Beat it...best of the 90's.
8
El Paso
March 27, 1972
Academy of Music

Jerry in serious bluegrass mode. Most country-westernized version ever. At the end Phil sez "Thanks, Texans" even tho' they're in NYC. Awesome version
23
Let It Grow
Sept. 19, 1990
Madison Square Garden

Hornsby gets on board in a big way & Jerry jazzes up the jam sections. Weir slashes away & sings w/passion. Strong candidate for Best of the 90's.
4
Desolation Row
April 17, 1987
Irvine Meadows

This song was only as good as Bobby was committed to it, and on this night he was 100% in Dylan-idoling mode. Gorgeous rendeition, lovingly sung.
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Comments

Dark Star
Oct. 18, 1974
Winterland Arena

The more I hear this one, the more I love it. All the great jazz-jamming and inventive passages of the best Dark Stars and none of the (to my ears) detracting feedback dissonance.
Shakedown Street
Nov. 29, 1979
Cleveland Public Hall

Ultra smooth with Brent just flying...great jazz/funk outro jam. In the year with the most consistent # of phenomenal Shakedowns this one still stands out.
Alabama Getaway
May 1, 1981
Hampton Coliseum

This whole show deserves more attention. Stand-out versions of LIG>Deal, Wheel, Stranger, Franklin's. One of the very best shows of 1981.
Eyes Of The World
June 9, 1976
Boston Music Hall

Truly one of the great intros; best of the 1976 versions in which they play around a little with the "Stronger Than dirt" jam pre-lyrics rather than post-lyrics as was the norm in 1974. They don't fully engage the theme as they did in '74 but definitely reference it and it makes for a very interesting jam before Jerry even approaches the mic!
Row Jimmy
Sept. 18, 1974
Parc des Expositions

Stunning. I had no idea there was a '74 version with such stretched-out Garcia soloing...always looked to '77 and '78 for that...but this has a first Garcia break that is like spacey-sweet and gorgeous. Thanks for the tip on this one.
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