headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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grendel

Books and Music

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Submissions

10
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
22
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.
3
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.
9
Goin' Down The Road Feelin' Bad
May 13, 1977
Auditorium Theatre

Almost beyond description. The last full jam leading into the GDTR chorus is a perfect storm example of what made the Dead magic
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Comments

Scarlet Begonias -> Fire On The Mountain
Sept. 13, 1991
Madison Square Garden

well whaddaya know, this one really is fantastic & grossly underrated & just now gets into double digits w/this upvote. Long, windy, very colorful excursion w/Jerome in uncharacteristically fine vocal form for '91 & the "fire " suffers not at all from a single lyric lost...really needs some attention.
The Other One
June 26, 1973
Seattle Center Coliseum

Haha indeed cgarces & I do agree. It’s why I tend to avoid commenting on (most) versions of TOO from ‘72-‘74 bc so many go off into that soundjunk mode & I just don’t care for it (a number of fine dark stars from the same era leave me similarly annoyed) but I’ve been finding some cool versions that don’t get as dissonant from 1971 and that still deliver great moments of improv jazz like exploration. Late fall/winter especially from that year.
Help On The Way > Slipknot > Franklin's Tower
June 10, 1976
Boston Music Hall

One of the very best languishing oddly low in the standings. Patient, rolling, beautifully joined by all players, with a perfect pace for the Help, a super-jazz-infused reading of Slipknot & then a pic-perfect Franklin's with Jer in command of all the verses lyrically and typically hot runs of jamming between the verses. Really needs more ears.
West L.A. Fadeaway
April 16, 1984
Community War Memorial Auditorium

Spot-on observation about how well Jerry sings this version, which is surprising given the year, but even the grand master of them all, the well-deserved #1 slotted Alpine '89 version isn't sung as well as this and of course, the jamming is spectacular as is often the case w West LA. Needs way more than the paltry 2 votes it had when I just added mine
Estimated Prophet
May 18, 1977
Fox Theatre

This is great & may I say the Eyes that follows is also mysteriously underrated and one of the top 10 of ‘77 which means it’s one of the all time best
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