headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

please login or register.

grendel

Books and Music

+23534


Submissions

26
Scarlet Begonias
Oct. 3, 1976
Cobo Arena

No clean SBD on archive but at official Dead site a pristine version was on 30 days of Dead for DL. 2d best stand-alone I've heard next to 3-20-77
64
Pretty Peggy O
May 19, 1977
Fox Theatre

DP Vol. 29...Each time I think I've heard the best (i.e. 12/27/77) I hear one better. This is it. Flowing, gorgeous Jerry bridge jam. Perfection.
4
Don't Ease Me In
June 20, 1980
West High Auditorium

Proves the boys could really swing when they wanted to. Hear Jerry on "The Girl I Love" line; like 'Gator Alley--1980 a good year for this tune
31
Not Fade Away
May 26, 1977
Baltimore Civic Center

Insane. Ridiculous. Drummers locked in, Garcia in take-no-prisoners mode. 16+ minutes of full-bore Rock to the G-D Roll.
127
Wharf Rat
Oct. 7, 1977
University of New Mexico

Most pristine version I've ever heard. So smooth, so clear. Keith leads the way, Jerry brings it home. . Essential for all Wharf Rat fans

Comments

Eyes Of The World
April 12, 1978
Cameron Indoor Stadium

Unacceptable that this is still languishing in single digits. Freaking intro alone is 4+ mins. with great fanning from Jerry & just a spectacular all around version from a well-known and amazing show w/a great board. WTF folks?
Eyes Of The World
Jan. 14, 1978
Bakersfield Memorial Auditorium

Fluid, colorful jamming, an extension of '77-ness associated with this great tune. Jerry seems to have a weak vocal but he doesn't get the words wrong...more like he's having trouble belting it out. The jamming shows no such signs, though...Garcia's in full command here. Glad to bump this one past the "10" vote mark. Give a listen & see if you think it should be higher still (jam after 2nd verse may very well convince you).
Scarlet Begonias -> Fire On The Mountain
March 10, 1981
Madison Square Garden

All the love given to 90s versions on this site b/c they are so long baffles me when there are equally long (& far better played & jammed) versions from the largely overlooked early 80s to be enjoyed, and this is exhibit A. If you need a SBD version to get you to listen here's the Miller: https://archive.org/details/gd1981-03-10.sbd-set2.miller.91764.flac16/gd81-03-10d2t02.flac Get on this, please.
Cassidy
April 24, 1978
Horton Field House - Illinois State University

^^^^ I'm starting to wonder if they left the final verse out on purpose a few times this year b/c it's also absent on 5/14/78 featured on 30 Trips (another outstanding version btw).
Alligator
Jan. 3, 1970
Fillmore East

The jam on this one is out of this world. Slinky slow tempo to open the verses sung by Pig and then some drums into just a phenomenal jam section that also includes a fairly deep China Cat tease into the coda normally reserved for GDTRFB and then feedback. Easy plus one here.