headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

please login or register.

grendel

Books and Music

+23529


Submissions

4
Aiko Aiko
March 30, 1987
The Spectrum

Submitting this on Fat Tuesday 2017. Great Mardi Gras version with really nice piano (!) fills by Brent that oughta be heard!
5
Lazy Lightnin' -> Supplication
May 12, 1980
Boston Garden

Get on this one, folks. It's a ripper.
13
Let It Grow
July 29, 1974
Capitol Center

Absolute best of 1974. Not kidding. Jerry's leads are ripping & confident. The band plays flawlessly.Can stand w/some of the best of '77. Must hear.
4
Ramble On Rose
Oct. 21, 1971
Auditorium Theatre

Keith's second show & he's all over this faster paced super fun honky tonk version!
5
The Weight
June 7, 1991
Deer Creek Music Center

This is really the best one I've heard--everyobody nails their parts/lyrics...great piano fills on the side (yay, Bruce!). Just exactly, etc.
show more submissions

Comments

Eyes Of The World
Oct. 16, 1974
Winterland Arena

Been re-listening to this stellar version, forever in the shadows to the better known movie version 3 nights later but this one is worthy on its own of a much higher ranking. Garcia has that liquid guitar thing going in between verses and the spillover into unexpected space territory sets it apart from almost any other ‘74. What a run this was.
Cassidy
Jan. 15, 1979
Springfield Civic Center

Crazy hot end jam spilling out into the coda sans final lyric as in some versions from ‘78...beautifully played throughout...might be higher ranked if a better source existed. Shame this only had one vote when I got here...this is a gem hiding in plain sight.
Cold Rain and Snow
Dec. 17, 1970
The Matrix

Kudos to everyone who recommended this version. As noted, Jerry's vocals are damn near perfect and I love the "grunge" sound of the instrumental break sections, brief as they are given the year, but so densely packed with purpose. I never take much notice of this song pre-1972 (the first year I assumed it really gelled as a tune) & I still like the later versions for the stretched-out jamming and added power the tune could deliver (see 10-12-83 as my all time favorite) but this awesome entry has easily made my personal top 5. Fantastic stuff here.
Scarlet Begonias -> Fire On The Mountain
Sept. 4, 1991
Richfield Coliseum

A little more MIDI in the transition jam than I normally care for, but it's mitigated by some inspired playing by Bruce. Also, while most of the comments have singled out the "fire", I think the "Scarlet" is pretty darn good, too. It's fast but super tight and the aforementioned transition jam just mind-meld-melts its way from Scarlet into Fire, and yeah, the Fire that ensues is marked by some real gritty Jerry guitar, non-MIDI style, and so this one got my upvote.
Promised Land
Dec. 26, 1979
Oakland Auditorium

^^^^Agreed. All the ones that aren’t throwaways, like this one, should be upvoted to help them stand out. (Also if you like this check out 9/18/90 which is beyond the best they ever did.)
show more comments
headyversion loves the dead but is in no way affiliated with The Grateful Dead or affiliated enterprises. find out more >:) >:)