headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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grendel

Books and Music

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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.
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Comments

Bird Song
Nov. 22, 1972
Austin Municipal Auditorium

^^^^So true about this year/month. I think November '72 is like May '77. Blind-throw a dart, you'll hit a great show. But yeah, I'd like there to be more ears on this version.
Bird Song
Nov. 22, 1972
Austin Municipal Auditorium

I'd vote for this a thousand more times if I could. Just listened again today more convinced than ever that even for 1972 this is one of the pure true best they ever performed. Every section has a jam with sense, color, purpose, power and nuance and the vocals are ultra silky and sweet. I realize there's a gaggle of great Birdsongs from this year--even this very month--but having this pearl at 3 measly votes is a travesty.
Me and My Uncle
March 18, 1967
Winterland Arena

Totally fascinating not just for Bob's early, odd, reading and phrasing....not bad, just so different....but the real treat here is Garcia's insanely liquid, super fast, picture perfect picking. Unbelievable. Upvoted for his lightning fast draw alone. Every Deadhead needs to hear this if they haven't already.
Let It Grow
July 29, 1974
Capitol Center

Posters who come back to comment on a show they've already submitted just seem so desperate, you know? It's really kind of embarrassing. (Awkward pause) But seriously, folks. Come on. I wouldn't be shilling for this so bad if I didn't truly believe in its inherent awesomeness. Grab yer headphones, take 15 minutes, and tell me this isn't Jerry Jazz Heaven.
Bird Song
Feb. 26, 1981
Uptown Theater

Upping this for the instrumental magnificence of the jam section, which is SO GOOD, majestic, jazzy, you name it, that it compensates completely for Jerry's truly shitty vocals. There are some versions in the 80s where he can barely croak out "bird within her sang" and it's painful to hear especially with so many beautifully sung versions from '72-'73 to hear. But the jamming here may be the best of 1981 and this version should be heard by more ears for that reason alone.
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