headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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grendel

Books and Music

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Submissions

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!!
20
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!
8
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.
30
Little Red Rooster
Nov. 30, 1980
Fox Theatre

All about Brent.
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Comments

Candyman
April 15, 1978
William and Mary College Hall

Not sure if Jerry & Donna ever sounded better together than they do on this version of Candyman, and Garcia's solos are at once delicate & deep, ---about as perfect a version as you'll find in any era and I'd have no problem seeing this in top 3-5 ranking...just spectacular.
The Other One
Oct. 16, 1977
Louisiana State U

Folks tend to skip versions from '77 b/c they tend to be shorter & less "epic" than earlier years but it would be a mistake to pass this one by. The rhythm devils in particular bring this one into focus beautifully with a grand lead up to Phil's signature roaring bass intro and it's Jerry off to the races after that. Really fine version from a show better known for its other big tunes like an all-time Sugaree in the first set, but again, this is a real sleeper Other One
Greatest Story Ever Told
Nov. 4, 1979
Civic Center

Not like all the others--a distinctively different start out of the gate that features the mid-jam stop-jump-start-again riff, then takes off like a bat outta heck w/Bobby just chawin' thru the lyrics like he means it. Segues out from a pretty sweet Getaway, too...worth the ups, folks!
China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
March 2, 1992
The Omni

Do not & will never understand why this show gets overlooked, but this is a great latter day China>Rider that you should check out if you like the heavy rhythm devils sound of the early 90s...also don't sleep on the Terrapin>DrumsSpace....real good show here if you're looking for a sleeper pick
He's Gone
April 19, 1978
Veterans Memorial Auditorium

one vote when i got here. Blasphemous neglect. Really nice reading here with a fine bridge jam and nice harmonizing. This whole show gets overlooked but this version especially needs more attention. Check out Jerry's "steal your face" shout second time around
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