headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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grendel

Books and Music

+24555


Submissions

3
Row Jimmy
Oct. 28, 1985
Fox Theater

Great cadence to this one and some cool reverb effects lend a trippy mesmerizing feel to this fine entry from the Fox. Get the CM SBD source.
7
Big River
April 19, 1978
Veterans Memorial Auditorium

Segues perfectly out of MAMU and rolls along beautifully til Jerry goes ballistic on the last solo. Must hear.
5
China Cat Sunflower
April 5, 1969
Avalon Ballroom

Nice early stand alone with a long intro. You can hear the transition from the old intro to the more familiar pickings of later versions.
5
Darkness Jam
Nov. 21, 1973
Denver Coliseum

Not really a darkness jam but more of a dark star jam than what it's listed as (PITB) leads into Wharf Rat & is beyond beautiful.
8
Wang Dang Doodle
Oct. 22, 1983
Carrier Dome, Syracuse U

The boys really "throw a mess" on this one, making the carrier dome sound like a down and dirty old time saloon. Slinky sick stuff

Comments

New Speedway Boogie
July 13, 1994
Franklin County Airport

Last Dead show I ever saw. Great time at Highgate & the set list is ta die for, although listening back there are the usual late stage flaws to be found. Still, up-voting this for sentimental reasons and because the revived versions of Speedway are actually a lot better than the initial incarnations from 1970 that are just painful to listen to (awkward harmonies and band members stepping all over each other; no one sure whether to sing the "one way or another" line after the verse or not....seriously, those versions are almost uniformly ugly compared to ones like this).
Jack Straw
May 21, 1977
Lakeland Civic Center

Can't believe I hadn't voted for this yet. new listening to the DP blew my socks off and may have this one getting into my top 3 favorite all time (with 10/29/77 & 6/4/78) due to the unique Garcia soloing that sounds more stretched out than others (I don't mean length of the jam leading into final verse, but the way Garcia lets his solo drive that jam into more of a weaving exploration than the usual power chord jamming we come to expect). It's not "spacey" weaving, it's supercharged for sure, almost like a '77-ish version of late 60's jamming on a tune like the 11). This is just a fantastic version that could be way higher on the ladder.
Loser
June 28, 1995
The Palace

So it's heady why exactly? (Final time played doesn't cut it)
Not Fade Away
Oct. 1, 1977
Paramount Theatre

As noted this whole show is given the Rodney Dangerfield for no good reason. Strong '77 NFA here and it's true that the MNS from this show gets deep into "best of" territory.
Eyes Of The World
May 22, 1977
The Sportatorium

DeadProf is right in describing this gem as "delicate" but that shouldn't be construed to mean lacking in jam. This is a precise, delicate, and very focused version very typical of May '77 itself, but repeated listening brings out the nuances in this rendition, and it's well worth the journey. Much like my all time favorite version of 10/29/77 this one takes the time to breathe in the intro, gently exploring the terrain before getting into the heart of the song. Jerry's in total command of this version without really ever "going off" yet there is so much richness in his winding, jazzy reading that you don't ever feel a lack of energy. And yes, the melt into Wharf Rat emerges like it was written in the stars. One of the top DP releases of all time from just another spellbinding show from May of '77.