headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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grendel

Books and Music

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Submissions

28
Playin' In The Band
May 11, 1972
Rotterdam Civic Hall

Sometimes shorter is better. At around 10 mins. this beauty from E'72 packs the jazz, jam, passion. Like a more intense version of the one on ACE!
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
66
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
32
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.
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Comments

Not Fade Away
June 20, 1980
West High Auditorium

Hey Ragnaroar.....for a super great funky, totally different-sounding early Brent NFA check out 11/2/79....maybe the most underrated NFA ever.
Not Fade Away
June 20, 1980
West High Auditorium

Love the space/funk intro into this...Brent gave this song totally new life in the early 80s before it turned into a waste of time crowd-clapping throwaway in the latter part of the decade and into the 90s...this is when the song still had some FUNK to it. Nice pick. There's also (believe it or not) a super-swinging and excellent "Don't Ease Me In" from this show.
Not Fade Away
May 8, 1977
Barton Hall - Cornell University

I finally "get" this version, helped by the new box set cleaned up recording, but also b/c I see now that it's more of a patient rendition, with Jerry playing the long game rather than going for the quick KO blow. My favorite is still the breaking through the gates of hell version from 12/29/77 which is all power and fury, but this one rewards for its long, flowing jam presence. If you want to take a long sweet float down the NFA river, this is the raft you want to be on. +1
Bertha
Dec. 31, 1987
Oakland Coliseum Arena

There's a killer Terrapin from this show as well and an all-time Iko w/the Nevillies. This Bertha is high energy and can hang with the big boys for certain.
Estimated Prophet
June 25, 1978
Autzen Stadium, U. of Oregon

Heck yeah! Fine version from a really oddly underrated 1978 winner. Check out the "Eyes" from this show as well.
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