headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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grendel

Books and Music

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Submissions

33
Little Red Rooster
Nov. 30, 1980
Fox Theatre

All about Brent.
2
Drums
June 4, 1978
Campus Stadium - University Of California

Part of a very hardcore rock and roll 2nd set. HEAVY wailing Drums>Space>NFA w/motorcycle revs.
8
Beat it on Down The Line
May 16, 1972
Theatre Hall

Another Europe '72 tour winner. Bobby sez "Rock on out" for the bridge jam and Jerry obliges.
25
Ramble On Rose
May 22, 1977
The Sportatorium

Just discovered this one, available on archive as outtakes that didn't make the DP release. Simply put, it kicks ass.
8
Doin' That Rag
June 14, 1969
Monterey Performing Arts Center

Always a tough tune for the band to pull off but here they do it with authority. Jerry nails the vocals w/gusto!
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Comments

Cassidy
Oct. 12, 1983
Madison Square Garden

^^^^ Makes my heart sing to read these reviews, Dude420. I was beginning to think I was hearing something no one else was. Maybe b/c the recordings available aren't 100% perfect (not that the provided sources are bad), but I seriously and honestly have never heard a better overall version than this one and I agree that if you stack it up head to head w/Frost '82 (I show I love btw) it still blows it out of the water.
Bird Song
Aug. 22, 1972
Berkeley Community Theatre

Just digging everything from this show lately. Another '72 Birdsong gem here, this one especially notable for Jerry's beautiful vocal reading. Honestly, after listening to how he sings this song in this year it's painful for me to listen to early 80's or really any other year when his voice is so croaky and he just can't sustain the note. Sure, the jams are still there in many later versions, but these '72s have that lovely interplay with Keith and the loping pace that just makes the song really, well....soar. This one should be a lot higher.
Black Throated Wind
Aug. 22, 1972
Berkeley Community Theatre

Easily my new favorite, Just listen to Keith, who shines on this throughout, especially in the end coda section. Bobby's lyrical reading is emotional and spot-on and he's completely in lockstep with Keith on this one. Love too the wah-wah psychedelic sound thrown in during the intro. Superior version right here.
Uncle John's Band
March 19, 1977
Winterland Arena

I've got to agree. I really love this site & all the discussions we have, but the one thing that grinds my gears is how low some truly awesome versions of songs are on the list despite the passionate pleas of knowing Heads to listen and bump, while other "leading" versions rack up superfluous votes one after another. This is one of the finest UJB's you'll hear from the band's most "just exactly perfect" year of playing (like it or not, '77 is inarguably the year of most consistently well-played--i.e. fewest mistakes--shows), and there's no way this should be sitting around in single digits.
Dark Star
Oct. 21, 1971
Auditorium Theatre

A lot of the stuff from this show is getting my upvote lately and this DS is the latest...just when you think it's going to tail off into dissonant space-waste time it turns on a dime into an outta nowhere Sittin On Top of the World & back into the DS theme after. Prior is 15 minutes of the new guy (Keith) showing he's more than up to the job of digging into the long form jams as he is the first set ditties. Good stuff.
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