headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

please login or register.

grendel

Books and Music

+24538


Submissions

4
Estimated Prophet
Aug. 31, 1985
Manor Downs

Hot as the night in Texas on which it was played.
11
One More Saturday Night
Oct. 29, 1977
Evans Field House, Northern Illinois University

Like every other song from this, my favorite all-time show, it's a best-of candidate. Just rocks hard.
2
Alabama Getaway
Dec. 5, 1979
Uptown Theater

Come for the 'Bama but stay for the rest of the show. This rocker 'Bama is Jerry and Brent at their very best. This entire show, tho', is a monster.
13
Stagger Lee
June 27, 1985
SPAC

Right after Phil tells a guy to get off the blacony cuz 50,000 people are waiting for him to, and Bob does the dog nose joke, Jer rips into a fine SL!
8
China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
Oct. 18, 1989
The Spectrum

Pretty good China followed by the best 80's OR 90's RIDER I've ever heard. Check Jer's run going into "sun gonna shine" verse. 5 stars fo RIDER alone.

Comments

Dark Star
Sept. 24, 1972
Palace Theatre

Right back atcha cgarces!
Help On The Way > Slipknot > Franklin's Tower
Oct. 1, 1994
Boston Garden

Stunned by how good this version is, especially the Franklin's, which really cooks and never meanders like many much longer versions...the jams are focused and energetic and Garcia delivers the vocals really well with no missed lyrics. Great percussion fills also into and out of Slipknot. I'm not impressed by much in '94 but this show delivers consistently (great Althea as well). This needs some ups.
Dark Star
Sept. 24, 1972
Palace Theatre

I don't know what to do about this version, it's really got me perplexed. On first blush it would seem to be the kind of Star I despise--heavy on the dissonance--in fact, the lion's share of the jam is a mad frenzy of aggressive Garcia-led fury with no time for any "beautiful jam", "MLB" or "feelin' Groovy" anything emerging from the chaos. It's relentless, it's angry, and yet it's also mesmerizing in its own way. There's a propulsive feel to this one. Even though it favors the darker side of the star than the light, it never veers off into isolated weirdness or aimless Phil bass soloing which has ruined (IMO) many fine versions from this and the next two years worth of Dark Stars. Everything moves forward in this version...I suppose the best analogy is that it's like a musical shark that has to keep driving forward or it'll die...and in fact it ends up merging into one of the finest China>Riders ever, so it never actually ever comes to rest. I suppose it's the kind of version I really have to be in a certain mood to listen to...and it does demand your attention. No casual listening or background music here. This DS will NOT be ignored, and I'll bump it here, even though it'll never be a warm and fuzzy "favorite" for me.
Althea
Oct. 1, 1994
Boston Garden

I'm sold. Some real nice vocal delivery on this one, especially given the year. Great outro jams, nice brisk tempo while still hitting all his spots, and Jer even has a bit of fun on the "little sympathy" line. He's feelin' it on this one.
Cold Rain and Snow
April 15, 1970
Winterland Arena

Garcia is really belting out the vocals on this one and it's got a bit of a longer jam break than many versions of this era. +1!