headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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grendel

Books and Music

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Submissions

24
Franklin's Tower
May 1, 1981
Hampton Coliseum

One of the best played versions from one of the best played shows in the Brent era---ever.
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!!
21
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!
9
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.
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Comments

Deal
July 4, 1989
Rich Stadium

@flippp The "jamless" '72 versions have a laid back appeal but of course, yes, they don't go as far out as late 80s versions...the mid 70's '77-'78 versions had a little more jam expansion while keeping an excellent rolling gait but also not as jammed out as late 80's...but you are doing disservice to the EARLY 80s versions which are every bit as jammed out as '89s, and I would ask you to go straight to exhibit A being 5/1/81 and tell me that doesn't rip the ever-loving piss out of this 7/4/89 version that, quite frankly, is overrated.
The Eleven
Jan. 17, 1970
Oregon State University

REALLY glad this was posted and commented on. LOVE the slower pace to this 11....still jammed out but way more controlled and thus focused. Tremendous version & possibly my new favorite.
Big Railroad Blues
April 8, 1972
Wembley Empire Pool

This is so good and needs way more votes. Both Jerry solos are perfecto and if i'm not mistaken a bit longer than many other versions from this era. Smokin' hot stuff.
Brown Eyed Women
June 18, 1976
Capitol Theatre

They haven't yet extended Jer's bridge jam but the one he does here, while shorter, is super smooth and note-perfect. It's a bit slower and ,more relaxed as with the versions heard in the early days but Jer nails every lyric and sings with passion and it's a self contained little gem of a version, if a bit less "grandiose" than post '76 and later versions. Very upvoteworthy. (DL series Vol. 4)
Playin' In The Band
June 22, 1973
Pacific Coliseum

Never heard it til today taking a walk w/Grendel in the woods, totally grooving to this spacey/mellow version and outta nowhere, it hit me, YES--a distinct, absolutely can't miss, but very brief "Fire on the Mountain" riff led by Phil...blink your ears and you'll almost miss it, but it is there for certain. So cool.
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