headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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Books and Music

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Submissions

34
Dupree's Diamond Blues
Nov. 6, 1977
Broome County Arena

Outstanding version with a nice Jerry-led jam early in the tune, after the first verse.
8
Eyes Of The World
Sept. 15, 1978
Sphinx Theatre

Almost criminal this isn't here yet. Grab the Egypt '78 CD & hear one of the loveliest "Eyes" ever. Jazzy, intricate, sweet, & inspired!
13
Loser
Oct. 14, 1977
Hofheinz Pavilion

Possibly the most underrated version of all time with an absolute MONSTER jam by Jerry. Must listen!
8
Looks Like Rain
March 24, 1988
Omni Coliseum

Listen closely: I HATE THIS SONG. Always have. So when I say this is killer it means a lot; & fans of this song tell me it's legendary.
18
Row Jimmy
May 3, 1977
The Palladium

After 3/20/77 and 4/12/78 this may be the best RJ ever. Check out the Miller version that fills in a tape-flip gap & revel in more Garcia magic.
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Comments

Estimated Prophet
Feb. 3, 1978
Dane County Coliseum

This is a great version but in defense of '77 I must point out that the soloing and especially outro jams on Estimated started to get stretched out on the fall tour. 10/29/77 offers a pretty good example.
The Wheel
April 19, 1982
Baltimore Civic Center

100% agree. Perfect show that only seems to get props for the joyous weirdness of the space but really virtually every song is tour de force, this Wheel no exception. My favorite Estimated and Brokedown are from this show as well.
Playin' In The Band
Oct. 20, 1974
Winterland Arena

I actually prefer this one to the more sought-after 1/2 hour version from earlier in this Winterland run (on 10/16). This is a trippy yet still jazzy exploration into mellow/gooey territory, while the whole band attacks the vocal sections with gusto and precision. The sandwich middle is tasty too and there's a long, flowing rejoinder heading into the eventual reprise, This needs a little hike up the vote ladder.
Dire Wolf
Nov. 6, 1977
Broome County Arena

So easy to overlook good versions of this song b/c it's so short and --for a Dead tune-- fairly uniform. But the standouts deserve attention and this is one of them from a monster show of the '77 fall tour.
Stella Blue
Oct. 17, 1974
Winterland Arena

I also love this one because nobody (i.e. Donna) ruins the "shine" chorus after Jerry dusts off those rusty strings just one more time. In fact, no one repeats the "shine" line and it's so much better for the omission. Instead it's all about the beauty of the tune and Jer's magnificent solo to follow. Too many pre-Brent versions (even in the golden year of '77) were marred by the off-key back up chorus, but not this one. I didn't mind in the 80's when Brent joined in, because his voice was perfect for the back-up, but this is one where the tune breathes and succeeds from a "less is more" approach.
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