headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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grendel

Books and Music

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Submissions

13
Brother Esau
Oct. 28, 1985
Fox Theater

Complete with kickin' cow bell, nice long intro, easily one of the best you'll find.
13
Run Run Rudolph
Dec. 7, 1971
Felt Forum, Madison Square Garden

Give it a spin before Santa comes...Pig does Chuck Berry and Kris Kringle proud!
11
U.S. Blues (Wave That Flag)
Sept. 11, 1974
Alexandra Palace

DP Vol. 7 in London...special hard-core ROCK&ROLL kick-ass version, as if to remind the good folks across the Pond what happened 200 years earlier.
5
The Wheel
May 1, 1981
Hampton Coliseum

Like every song in this vastly underrated show: Just Exactly Perfect.
28
Beat it on Down The Line
Feb. 28, 1973
Salt Palace

Normally not a song I take much notice of...but Keith just takes over this puppy and turns it into a rollicking good time!
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Comments

Passenger
Oct. 25, 1979
New Haven Coliseum

It has no equal. Best they ever did.
Scarlet Begonias -> Fire On The Mountain
Oct. 19, 1981
Sports Palace

The last two Jerry solos in "Fire"....I mean, damn. Just, damn.
It's All Over Now Baby Blue
Aug. 10, 1982
Iowa Fieldhouse - University of Iowa

Grate version from a terrific '82 gem.
Here Comes Sunshine
Nov. 14, 1973
San Diego International Sports Arena

Will have to agree to disagree on this one. They butcher just about every tempo transition , not to mention the lyrics on the final verse. The whole band seems out of step with one another on this version...go back and listen to some of the truly ugly " I got it, you take it" handoffs. There are some nice moments of course and Jerry rips off some great riffs as you'd expect on this tune , but compared with some of the really tight performances in '73 available I'd have this one way farther down the list if on it at all . I apologize for my curmudgeonly tone here but I gotta call it like I see it. It appears tho that I'm the only one shaking my fist ;-)
Playin' In The Band
Nov. 30, 1980
Fox Theatre

First I thought "yeah, it's great for the 80's, but really can't compete with those killer versions from '72 and '73", but then I thought "so what? That doesn't mean it isn't still great", so here's my up vote.
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