headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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grendel

Books and Music

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Submissions

10
Black Peter
Sept. 25, 1981
Stabler Arena

After 10/29/77 this should be your go-to BP. Emotion oozes and Jer shreds the outro.
11
Beat it on Down The Line
March 22, 1990
Copps Coliseum

A breezy bouncin' bubbly Bobby Beat it...best of the 90's.
8
El Paso
March 27, 1972
Academy of Music

Jerry in serious bluegrass mode. Most country-westernized version ever. At the end Phil sez "Thanks, Texans" even tho' they're in NYC. Awesome version
23
Let It Grow
Sept. 19, 1990
Madison Square Garden

Hornsby gets on board in a big way & Jerry jazzes up the jam sections. Weir slashes away & sings w/passion. Strong candidate for Best of the 90's.
4
Desolation Row
April 17, 1987
Irvine Meadows

This song was only as good as Bobby was committed to it, and on this night he was 100% in Dylan-idoling mode. Gorgeous rendeition, lovingly sung.
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Comments

I Need A Miracle
Oct. 21, 1978
Winterland Arena

Make it 2. Gritty gutsy version. (Overlooked song in general. Also make sure to check out 1-10-79 at Nassau)
Scarlet Begonias -> Fire On The Mountain
April 13, 1983
Patrick Gymnasium, U of Vermont

Sensational version in bad need of a clean SBD.
Scarlet Begonias -> Fire On The Mountain
June 18, 1983
Saratoga Performing Arts Center

@cgarces Yes, I know the feeling. We are all lucky to have so many great recordings of shows available but it only makes the ones we don't have (and that are great performances) that much more desirable. Another good (maybe even better, actually) example of this can be found further down the list with 4-13-83 at UVM. It's an absolutely phenomenal Scarlet-Fire but you gotta deal with the AUDS available and some of it sadly gets lost in the translation.
Playin' In The Band
Nov. 18, 1972
Hofheinz Pavilion

Regarding "cleaner" copies of this amazing version, I think there is a fairly recent Charlie miller pitch-corrected version on the archive. It's not as pristine a recording as we may like but it's pretty damn good and may be the best-sounding recording available. So worth it. As everyone here has said, this version is legendary and does rival Veneta, if not perhaps surpassing it in some ways.
Bird Song
Dec. 9, 1981
Activity Center - University of Colorado

Doesn't reach some of the epic jam crescendos as other 80's versions but it is quite beautiful and lovingly sung by jerry and gets my up vote also b/c 1981 is often overlooked. Also make sure to check out the china-rider from this show which could very well be the best of the decade.
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