headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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grendel

Books and Music

+24543


Submissions

37
Promised Land
Sept. 18, 1990
Madison Square Garden

New #1 version--all time best. This is a stretched-out jam-fest for a song usually given the quick-off. Killer fills from Hornsby. MUST HEAR!
6
Sugar Magnolia
Sept. 25, 1981
Stabler Arena

Incredible Sugary-Mag Club sandwich: Sugar>BlackPeter>Round&Round>SSDD. Energy off the charts, and the SSDD starts spot-on the downbeat from R&R
13
Big River
July 31, 1974
Dillon Stadium

Scorcher start to finish. Keith comes up big, and Jerry goes ballistic in the final instrumental bridge. Check it out on Dave's Pix Vol. 2
45
Help On The Way > Slipknot > Franklin's Tower
June 19, 1976
Capitol Theatre

Just when you think you've heard 'em all...Peppy&Zippy yet tight HELP >groovy-spacedout Slip>killer jumping-Jerry-led Franklins. Must Hear!
44
Estimated Prophet
Oct. 29, 1977
Evans Field House, Northern Illinois University

From the show that never stops giving--a spacey-jazzy-goeey-Wah-Wah-chunk-fest-of-Jerry.

Comments

Cassidy
June 9, 1977
Winterland Arena

One of the better ones in the days before they extended the jam sections. Can't really go wrong w/anything from the June Winterland run.
Bird Song
Sept. 10, 1972
Hollywood Palladium

This version was recently released as the final installment of "30 Days of Dead' on the official Dead web site, available for free download. Now that it's there, can we please all listen and show it the extra love it totally deserves? Two votes as of this posting is a travesty.
Terrapin Station
May 17, 1977
Memorial Coliseum

What deadprof said: Best of '77 for sure.
Brown Eyed Women
May 4, 1972
Olympia Theater

I usually only pay attention to 1977 or later versions as these early ones lack the longer awesome bridge jams by Jerry, but this one makes up for it by having such a gorgeous, flowing mellow groove and is actually sung by Jerry perhaps better than any version I've heard. This is a really surprising and excellent recommendation!
Bertha
Aug. 26, 1971
Gaelic Park

Nice hidden gem. Maybe under the radar for some SBD issues? I thought it was pretty good to my ears.