headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

please login or register.

grendel

Books and Music

+24543


Submissions

28
Playin' In The Band
May 11, 1972
Rotterdam Civic Hall

Sometimes shorter is better. At around 10 mins. this beauty from E'72 packs the jazz, jam, passion. Like a more intense version of the one on ACE!
26
Scarlet Begonias
Oct. 3, 1976
Cobo Arena

No clean SBD on archive but at official Dead site a pristine version was on 30 days of Dead for DL. 2d best stand-alone I've heard next to 3-20-77
66
Pretty Peggy O
May 19, 1977
Fox Theatre

DP Vol. 29...Each time I think I've heard the best (i.e. 12/27/77) I hear one better. This is it. Flowing, gorgeous Jerry bridge jam. Perfection.
4
Don't Ease Me In
June 20, 1980
West High Auditorium

Proves the boys could really swing when they wanted to. Hear Jerry on "The Girl I Love" line; like 'Gator Alley--1980 a good year for this tune
32
Not Fade Away
May 26, 1977
Baltimore Civic Center

Insane. Ridiculous. Drummers locked in, Garcia in take-no-prisoners mode. 16+ minutes of full-bore Rock to the G-D Roll.
show more submissions

Comments

Playin' In The Band
May 4, 1977
The Palladium

Same as I said about the "Deal" from this show--so overlooked. This version gets out there w/out losing focus...not dissimilar to 5/17/77 but with its own signature sound.
Deal
May 4, 1977
The Palladium

One for the tune and one for the show. The always overshadowed by 5/7, 5/8 and 5/9 5/4/77 is a terrific show on par with that monster trio.
Fire On The Mountain
April 30, 1977
The Palladium

Underrated. Worth getting the official digital download version as the archive AUDs are of pretty poor quality.
Ramble On Rose
Dec. 30, 1983
Civic Auditorium

This is a scruffy around the edges version--both musically and vocally-- with Jerry's voice really pushing its limits but all the better for it. Indeed the pay-off is in the final "grass aint greener" stanza and Jer just lets the ripcord go. Awesome stuff and worthy of an upvote even if there are "cleaner" versions to be found.
Goin' Down The Road Feelin' Bad
April 5, 1971
Manhattan Center

This always feels like the "original" version to me, probably from so many repeated "Skull and Roses" spins back in the day. This particular version will always in my mind be paired w/NFA. I think there are many superior '77 versions but damn if this one doesn't have something special about it.
show more comments
headyversion loves the dead but is in no way affiliated with The Grateful Dead or affiliated enterprises. find out more >:) >:)