headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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grendel

Books and Music

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Submissions

24
Franklin's Tower
May 1, 1981
Hampton Coliseum

One of the best played versions from one of the best played shows in the Brent era---ever.
16
Shakedown Street
March 24, 1981
Rainbow Theater

15+ minutes of funk w/extended overlapping vocal rounds of "just gotta poke around", etc. before jam Brent adds cool "fuzzy" SFX
1
Big Railroad Blues
Oct. 30, 1971
Taft Auditorium

Check out Keith on this one! He's never been so up front before & right outta the gate!!
21
Cream Puff War
July 3, 1966
Fillmore Auditorium

Peppy early version w/Jer belting out lyrics & Pig doin' some nice work on organ. No archive copy exists; got this off 30 Days of Dead-worth the DL!
9
Passenger
May 7, 1979
Allan Kirby Field House

Super-charged EARLY Brent version rips and tears and shreds. Final jam before the coda is the best they ever did in this tune. Goes to 11.
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Comments

Row Jimmy
July 25, 1974
International Amphitheater

Best Row Jimmy of 1974 and also the best version period pre-1977 (see 3/20/77 and 4/12/78). Jerry vocals are picture perfect and Donna does not get in the way at all. The mid-verse jams are beautiful with gentle and then rising solos supported by a perfect pace and rhythm. Finishes with a strong, gorgeous chorus. Exceptional version needing FAR more many votes than it has now.
St. Stephen
June 24, 1970
Capitol Theatre

@chrisp Regarding 10/29/77 being the king of latter day versions: spot on! More attention needs to be paid...
The Other One
March 31, 1973
War Memorial

Didn't realize until giving it a second listen how nice this is. I mean "nice" literally. This is not an overly aggressive or crazy spacey Other One, but instead a quite jazzy, contemplative and nicely flowing version that melts beautifully into its cameo appearance components with equal grace: a controlled and very pretty Spanish Jam and a Feelin' Groovy Jam that just kinda starts on its own outta nowhere and then kicks into a nice Rider. Deserves higher ranking for these reasons and for the obscurity of these pieces all coming together within TOO.
Beat it on Down The Line
April 26, 1971
Fillmore East

Duane sounds fantastic on this.
Hard to Handle
April 26, 1971
Fillmore East

First time hearing this one and dare I say it--best ever? Even better than 8/6/71? OK, maybe not "better", but in the same conversation for sure. Longer jam sections in this one...it's a beaut.
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