headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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grendel

Books and Music

+23519


Submissions

9
One More Saturday Night
Oct. 29, 1977
Evans Field House, Northern Illinois University

Like every other song from this, my favorite all-time show, it's a best-of candidate. Just rocks hard.
2
Alabama Getaway
Dec. 5, 1979
Uptown Theater

Come for the 'Bama but stay for the rest of the show. This rocker 'Bama is Jerry and Brent at their very best. This entire show, tho', is a monster.
13
Stagger Lee
June 27, 1985
SPAC

Right after Phil tells a guy to get off the blacony cuz 50,000 people are waiting for him to, and Bob does the dog nose joke, Jer rips into a fine SL!
8
China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
Oct. 18, 1989
The Spectrum

Pretty good China followed by the best 80's OR 90's RIDER I've ever heard. Check Jer's run going into "sun gonna shine" verse. 5 stars fo RIDER alone.
2
Brown Eyed Women
Aug. 4, 1982
Kiel Auditorium

Fast-picking goodness. Jerry's bridge solo is long and lightning quick and awesome. 1 point off for lyric flub on re-entry, but the rest is gold.
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Comments

Cold Rain and Snow
Feb. 3, 1978
Dane County Coliseum

^^^^Agree. Like Cornell & Veneta this (to be clear excellent top shelf show) gets bumps for songs that are fine but not extraordinary just b/c they're attached to a larger than life show. It's a disservice to both show & song. There are scads of versions way better than this one far lower on the list. (Just off the top of my head 8/25/72 leaps to mind). Great show--misleading ranking for this particular song in the pantheon of great CR&S
Playin' In The Band
Oct. 9, 1972
Winterland Arena

Gargantuan kitchen sink version with something for everyone. Aggressive in sections, quiet and contemplative in others, with a firm rhythm from Weir, Jerry’s usual runs of brilliance and my stars, if this isn’t one if the greatest performances by drummer Billy I don’t know what is. He takes control from the get go and rides the wave right up until...well, by now you should have read up on the hideous cut before the rejoin but honest to goodness it doesn’t take away from the overall magnificence of the journey. (One of the two archive versions has a noble fade out that’s at least better than an abrupt out)
The Other One
June 22, 1992
Star Lake Amphitheater

This deserves an upvote if for no other reason than the sheer originality of the approach. Hearing Bob begin the lyrics straight out of Spanish Jam AND IN THE MELODY OF SPANISH JAM!!! is at least to my knowing the only time they ever entered the song this way & it's a brilliant example of the experimentation and risk they were still willing to take even in the waning years. Whether it "works" or not is a matter of taste (I think it's grand) but I love the boldness & what a blast it mist have been to hear that happen live. Kudos and a +1
Black Throated Wind
Sept. 17, 1972
Baltimore Civic Center

stunningly confident, propulsive version. Weir's best pacing perhaps ever on this tune in both vocal delivery & rhythm. As others have noted Garcia digs deep & Keith adds all the most delicate accents at just the right moments. Exemplary.
Crazy Fingers
May 26, 1993
Cal Expo

Instrumentally nice version but typical for the year croaky-weak vocals from Jerry keep me from giving this an upvote. Lots of better versions currently sit under this one.
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