headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

please login or register.

grendel

Books and Music

+24543


Submissions

7
Big River
April 19, 1978
Veterans Memorial Auditorium

Segues perfectly out of MAMU and rolls along beautifully til Jerry goes ballistic on the last solo. Must hear.
5
China Cat Sunflower
April 5, 1969
Avalon Ballroom

Nice early stand alone with a long intro. You can hear the transition from the old intro to the more familiar pickings of later versions.
5
Darkness Jam
Nov. 21, 1973
Denver Coliseum

Not really a darkness jam but more of a dark star jam than what it's listed as (PITB) leads into Wharf Rat & is beyond beautiful.
8
Wang Dang Doodle
Oct. 22, 1983
Carrier Dome, Syracuse U

The boys really "throw a mess" on this one, making the carrier dome sound like a down and dirty old time saloon. Slinky sick stuff
2
Row Jimmy
April 18, 1987
Irvine Meadows

Check out Jerry's "giddy-up" riffs in the final "Row" choruses!
show more submissions

Comments

Brokedown Palace
Oct. 3, 1980
Warfield Theater

^^^^Sorry, but this one's far better vocally, especially the harmonies. 9/27 is probably the best of that year, though, and is quite a nice version for that time period.
Scarlet Begonias
June 11, 1976
Boston Music Hall

Let it flow. Gorgeous '76 Scarlet right here. Do seek out the Miller upgrade & up this version. So sweet.
He's Gone
May 26, 1973
Kezar Stadium

Been a while and I’d forgotten how good this one is, from the harmonizing to the jamming and esp. the bluesy outro. Glad it’s still in the top 5.
Dark Star
Feb. 28, 1969
Fillmore West

Positively dripping with psychedelic musical ooze. A free flowing trip down a rainbow river of sound. I like it better than the more exalted 2/27 but it's kind of sixes with what you get from both...can't go wrong. Been appreciating this run a lot more with the attention paid lately here on HV.
The Eleven
Feb. 28, 1969
Fillmore West

Depends how you like your 11's...as in a Spinal-tap-ish "these go to 11", cranked-out wild & chaotic, or more disciplined & controlled but still jammed out like this one is. This is probably my favorite of the versions and of this really spot-on style of precision 11, but they're all pretty hot in '68 and '69, just differs on how you like 'em served up.
show more comments
headyversion loves the dead but is in no way affiliated with The Grateful Dead or affiliated enterprises. find out more >:) >:)