headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

please login or register.

iknowyourider90

young dog

+8470


Submissions

3
The Other One
June 17, 1991
Giants Stadium

Everyone goes on about the (awesome) "Dark Star" jam out of UJB but there's definitely a healthy dose of "The Other One" in there as well.
2
Sugar Magnolia
Feb. 17, 1979
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum

Last Godcheauxs version. Donna has a good time.
3
New Minglewood Blues
June 21, 1989
Shoreline Amphitheatre

From the HBO broadcast. Surprised it's not here. This is hot, especially on Brent's end.
5
I Need A Miracle
Sept. 16, 1990
Madison Square Garden

How? How is this not here? Dick's Picks 9. Out of a freakish post-SOTM jam. Bobby roars. Phil rolls thunder. Jerry is on fire.
1
Stella Blue
Sept. 21, 1993
Madison Square Garden

Beautiful version with Jerry in his ragged latter day glory.

Comments

Scarlet Begonias -> Fire On The Mountain
March 22, 1990
Copps Coliseum

This version is just a blast. Triumphant is a perfect description, the band is very locked in.
Dark Star
Sept. 27, 1972
Stanley Theatre

This one should be higher; it's really between this and Veneta for me. Veneta is more in your face in its spookiness and pure mind-fuckery, but this version is so hauntingly beautiful, and Phil is just dropping bomb like a Kamikaze on this version. Just a beast.
Dark Star
Oct. 26, 1989
Miami Arena

This "Dark Star" is like the musical equivalent of torture porn...inherently scary because of the basic content, but the actual execution leaves a lot to be desired. Is it a bad performance? Of course not. The band plays the main theme quite strongly, and Jerry's 'on death's door' sounding vocals add a nice edge to the song. Given the show's reputation for being quite eerie in general, this "Dark Star" does work in context, but it has very little musicality to it. The sounds are pretty frightening - especially Brent's keyboard spikes - but not fleshed out. In my opinion, 8/27/72 and 9/21/72 are much eerier and effective, because the jams and excursions it takes are far more musical and locked in and the images it conjures are more vivid and fleshed out; they're true brain movies. I repeat: it's not a bad performance, in fact it functions triumphantly as a mood piece, but it doesn't measure up to any "Dark Star" from 1968-74 or the 1978 Winterland version in terms of creativity and musicality. Then again, I've yet to listen to this one high, so maybe my opinion will change when I'm more inside the song as I was with 8/27/72 and 9/21/72.
Estimated Prophet
July 1, 1978
Arrowhead Stadium

Listening to this one right now, Jerry is just fucking CRAZY here.
Dark Star
Aug. 27, 1972
Old Renaissance Faire Grounds

I went out to my car and smoked an entire bong by myself at about 11:00 at night. Put this on and it was just incredible. By 13 minutes the intensity of both the high and the music had me pinned to my seat. Really scary, abstract, awesome stuff.