headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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jbrucer

43 years dead

+1044


Submissions

6
Friend of the Devil
June 24, 1976
Tower Theatre

Absolutely stunning. Top 5 version for sure. Should be better know. Laid back with great paino from Keith.
10
Deal
March 20, 1977
Winterland Arena

Great version, IMO best bit of first set
14
St. Stephen
Feb. 22, 1969
Dream Bowl

Perfectly good '69 Stephen, and every other song in this concert is listed here as a top version !
6
Drums
Aug. 13, 1975
Great American Music Hall

Epic, legendry drum crescendo into The Other One
17
Around and Around
Nov. 17, 1972
Century II Convention Hall

Nice rocking version with good solos, and good recording, as good as many others here
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Comments

Help On The Way > Slipknot > Franklin's Tower
June 14, 1976
Beacon Theatre

Not the best HOTW>S>FT. Slipknot is great, possibly best; but Phil is sloppy on HOTW, and Jerry is minimalist in FT. NB Just listened to it again a couple of times. Slipknot isn' that good at the begining; a lot of missed cues. Were the boys rushing ?
Loose Lucy
Aug. 6, 1974
Roosevelt Stadium

The AUD is better than the DP, IMO. This is a clap-along version. Listen for the Deadhead who wants St Stephen ("I am begging you on my hands and knees")
St. Stephen
Jan. 22, 1978
McArthur Court, U of Oregon

Dissenting opinion. Yes, the Close Encounters Jam and seque into St. Stephen is sublime; but how they treat the Saint itself after that is questionable. Personally, I don't like the folksie middle bit (with the usual out of tune singing). StS was best in 68/69/70/71, IMO.
Box of Rain
March 24, 1973
The Spectrum

Seriously, this is awful. The only listenable versions are Sep 17 1970, and the two "breakout" versions in March 1986 (20 and 24). Those last two are so emotional. I wish I had been there. So emotional because clearly Phil's voice died sometime 72 (?) and, 13 years later he sang it again. Shame. It is one of my favourite songs. I wish more 70/71 versions were available.
Wharf Rat
June 26, 1974
Providence Civic Center

I agree on this one. Nice, sparse, climactic and emotional, with good dynamic range. Some later ones are too jazzy, and have insufficient mood change when August resolves to change his life.
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