headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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natebernstein

music lover

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Submissions

1
Stella Blue
Sept. 19, 1972
Roosevelt Stadium

Jer's voice and guitar full of passion. Brings it all back home after a great stretch of tasty jams.
1
Stella Blue
Dec. 30, 1986
Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center

Hidden Gem
1
Looks Like Rain
Aug. 4, 1976
Roosevelt Stadium

Pretty but Powerful. Donna sounds great this whole Summer but the boys bring the punch here, too, especially toward the end.

Comments

Scarlet Begonias
June 8, 1974
Coliseum Stadium

Uptempo mid-first-set version that's tight and groovy from the first note. Great ending jam with the whole ensemble making unique contributions.
Stella Blue
April 9, 1989
Freedom Hall

Jer fumbles ever so slightly at the beginning of the critical "it seems like all this life" lyric at the end. That's the only tiny blemish I can hear in an extraordinary and criminally underrated version from a great tour. Dynamics are just what you want in a Stella, hushed for the first two verses, building into a powerful bridge, excellent solo and back down again for the last verse into a stellar outtro solo and wind-down into set closer Sugar Magnolia. All the feels.
Stella Blue
Oct. 2, 1972
Springfield Civic Center

They miss the solo between the 2nd and 3rd verse, which is missing the first line of lyrics as a result, but Jerry's vocal performance here is notable. Feeling his way around the melody still, before "can't keep from crying" became "gonna make 'em shine." He and the band exploring what the song can be live. I like the slower-paced, more drawn-out phrasing. So much emotion in his voice.
Stella Blue
Sept. 19, 1972
Roosevelt Stadium

I originally (mistakenly) posted this comment on the wrong 1972 Roosevelt Stadium Stella Blue (from July 18): This version probably suffers here because of the relatively poor available recordings, but Garcia’s voice is full of passion and he makes Alligator scream during the outtro. Also notable for ending a very long sequence of He’s Gone -> Other One -> Stella that’s full of tasty jams, during one of the Dead’s many top-notch shows in JC Chilltown.
Stella Blue
July 18, 1972
Rossevelt Stadium

They're definitely still making their way around a new song here but Jer's vocals are some of the best I've heard on a Stella, despite not hitting the "gonna make 'em shine" phrase in the bridge. Underappreciated.
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