headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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sylvanriv

90s expert

+1262


Submissions

2
Stella Blue
Oct. 10, 1994
USAir Arena

Beautiful version from a totally unheralded show. Jerry's impassioned vocals in the verses blew me away.
3
Cassidy
June 25, 1994
Sam Boyd Silver Bowl, U.N.L.V.

Spacey, LONG, jam. There's a video, and you can see Bob smiling as Jerry somehow nails the last climax of the jam and they slam into the chorus.
3
Cold Rain and Snow
March 23, 1995
Charlotte Coliseum

Hot version - Jerry's guitar tone is thicker than it was in 94, he's totally present and playing some of those added riffs like in 10/12/83.
1
Cassidy
Sept. 18, 1982
Boston Garden

Lots of very under the radar shows in 82. This version is perfectly executed from start to finish - great end jam with huge finish.
1
Uncle John's Band
Dec. 8, 1993
Sports Arena

Pretty hot version. Nice mid solo and shreddy outro that heads into a spacey jam. Great vince contributions and Jerry firing on all cylinders

Comments

Jack Straw
March 15, 1990
Capital Centre

Brent laughing when Bobby screws up in the beginning kills me everytime
Althea
Oct. 1, 1994
Boston Garden

Every time I listen to this I'm shocked by Jerry's dexterity both on vocal and guitar. Every solo is perfectly crafted and he barely misses a note, and it really sounds like he's having fun with the lyrics. This show is always rightly renowned, but I might argue this song is the most perfectly conceived of the night.
Cassidy
Aug. 3, 1982
Starlight Theatre

Definitely a solid version but extremely confused as to how this has been so highly rated. Verses are very strong, but jam is weak and transition back to chorus is pretty terrible - this is a song where the jam and especially the reentry from said jam is key. Around 1985, the band learned how to take the jam sideways (shifting keys) before charging back into the chorus, and that really elevates this song - definitely one that got better later in life. I'm hard-pressed to upvote any pre-85 Cassidy, and one like this with a short and weak jam really can't compete either with the vocally pure 77 versions or the exciting late-80s versions. Give 11/10/85 or 5/16/93 a shot if you wanna get rocked.
Terrapin Station
March 18, 1977
Winterland Arena

The pre-april 77 mid solos are much prettier, I feel. Jerry starting (and often continuing) the solo in the lower octave lends it much more feeling, and this mid solo is the most perfectly conceived of the 5 Terrapins in Feb/March 77. Does anyone know if Jerry ever started the solo lower in the register again, or did he always play it in the high octave from apr 77-95?
Playin' In The Band
Oct. 5, 1994
The Spectrum

Not blown away by this. Jerry’s active, and doing more than noodling, but not by much. Still one of the best later day playins but I’d say it’s beat by 3/27/94.