headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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Carrion_Crow

Stealth Head

+49667


Submissions

3
Big Railroad Blues
Oct. 27, 1971
Onondaga War Memorial

A barnburner, charged up and powerful. Nice clear musical ideas throughout the jam.
3
Playin' In The Band
Oct. 27, 1971
Onondaga War Memorial

Like 10.23 this has a burning, agressive quality and hard-driving pulse that gives it huge horsepower. Playin's eternal metamorphosis on display here.
4
Tennessee Jed
Oct. 27, 1971
Onondaga War Memorial

Jerry's soloing throughout this one is fantastic, precise and rockin'.
2
Jack Straw
Oct. 27, 1971
Onondaga War Memorial

Nice version, band kicks into gear and sounds great, ironing out a few kinks in the mix earlier in the set. Early Keith show = dynamite stuff.
9
China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
Oct. 24, 1971
Easttown Theatre

Overlooked. No peace-and-love version, this is rock and freaking roll. The transition to Ryder is pure shredding genius.
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Comments

Cassidy
April 26, 1977
Capitol Theater

Wharf Rat
April 25, 1977
Capitol Theater

Hey I just listened to this suite again and think the WR>Jam idea might be wrongly labeled. At 10:48 or so Jerry changes key back into Playin' and the band follows immediately. Their meter changes too and it sounds more like 10/4 (Playin') than 6/8 (WR) to my ears. This doesn't change a damned thing or detract from what's been said, but I think this is a Playin'>WR>Playin'>Meltdown>Playin' suite. Thoughts?
Wharf Rat
April 25, 1977
Capitol Theater

Gets my vote for best of the year, but I also think it hard to say just where comes back into the Playin' space during the deep jam... They're so far out of the WR structure and into the wild outer spheres before coming back into the recognisable reprise. Not too often that Wharf Rat dips into Dark Star territory, but this is something special.
Playin' In The Band
April 25, 1977
Capitol Theater

Brings the expansive length and transitive madness of the most epic pre-hiatus versions if you take it as part of the whole suite. I don't say 'under-rated' often, but it fits here.
Deep Elem Blues
May 7, 1981
Tomorrow Coast To Coast with Tom Synder

Here it is with great video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chADQBmosEQ. It's quite cool to see this era with a decent/professional camerawork: Nice in-focus closeups of the band, Jerry singing beautifully and his fretwork. A beaut of a version any way you look at it.
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