headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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grendel

Books and Music

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Submissions

49
Jack Straw
Oct. 29, 1977
Evans Field House, Northern Illinois University

There are longer versions, but none has a better bridge jam than this one. My favorite version ever--must listen!
88
China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
Feb. 24, 1974
Winterland Arena

Hard-charging drumming from Billy leads the way. Best MLB jam in this pairing I've ever heard. Hard to believe it wasn't listed yet.
37
Cassidy
Oct. 12, 1983
Madison Square Garden

Intense build-up jam, perfect touch-down. Weir absolutely nails it. My favorite version all-time
21
Shakedown Street
Jan. 10, 1979
Nassau Coliseum

Laser-focused, perfect rendition, start to finish. Super-funky with awesome Jerry fuzz-guitar, rock-blues jamming post-vocals
12
Candyman
March 24, 1988
Omni Coliseum

Lucky enough to be at this show. Candyman blew everyone away--best song played that night. Awesome trippy guitar jam &Jer belts out vocals
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Comments

Bird Song
July 21, 1972
Paramount Northwest Theater

That should be WA. vibe, as in Seattle. Sweet version either way.
Loser
Feb. 26, 1973
Pershing Municipal Auditorium

I normally don't pay a lot of attention to the earlier versions of this tune because they lack the monster middle jams that would come in the mid 80s and culminate in the best ever version from 1990 at the Knick, but I should because the vocal delivery on ones like this are so good that it offers a different kind of experience and a very satisfying one. This whole DP is one of the top 10 in the entire series including Dave's) and I've overlooked this version of Loser unfairly until now. Thanks for bringing it to light.
Scarlet Begonias -> Fire On The Mountain
Sept. 20, 1982
Madison Square Garden

Indeed the matrix is the best source for this great version with lengthy mellow transition jam and sweet Fire entry. Jer does his all too frequent lost in translation with the first verse thing but almost seems to be laughing about it, then gets down to the business of ripping the roof off. From a show that would get a ton more attention if it had a killer SBD but this Seamons hybrid is fantastic in its own right.
China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
April 9, 1983
Hampton Coliseum

To each his own, of course but to be clear, I'm not reviewing the whole show at all. There are always flaws in '83 shows, even the best of them, but I'm only raving here about the China>Rider, which I think is far better than just OK. I can't seem to find a better one in this year and the 80s weren't always kind to this combo anyway so this one is a standout that I think you're giving a bit short shrift due to the rest of the show being pretty sloppy. This is a hard kicking nailed t down version & Jerry's clearly into it as you can hear in his northboind train moment. You may be be right that this show as a whole is overrated but this combo is just the opposite.
China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
April 9, 1983
Hampton Coliseum

You're all gonna hate me commenting over and over on this version until it gets at least out of the 3-vote zone it's in now. You've been warned. Just freaking listen already.
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