headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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hremarkandrei

brent fanboy

+76


Submissions

1
The Other One
Dec. 28, 1983
Civic Auditorium

Equal parts journey and freakout

Comments

Estimated Prophet
April 13, 1983
Patrick Gymnasium, U of Vermont

Underrated version from an underrated show in an underrated year. While everyone always dogs on Brent's synth tone from this period, I rather like it and in this particular case the plucked-square "popcorn" sound he lays down toward the middle gives this Estimated a little extra bounce. The transition into a really speedy Eyes is interesting, almost like they throw the track in reverse for a second.
Playin' In The Band
Dec. 31, 1976
Cow Palace

I always keep this in my back pocket trying to evangelize on the merits of both this show in particular and '76 in general. Like a lot of '76, this offers a glimpse at an alternate history where instead of getting faster, tighter (for a time), and more streamlined, the band adapted to the Two Drummer Dilemma by taking the jazzier stuff into a slower, more deliberate, almost-frosty ECM kind of direction. The Main Ten section has a particularly haunting beauty especially following the slow-burning crescendo.
Eyes Of The World
Nov. 5, 1979
The Spectrum

This is a stunner. Jerry and Brent both trade some stunning noodles, while Bob and Phil are both keeping the thing together. I'm just recalling off-hand but I'm pretty sure this is the longest Eyes post-'74, and it's one of the best post-'74 as well.
Estimated Prophet
Nov. 5, 1979
The Spectrum

Wow, this one deserves more love. Following a similarly incredible eyes that are both dominated by Brent's soulful Rhodes playing. There's a little synth-bass shuffle at the end that is really special, too.
Franklin's Tower
Sept. 28, 1975
Lindley Meadows, Golden Gate Park

As you'd expect from the few '75 shows in general and this show in particular, this is quite a singular take on Franklin's. The song's been more joyously rendered elsewhere, but this version has a funky, slinky quality with a searing middle passage. I second the notion there should've been a solo at the end, though