headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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parrott56

millennial head

+5024


Submissions

1
Sugar Magnolia
July 21, 1974
Hollywood Bowl

Wildly exuberant both before and after "SSDD" vocals. And Billy is all over this great AUD.
2
Casey Jones
Nov. 23, 1973
County Coliseum

Swings and shimmies before busting out the heavy artillery.
2
Friend of the Devil
Oct. 25, 1989
Miami Arena

Played pretty fast (for the slow version) and heavy with MIDI and spirited playing. Not to everyone’s taste, perhaps, but I like it!
1
Ramble On Rose
Oct. 22, 1989
Charlotte Coliseum

Sparkling rendition. Fans of upbeat '89 versions like 7/7 should check this out.
1
Estimated Prophet
Aug. 4, 1982
Kiel Auditorium

Sharp, feisty version with Jerry and Brent setting up a beautiful, dreamy -> Terrapin

Comments

St. Stephen
March 20, 1977
Winterland Arena

“Some of the worst singing the Dead ever did”? You’ve got to be kidding me. There are some vocal performances from the ’60s and mid-’80s that would like to have a word with you. This is average singing from one of their better years vocally. Also, the noodling here is fairly substantive. All in all, an easy upvote, if not quite the absolute best post-hiatus version. (Check out 1/11/78!)
China Doll
Sept. 10, 1983
Downs of Santa Fe

I love the ’83-style pre-Drums China Dolls. Jerry and Phil bail on the jam pretty quickly, but then we get to enjoy some fine, harmonically adventurous Bobby, Brent, and Rhythm Devils jamming. Great stuff.
Bertha
May 13, 1977
Auditorium Theatre

Uptempo but not rushed, effervescent, and clean as a whistle. There are a ton of great May '77 Berthas, and this is one of them. Don't miss it.
Friend of the Devil
May 13, 1977
Auditorium Theatre

Keith’s smoooooth chromatic scale entry into his solo must be heard to be believed.
One More Saturday Night
May 13, 1977
Auditorium Theatre

Apparently the version on the box set is from 5/28/77, as the 5/13 tape was irreparably damaged. The Archive links are truly 5/13, though.