headyversion

find the best versions of grateful dead songs

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quinn_76

thunder mtn

+1585


Submissions

1
Loser
Oct. 30, 1980
Radio City Music Hall

Best Loser you haven’t heard yet! Jerry takes the solo for an extra walk around the block! Required listening folks!
1
Candyman
March 7, 1981
Cole Field House

Jerry’s tone is just impeccable here! Moreover, Jerry adds a tad more umph to the soulful vocals. A standout of the era!
2
Big River
Oct. 21, 1973
Omaha Civic Auditorium

Blazing version, but I nominated it primarily for its placement within the context of the tasty Playin'->Half-Step->Big River->Playin' sandwich.
3
Deal
June 30, 1973
Universal Amphitheatre

Jerry's pipes never sounded sweeter, and Keith's barrel-house piano chops complements perfectly!
6
Deal
July 17, 1976
Orpheum Theatre

Deserves mention.
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Comments

Mississippi Halfstep Uptown Toodeloo
March 18, 1977
Winterland Arena

^Inspiration, move me brightly! Glad to learn of your heady experiences! What a time it must have been... Welcome aboard 'Fiftyyrhead', we're glad you're here.
Dancin' in the Streets
June 24, 1976
Tower Theatre

Extraordinary underrated funk-fest, folks! The boys really lock into an infectious groove that morphs into an array of descending chromatic scales. This one means business, and it beckons more love.
Mississippi Halfstep Uptown Toodeloo
Oct. 9, 1976
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Stadium

It doesn't go the distance of the beasts that were to come in '77 (hence the fewer votes), but it's a precise and compact reading that charms.
Truckin'
Sept. 21, 1972
The Spectrum

^ I think this version doesn’t have more votes b/c there are better versions of the era, as good as this one is. The fall of ’72 has some great ones (10/24 & 11/17 are prime examples), but February and March of ’73 simply takes this tune to new levels (see 2/28/73 and 3/24/73). 1974 brings us the beast of 5/19 of course, and the post-Truckin’ jam on 7/31 is epic. Can’t forget about the Phil-infused 6/26! 8/5 is a psychedelic-rock-jazz fusion masterpiece – and these are just a few highlights worth mentioning. Glad to see a fellow head who really loves this song, a song I think many seasoned heads begin to systematically neglect for some reason…
Mission in the Rain
June 18, 1976
Capitol Theatre

There’s a sonic upgrade to what’s currently available on the archive in Vol. 4 of the GD Download Series. It’s tough for me to make a sizable differentiation between the five performances of this sweet tune, but I’d probably give the nod to 6/29, since I frequent that show more than the other June dates that boast this song. This version is simply stunning though, with Jerry and Keith playing ping-ping with musical conversations during the guitar break (a precursor to some of the magic Jerry & Brent would channel in ’81-’82). All five of these versions deliver.
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