From XYNOPHOBE@aol.com Sat Sep 12 23:35:41 1998
Date: Sat, 18 Jul 1998 23:50:17 EDT
From: XYNOPHOBE@aol.com
To: dan@netspace.org
Subject: 4-4-94 Down with Disease

*Note:My timing begins with the Slap*

Pre-Slap: Sounds like some sort of metal grinding together; an overall hideous
sound, but that's what Pre-Slap is all about.  Slap at 0:00. Mike's sound is
quite a bit cleaner than you may be used to hearing of late, as the slap has
recently taken on that "liquid" effect.  Vocals at 0:22.  Mike is VERY
prominent leading up to the first "Stop" at 1:15.  Trey's solo comes around at
2:16 and is your typical Disease solo.  Second "Stop" is at 2:37, which leads
to ECSTASY (can you think of a better description for this lick?) at 3:00.

Trey takes a variation of the ECSTASY lick down an octave at 3:30.  3:36 and
3:45 see Trey toying with some neat sounding syncopated riffs.  One of the few
times I can actually hear Page during this jam is at 4:03 when it sounds like
Trey mimics one of Page's fills. Perhaps it is the other way around, but I
can't be sure.  Trey takes his inspired noodling to the higher regions of the
'doc around 4:17.  At 4:28 Trey gets himself into a beautiful bend which leads
to a very nice trill. It is right around this time that I have trouble
continuing this review, as I have the urge to DANCE!!!!!

Mike has been thumping along all this time with a phat bassline, and becomes
very prominent at 4:47 with some sick bass licks.  Trey and Mike really hook
up at 4:53 for some awe-inspiring jamming.  At 5:06 Trey is soloing mightily,
coming up with beautiful licks left and right.  He then noodles on a high,
repeated figure at 5:23. Goosebumps begin to set in at 5:37 as Trey climbing
the frets for a glorious couple of bends at 5:41.  If you aren't smiling at
this point, you may as well press stop and kick yourself repeatedly.  

Page lays on the sustain at 5:56 as Trey briefly chords, before beginning
another fret climb at 6:00.  Trey is hitting some fast licks at 6:10 before
more superlative bending at 6:14.  He then tries a couple of neat repeated
licks, the first at 6:21 and the second at 6:27.  Mike once again becomes the
center of attention at 6:33 with some wildly wicked bass attacks.  ECSTASY
once again rears its lovely head at 6:39 and Mike once again gets sick at
6:43.  After a couple of "Nah-Nah's" the ending vocals come in at 7:04 and
this inaugural Disease slides a bit clumsily into If I Could at 7:34.

Although this may seem like a Trey review, it should be pointed out that I
really have trouble hearing Page through most of this jam, and Mike is
phenomenal throughout.  Fish didn't screw up, so I'll leave him alone.
Overall, I would give this first version an 8.0.  This may seem a bit high,
especially in light of what Disease has become in the last couple of tours,
but as a first go-round, Phish really couldn't have hoped for much better.
This jam is incredibly melodic throughout, and leaves me smiling from the
opening ECSTASY lick.  Even from the first version of this song, the enormous
potential is apparent.  Basically, this version is graded against itself, and
not against any other version.

jason