From cdirksen@earthlink.net Sat Sep 12 23:35:41 1998
Date: Thu, 16 Jul 1998 10:35:12 -0700 (PDT)
From: Charles Dirksen 
To: dan@netspace.org
Subject: 12/2/97 corrected review for the hpb

12/2/97  Spectrum, Phili, PA

Mike's opens the second set.  Opening is standard, and it isn't slower
than usual (unlike 11/22 Hampton).  Tramps segment kicks in more/less
on-time at 2:41.  Good groove.. Trey lets loose some spacey digital
delay stuff in the background.  He eventually comes in soloing darkly
and maliciously low on his 'doc.. but he isn't off-key and annoying.
He's somewhat melodious.  Very *evil* *badass* groove, in my opinion
(4:46). Around 5 mins Trey repeats a riff or two and gets more
active.. Mike, Fish and Page jam along in the background in a rather
straightforward Mike's Song fashion.  At 5:47 the jam picks up in
intensity thanks primarily to Fish, imo, who begins POUNDING out the
groove.  Trey moves up an octave or two, and continues to solo in a
melodious, but ominous, manner... A unusually intense Mike's Song,
even if it isn't as enchanting as, say, that jam in 12/30/93.  Trey's
soloing gets increasingly schizophrenic after 7 mins, though, and the
band follows suit -- really ripping, but only in a "what you'd
basically expect from Mike's Song in this day and age" manner.

At 7:56 Trey starts jamming in a Funkier Than Thou manner, and Fish
exercises his ride (did I say that I wished he used the ride more
often??).  Mike and Page plaintively accompany.  Fish gets
increasingly more active, adding great fills in the spaces between
Trey's rhythmically complimentary chords.  Quite Groovy.. (9mins) Fish
is EXCELLENT in here -- he's a lot more active than he usually is in
Mike's Song!  Trey gets a bit weird and repetitive around 10 mins.. I
sense a crescendo.. tension/release build.  Not really.  Oh well.  At
10:39  Trey jumps up an octave and starts jamming with more intensity
(is he listening to Fish RAGE IN HERE!?!?!?).  Back to the funky
grooving.. no real lead from anyone...  jam quiets down significantly
at 11:15 or so, for no apparent reason, and gets a bit spacey.

At 11:36 Fish is just playing away quietly.  The crowd gets excited 
about something (not sure what).  Trey begins soloing around 11:56 
again, in the lower octaves... It's dark again (I hear some digital 
delay loop stuff wafting through the background).  Mike is very 
mellow, as is Page (who is accompanying delicately on the piano). Trey 
finds a theme more/less by 12:40 and starts rolling with it, moving up 
an octave.. Sounds like he's paying more attention to the spaces 
between the notes.  I'd almost call this soloing "soulful." :) Fish is 
still accompanying extraordinarily well.. he's really HOT in here, 
folks. I've heard a lot of Mike's and it is DAMN RARE that Fish is 
THIS ACTIVE in Mike's or Tweezer or YEM.. this is just nuts.  He's all 
over the place. (and don't tell me that Bob Gulloti sat in at this 
show.. ;-).

Trey's still noodling around (14:37) but he doesn't appear to paying
much attention to the spaces between the notes anymore.. Kinda
aimless.  Page and Mike are accompanying well given what's going on
(Page is still on piano).  Around 15:15 given Fish's brilliance, the
jam becomes unusually jazzy for Phish.. Trey takes off soloing around
15:50 with more passion, too.  I think Fish has got to him!  God DAMN
is Fish hot in the version!!!!!  He just DRIVES this version!!
(15:30)  Trey is still tooling around, but it works quite well given
Fish's masterful playing -- Fish is arguably leading this baby!!!
Mike and Page and hanging in there, too, ripping it up now (17
mins)!!!  The jam gets especially hot around 18 mins!!  They are all
just tearing it up, even if there's no clear melody.. still RAWWWWKS!!
Excellent jamming from everyone in here.. damn!! FISH IS JUST
CRAZY!!!!!!  Trey nails a note high on his 'doc at 19:50 or so and the
crowd goes wild!!

At 20:07 Trey nails the Note that ordinarily starts Simple or the
post-tramps segment.. (that's right, there weren't any Mike's Song
closing chords at all anywhere) What a powerful Fish-driven Mike's
Song!! =^]  Doesn't do IT for me like the versions I've given an "A",
too, but I'd have to be bitch-slapped to death were I not to give this
version a must-hear A- rating.. but it is only getting that high a
rating because of FISHMAN (otherwise I'd give it a B+). (check out
this set!)

They march into Simple, which is not only a tad slower than usual, but
is an octave lower than usual.  I don't think I've ever heard it in
this key.  Sounds weird. Maybe I'm going deaf.  Anyway, I don't have
time to review Simple (the jam of which isn't very good in my
opinion.. kinda falls to pieces in places.. it is, uh, very
improvisational and uh, experimental), Dog Faced Boy and YaMar, which
precede Weekapaug in this strong set of Phish.  The Dog Faced Boy is
an unusually upbeat version and is definitely must-hear... if you
never liked DFB before, definitely check this version out because you
will probably like it (I like this upbeat version a lot more than the
typical DFB.. it's beautiful..).

YaMar is incredible.. highly improvisational.  It contains a jam that
just RAAAAGES and which hasn't ever been performed before.  Trey also
teases Crosseyed and Painless in it several times, too.  This is an
insane version of YaMar that you simply MUST HEAR!!!  It is easily the
most raging version of YaMar I've heard them play.  I love the jam in
this version!!  The jam at one point almost reminds me of "Jessica" by
the Allman Brothers (that's right.. this YaMar is HOOOOT!!!!).

Weekapaug ->segues mightily out of one of the most incredible versions
of YaMar ever performed.  Just spectacular improvisation that WORKS,
in my opinion (unlike the Simple jam earlier in the set).  Timing
starts from where Trey started playing Weekapaug out of the dramatic
jam outta Yamar.  Kinda punchy rhythm to this version as a result.
The opening lyrics don't start up for about 1:15.. but slower than
usual given the punchy rhythm.  Fish begins picking up the beat,
though.  Jam segment at 2 mins.  Trey immediately starts repetitively
chording, signalling Da Funk.  Page starts tooling around on the
clavinet! =^]  Mike is very prominent in the mix and snapping the
'paug notes wickedly!! =^]  Trey chords repetitively for this opening
minute while Page has his way with the clavinet... good stuff!!
This jam starts to repeat itself, though.. Trey is still just chording
about.  Mike and Page are doing all the work (4:29).  Mike's HOT,
though.. =^]  This jam really RIPS... but doesn't explore any
especially enchanting or melodious territory (5:50).

At 5:56 the jam changes shape, as if to signal a transformation into
Weekapaug.  YES!!!!  Fish picks up the beat a bit, and all of them
start tearing it up!! =^]  Trey starts soloing melodiously after a few
measures of funky repetitive stuff, and ahhhhhhhhhhhhh (7:41).
Weekapaug it is! Again at 7:55 there's a *WHAM!* and they cook this
jam further... This Weekapaug almost has several different jam
segments.  At around 8:25 I thought Trey would solidly tease Izabella
(but he didn't.. came damn close to it though).  YEAH!!!  The jam
starts cooking around 8:52!!  And Fish starts picking up the beat in a
complimentary, RAGING manner!!!!  SWEEEET!!!!  =^] (9:16)  Everyone is
just HOSING THE AUDIENCE OFF at this point -- Trey is ripping out lick
after lick and Fish keeps picking up the beat!!!  THIS IS NUTS!! =^]

At 10 minutes, Fish has brought the rhythm more/less in line with
where Weekapaug should have been all along, and Trey starts soloing
meldiously again for a few measures overtop an INSPIRED, FIERY groove
from Mike, Fish and Page!!!  This is AWESOME!!!! =^]  =^]  =^]  TREY'S
SOLOING IN HERE IS MAGNIFICENT!!!!   This is *IT* folks!!  OUCH!! Trey
hits the WRONG NOTE at 11:49 but recovers quite well and then just
tears it up some more!!!  CHRIST!!!  FISH PICKS UP THE BEAT EVEN
MORE!!  AAAHAHHAHAAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! WTF!?!?!?  I give up.. this
is INSANE!!  At 12:41 instead of heading into the closing 'paug
chords, Trey starts jamming like he does in the "quiet" section ..
Page tools around on the MOOOOOG, too, for a measure or two.  Fish is
still cranking out a tight 'paug rhythm -- and then at 13:27 Trey
brings it home to WEEKAPAUG GROOOOOOOVE!!!! HALLELUJAH!!! HALLEJUAH!!!
HALLEJAH!!!  AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Trey starts playing the closing chords around 14:20 at a wicked fast
pace, and the closing lyrics come in to.. what a PACE!! =^]  Total
time for this Weekapaug is 15:11.

Easily one of the most incredible versions Phish has ever performed.
And if you disagree, meet me at a show so I can dismember you
limbxlimb, since you aren't worthy of the blessing of Life.

This is one of those sets of Phish from 1997 that you'd be A COMPLETE
JACKASS to avoid.  The DFBoy and the YaMar by themselves warrant
hearing this set at all costs if you consider yourself a serious
fanboy. My personal favorite versions of DFBoy and YaMar for damn
sure.. the jam out of YaMar has to be one of my personal favorite
improvisations from Phish!!  It is AWESOME!!!  And it segues -> into a
*SPECTACULAR* Weekapaug!!!

Easy "A" for this Mike's Song and Weekapaug combo.. this set is
must-hear.  Get it NOW!!!

two cents