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some advice please?

Started by TheMaxilla, March 29, 2005, 08:53:31 PM

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Itsnotanexperience

the peak?  maybe.........I know a lot of people feel that way - it is an
unbelievable show........but to say it's their total peak - I certanly have
shows I prefer to the nye '95 show........to each his own...........i still think
11/12/94, or all of 11/94 does more for me than 12/31/95

rowjimmy

Those shows certainly may tickle your fancy more than 12/31/95 but the band continued building on the same ideas from 11/94 through 1995. Come 1996, we had an entirely different band.

jedifunk

i respectfully disagree there, rowjimmy.

i think the band was more the same in 96, but had the elements of change & progression.  obviously, i'm going to say that in 97 (not 96), we had an entirely different band.

i feel like the band was looking for a different direction in 96, and being who they were/are had no problems taking risks and trying new things.  i think thats what alot of 96 was about.  somethings worked rather well, others didnt.  it may have been the most inconsistent (and i use that term very loosely), hit or miss, period of time for the band.

i dont have enough 96 shows to cull from (hoping for a project 96 -hint, hint) to make any definitive statement at the moment, but from what i saw to what i've heard, i think the above is true.

all IMO
Much Respect
(the other resident mac guy) [macbook air]
"Good Funk, real funk is not played by four white guys from Vermont.. If anything, you could call what we're doing cow funk or something.."
- Trey Anastasio

rowjimmy

I find that that grasping for new directions of 1996 (ie: the acoustic ministage) is what marked them as a different group. Drowned > Lizards could not, would not have happened in 1996 the way it did on 12/31. not even close. They were looking towards roots and trying to develop new ways to compose (ie: The Blob) and only in February 1997 did they turn the corner to the next avenue of Phish music: cowfunk.

1996 was a phish year like no other save, perhaps, 2003. A year in which Phish tried to figure out who Phish is and should become. Clearly, they were more successful with the process in 1996 than in 2003.

rowjimmy

Oh, and I'll qualify my use of the word "peak" in reference to 12/31/95. It's the end of the era. Subjectively, a highwater mark though perhaps not the only one.

VA $l!m

not to dwell on semantics here, BUT...
-there is definitely a difference between 1. a 'peak' in regards to the idea of Phish's mastering of their  their playing and their artform in general. which is subjective yet arguable.
and 2. the idea of a peak in regards to the distinctly diverse styles they progressed through over the years. which to pick out one stylistic peak over the other is solely opinionated .  
overall i feel that the inherent nature of Phish ensured an everchanging and unpredictable nature we all enjoyed.
in other words i think 12-31-95 might be a peak of that year in phish , or better yet that style of phish.
to me 11-94 phish is a completely different beast altogether, thogh i understand what rowjim and everyone is discusing in a broader sense,,, and if there was one moment that should be seen as an undeniable shift in the stylistic approach of the band i would have to go with somepoint in 97(a specific date is very debatable).
-96 was the birth pains before the funk popped out.
...chicken or the egg?!?!?
-I'm still walkin', so i'm sure that I can dance-

Itsnotanexperience

man, not to be like this or anything, but i heard a lot in 2003 that i prefer over most
i heard in '96..............sloppiness not withstanding, the jams in '03 (could often be) far
better to these ears than just about anything i heard in '96 (save for 11/27/96 and 12/06/96).

Hicks

I only saw Phish 10 times, but I think that 11/30/96 was the best overall show that I saw.  Which just proves that even when the band was in a somewhat awkward transition phase they were still capable of an incredible show.  

Personally I'd think you have to say that Phish peaked twice, again indicating what an amazing band they were.  The first peak occurred at the end of 1995, call it 12/31/95 if you need to nail it down to a specific show, and the second time at the end of 1997, basically the whole run of shows from 11/21/97 through 12/13/97.  

Both time periods show an unmatched level of improvisation and just all around great showmanship from the band, and yet the styles and type of jams are entirely distinct when comparing the two.  To say one is better than the other is entirely a matter of personal preference, IMO.  

For me I enjoy listening to 93 (and 94 shows to a lesser extent) shows the most, something about hearing all the seeds of what was to come making their way to the surface is an incredible listening experience.  A good analogy would be the Beatles, sure Sgt. Pepper is their masterpiece, but all the elements are in place on Revolver and something about the freshness and raw quality of the songs make it that much more exciting.  It's like you are discovering this new kind of music along with the members of the band.  That ability to transport you to the moment of a musical epiphany (like 2/20/93) is one of the most deep and satisfying thing I take away from music.
Quote from: Trey Anastasio
But, I don't think our fans do happily lap it up, I think they go online and talk about how it was a bad show.

rowjimmy

Quote from: Itsnotanexperienceman, not to be like this or anything, but i heard a lot in 2003 that i prefer over most
i heard in '96..............sloppiness not withstanding, the jams in '03 (could often be) far
better to these ears than just about anything i heard in '96 (save for 11/27/96 and 12/06/96).

Yeah, I wasn't referring to the music itself so much as the effort and direction-seeking found in each year. The band discusses this at length on the IT dvd... Sort of a searching for what Phish can become next.

Itsnotanexperience