Phish 4.0

[VA $l!m]

Since discovering (a little late), all of the material from the shows played in Miami for the New Year's run this year, i have come to the conclusion that a new era of Phish has begun.

FOr me, and i don't hope in any way to convince others of this, Phish 3.0 started with the COmeback shows at Hampton in the SPring of 2009, and thankfully ended with the last show of FAll tour in charlottesville.

Now, that being said, i wouldnt trade anything for the awesome time i had at the REd rocks shows this summer, or especially the first shows back at Hampton. There is no way to replace the feeling we all had when the Curtain was lifted and the opening notes of FLuffhead were heard.

BUT. seeing Phish live for me has always been only one part of the experience. Honestly, it has always been the most important of the entire package for me, but listening to their live recordings definitely also holds a great importance at the same time.

This being said, i believe i can fit the moments of Phish "3.0" that i truely Love, or perhaps even just like, or can happily tolerate, or at least keep my interest, on one 80 minute disc.

NOw, after the Last 4 shows of the year, a wonderful thign has happened!
I actually listened to these shows, and wanted to instantly hear them again!
and i'm pretty damn sure that i'll be listening to them many more times in the future!
gone was the constant annoying felling that criticism was neccesary, and i could actually sit back and enjoy every moment of discovering new musical beauty!

without a doubt, the last threer shows of the year are my top three favorite shows of the year, and i PRAY, i Pray to god that this wasnt some sort of fluke, but instead the dawn of:
PHISH 4.0 FTW!!



-slim.

[McGrupp]

I'm hip to that.

[mistercharlie]

NOw, after the Last 4 shows of the year, a wonderful thign has happened!
I actually listened to these shows, and wanted to instantly hear them again!
and i'm pretty damn sure that i'll be listening to them many more times in the future!

Those shows were full of Kick-Ass!! 

[justjezmund]

I agree with that, summer cant come fast enough.

[mehead]

I agree with that, summer cant come fast enough.

[thatfargone]

They have shown improvement for sure over the past year but I feel a significant jump in performance and improvisation needs to be made to make any claims this band is that much better after only 50+ shows.  Give em another 100 and then maybe...

[PhishPhan]

Sweet blog, very sweet blog. I also took note of the bombness of the shows. I mentioned to my brother that these Miami shows were the first 3.0 shows that I listened to for the great tunes, and not just because they were current.

[VA $l!m]

They have shown improvement for sure over the past year but I feel a significant jump in performance and improvisation needs to be made to make any claims this band is that much better after only 50+ shows.  Give em another 100 and then maybe...

that much better in reference to what? 2.0? 1.0?

all i'm stating is that imo the Miami run of shows are a completely different breed than the rest of the year.
of course there was progression over the entire year. And to be fair maybe there are 2 80 minute discs worth of music i'd listen to again before miami.
BUt. when i listen to the Miami shows over the last week you could find me Dancing and singing around my house with my headphones on. constantly, smiling and Rawking out!
i can't say i've been able to do this previously with much of anything from 3.0.
Instead i've listened to shows once, mayube twice for the better ones, and most of the time you'd catch me with a serious look in my eyes, bracing myself for the inevitable cringe worthy moments.
Miami is a different beast imo, full of pure Buttah. the stuff that i know is IT. mad flow, no hesitation, and most importantly- no crap! and in fact i also believe that there is a good taste of the future in these shows. i've caught some great innovative gems in the direction that the boys took the songs and jams.

GGGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
::insert more Gumbo noises  of your choice here::

-slim 2010.

[mattstick]

There isn't anything happening in the Miami shows (bust outs aside) that didn't happen in the Fall Tour.

I still feel that Red Rocks & The Gorge were the most creative shows of the year, and the big "Rock Peak" jams in Miami are all very reminiscent of Fall Tour.

[Mr Minor]

There isn't anything happening in the Miami shows (bust outs aside) that didn't happen in the Fall Tour.

I still feel that Red Rocks & The Gorge were the most creative shows of the year, and the big "Rock Peak" jams in Miami are all very reminiscent of Fall Tour.

Agreed.  I didn't think the NYE shows were all that spectacular as a whole.  There were moments I really enjoyed, much as I did for Fall Tour.

But 4.0?  Maybe we should save that for the next hiatus.  They evolved in a way from the early '90s to the late '90s that took similar roads.  It wasn't the same, but the process has similarities.  The fall and NYE runs were just more steps in a positive direction.

But it's all 3.0 still.

[Buffalo Budd]

I'm gonna have to agree with Slim on this one.  They are the only shows I've kept (in their entirety) from 09 other than a few highlight songs from Summer and Fall tour.  I can see myself listening to these shows for years to come.

[thatfargone]

I just don't see Miami being all that spectacular.  Not to belittle your breakthrough Slim, but I just don't see any major improvement since Fall with these shows and Fall wasn't much better than the 2nd Leg of Summer.  Gorge1 is IMO at least as good as any Miami show.  Also, were any jams in 2009 really that much better than the Hampton DwD?  I don't think so. 

Miami was more of exactly what I felt they were bringing all year.  Forced segues, jams that collapse into ambiance, jams cut off, sparing use of type II jamming, and mostly straight rock.  A focus on songs not performance.  Miami if anything had less of these issues due simply to shows played and time on the road, not a significant change in anything.

This band will stay in "2 step forwards 2 steps" back pattern from here on out.  Fall did not live up to expectations that were made after Summer.  It didn't.  I am not a hater, but without consistent practice and rehearsals, each tour will start shakey and gain ground over the weeks, the longer the breaks between tours, the slower it will take them to get back to where they left off the prior tour.  Kids, family, other bands, age, other interests...these are all factors of 3.0 that were not all there in years prior.  I honestly feel after a hiatus, a break up and everything that has come to pass...3.0 is our final version of Phish.  I may entertain discussion of a 3.1 at some point...but we're knee deep in 3.0 at the moment if you ask me.

[susep]

But it's all 3.0 still.

I honestly feel after a hiatus, a break up and everything that has come to pass...3.0 is our final version of Phish.  I may entertain discussion of a 3.1 at some point...but we're knee deep in 3.0 at the moment if you ask me.

agreed, we'll be in 3.0 for quite some time.  A 3.1 might evolve but that's if the band takes their improv. to the next level on a more consistent basis. 

[Marmar]

lmao @ 4.0

MAYBE 3.01.....MAYBE

[phishbeatles]

I just don't see Miami being all that spectacular.  Not to belittle your breakthrough Slim, but I just don't see any major improvement since Fall with these shows and Fall wasn't much better than the 2nd Leg of Summer.  Gorge1 is IMO at least as good as any Miami show.  Also, were any jams in 2009 really that much better than the Hampton DwD?  I don't think so. 

Miami was more of exactly what I felt they were bringing all year.  Forced segues, jams that collapse into ambiance, jams cut off, sparing use of type II jamming, and mostly straight rock.  A focus on songs not performance.  Miami if anything had less of these issues due simply to shows played and time on the road, not a significant change in anything.

This band will stay in "2 step forwards 2 steps" back pattern from here on out.  Fall did not live up to expectations that were made after Summer.  It didn't.  I am not a hater, but without consistent practice and rehearsals, each tour will start shakey and gain ground over the weeks, the longer the breaks between tours, the slower it will take them to get back to where they left off the prior tour.  Kids, family, other bands, age, other interests...these are all factors of 3.0 that were not all there in years prior.  I honestly feel after a hiatus, a break up and everything that has come to pass...3.0 is our final version of Phish.  I may entertain discussion of a 3.1 at some point...but we're knee deep in 3.0 at the moment if you ask me.

I think this sums it up exactly how I feel. I know I will probably get flamed for this because people are usually on ck's nuts. But I honestly think part of the reason why the jams don't go anywhere is because of him. He doesn't give any sort of ambient type setting anymore with the lights that can even get the band into those dark spacey places. The second the band even remotely peeks he throws on the strobe lights (for lack of a better word as I am not sure what exactly it is, just it seems like a strobe). It almost feels like drive by music, like song, mini peak, strobe effect, end song.  Plus how many times can you throw on the flood lights in a show? I mean come on. I saw a handful of shows last year and I just felt that everytime the lights were so over the top, it almost made it cheesy.