Finally, here it is, sorry for the delay! cant say enough about this show, but i will save my opinion for later. i hope there are pholks out there who havnt heard this one or need a better listen, cuz this show is a monster! this was my 1st crosseyed, and it was nasty!
heres set one, set 2 will be ready soon.
http://www.sendspace.com/file/kg78nb
and the shows on etree as well...
http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=27875&uploaded=1
http://bt.etree.org/download.php/27875/ph1997-08-13.shn.torrent
http://db.etree.org/shninfo_detail.php?shnid=684
enjoy!!!
Nice choice, another anniversary show and a killer summer 97, I'll have to weigh in on this one!
summer 97 continues to dominate!
this show is smokin.
i got it originally because along with the long gumbo and crosseyed it has their only performance of Amoreena, one of the few elton john songs i really love. (for nice use of amoreena, see the brilliant pacino movie Dog Day Afternoon).
nice choice! :beers:
ok, heres set II
http://www.sendspace.com/file/x5n3ys
this stash is HOT too! THis gumbo is summer 97 at its best, great work from page throughout, this one has the funk/space/epic ending that makes this tour so special. i saw all the east coast shows and deer creek and this show may have been my favorite. i traded headies for a killer seat and left all my boyz on the lawn for this one and met one of those tour mammas that dreams were made of! I "lost my shit" for crosseyed, what a rager! Jim, Ghost>Izabella are other highlights for me, along with my 2nd McGrupp, and an above average Theme encore.
Glad you guys like the pic!
hands down, one of the best ghosts ever........ends a little abruptly for me - but the texture they create during the HARD section of the groove gives me chills thinking about it!!!
great show.
ahhhh...starlake.
i was trippin pretty hard at about 5PM in the lot, trying to get some things together before i walked in...
anyway...
Amoreena- i had no idea what this was, and that wasnt helping things.cool pick, though, and well played.
Heart-Stash-after the first two tunes, we finally get some meat.the composed part of stash is alittle sloppy in parts, but the jam rips!it takes a little time to get to where it wants to go and goes back to the jam like a mofo!they really nail it.
H20Sky-Gumbo-this was my only show aside from the went this summer, and was anticipating hearing some of the newer tunes live.still like the old h20sky.and this gumbo,indeed, is a ripper.super funky, with that unmistakeable summer 97 funk.
pretty long, too.
Horse-Silent-Beauty-3 "so-so" tunes in a row.i like silent, but the flow of this set is really non-existent.
Crosseyed-was pumped for this!jam was cool...nothing too nuts, but had a nice groove.
Wilson-Adeline-yep
Jim-the extra "whoa!" is funny.nice jam
Ghost-this is the one i really wanted to hear.it is pretty funky, but nothing too crazy.it does its job.awkward segue>
Izabella-has Trey ever even come close to getting the lyrics right?
Monkey-McGrupp-Sample-this is where the show really lost me.3 of my least fav tunes ina row.bummer.
2001-was really nice, especially the second part.mike wa really laying it down, but i hated the placement of this one.it seemed like they were trying to bring the set up.
Golgi-Frank-yep
Theme-i like theme and this version was well played.
i never was a fan of this show as a whole.'has its moments,but is too clunky in the set structure dept for me.
it has become one of those overrated underrated shows, imo.
C+.
nothing against you whatapiper, i know alot of people like this one...
it se
Set I:
Amoreena - great unexpected opener
Stash - solid version
Gumbo - highlight of the show for me. Cactus owns!!! :banana:
Crosseyed & Painless> - great version!
Wilson>LDB - nice touch with the little drummer boy tease at the end.
Set II:
Runaway Jim - short and sweet
Ghost - good version
McGrupp - always welcome
2001 - nice version
Good show. I enjoyed the 1st set more than the second. I give it a 3.8 out of 5 for this tour
Set I
Amoreena->Water: The opening half hour didn't really grab me. I appreciate that an Amoreena is unique. But, for me, that's about it. Really enjoyed of the mellow segments in the Stash jam. Overall potency, though, was fairly modest. Again, just imo. Not much flow to this set so far.
Gumbo: Slow-funk monster. Apparently this teases Franklin's. I must have zoned out and missed it. Slow funk phish does that to me. :-( I'll give another listen. Really liked a few moments of this, but not the highlight for me that it is for others, from the sound of it.
Horse>Silent,Beauty:
C&P: YES! :-D Something for me to sink my teeth into. Maybe played a touch slow for a C&P (for me) -- but solid version.
Wilson>LDB: nice. Adeline: Adeline.
Set II
Jim: Enjoyed the runaway chorus!
Ghost>Izabella: Nice. Izabella was a bit loose compared to Fall 97s I've heard
sleeping: Like strange design. I kind of enjoy these as 2nd set breather tunes when I'm completely out of my gourd. Not really the case here.
McGrupp I enjoy this one. Pretty solid version.
Sample textbook. but placement :?
2001 nice & tight. Really liked this one. Set highlight for me. I mean it.
Golgi,Frank: I'll take it over a char 0 any day.
theme: solid.
Never got the sense that there was any unifying theme or concept to this show. Someone once said that history is just one damned thing after another :-D And that's my sense of the show. Not a bad thing, necessarily. But in this case there were a few too many lulls (for me) to rate this as an average (read: typically great) show. It's cool that phish had such a multi-dimensional career. It makes for a big tent for us fans - there's room for lots of tastes. This show just wasn't really in line with mine. c+
I think this is the first show of the week that I attended... :banana:
Pre-listen, I don't remember this show so much, and it doesn't sitck out in my head. Although, when someone mentioned the extra whoa! in Runaway Jim, I'm thinking I remember that. I did listen to this show a few times (I rmemeber having the tape). So here goes...
Amoreena - Funny, I saw both Amoreenas ever played (I think there was only 2). Here and NYE2K I think. This song grew on me, and I like how Page sings it. This version is great... I like it
Poor Fart - eh
Stizash - I got lost in the jam and liked that... This stash is really good. Really high highs. Pretty raging, and great back into the ending section.
Water - eh. for some reason, it's nice to hear the old arrangement every now and again. But not a lot. I was really sick of it on tour in 97.
Gumbo - The EXACT tone I want my guitar to have. I think that's the 2 tube screamers and the sustainer. I've got the sustainer and a TS-5 that I might mod. But I've heard the 808 and that's what I really want. A TS-9 and a TS-808. I think Trey had a TS-9 and a TS-10 maybe? Can't remember, but this is THE SOUND. Great funk, definitely a great jam, and I love how it gets super-funky around 8:50. That's what I live for! This is top notch.
Horse-Silent - Cool
BOMD - Not a favorite... But fine.
Xeyed - A favorite for sure. The beginning part didn't feature Fish as hyped up as I have heard him in other versions. Chills out around 9m, and I'm hoping for some serious funk, but it doesn't come through... Good though. And I loved the very end although I wish it went on longer.
Wilson - It got there in a cool way out of xeyed. Twas warranted and I liked the Little Drummer Boy which I always welcome.
Adeline - I really liked this version for some reason.
Set II tomorrow.
Jephrey
Quote from: jephrey on August 08, 2006, 02:44:02 PM
Amoreena - Funny, I saw both Amoreenas ever played (I think there was only 2). Here and NYE2K I think. This song grew on me, and I like how Page sings it. This version is great... I like it
you might be thinking of corrine,corrina...
amoreena was only once!
a
Quote from: whatapiper on August 07, 2006, 04:28:17 PM
ok, heres set II
http://www.sendspace.com/file/x5n3ys
this stash is HOT too! THis gumbo is summer 97 at its best, great work from page throughout, this one has the funk/space/epic ending that makes this tour so special. i saw all the east coast shows and deer creek and this show may have been my favorite. i traded headies for a killer seat and left all my boyz on the lawn for this one and met one of those tour mammas that dreams were made of!
mmmmm...... tour mammas...
I was at this show as well...
I remember the Amoreena, the Gumbo, the C & P, and McGrupp. I don't remember anything else in the show, and I'm having a hard time even recalling the venue (let alone the lot). Sad, really, given they are no longer together. Also sad because I know I did nothing over the top at this show. That was Darien. And the second night of Deer Creek.
I do remember that when I moved to my preferred spot...at the base of the lawn almost on the concrete seperating it from the shed...the sightline to the stage was poor. I tried three different locations and they were all disappointing.
I'll spin this show at home tonight and take a trip down memory lane...I think :?
Review forthcoming...
i love starlake! great venue... great shows..... and yeah, the bottom of the lawn right around the path is hard to see, but the rest of the venue is great...
parking lot/cops suck though
True.aug
i hadn't listened to this show for awhile before today.
and it is a weird one, huh? peculiar setlist and flow, as already mentioned.
yet i like it quite a bit.
despite the odd song choices and placement, the show as a whole works for me.
not one of the best ever or anything, but i like that it's different and still effective.
Amoreena-- great song! too bad no one here knows/likes it! they really do a great job on it, too. wish they'd kept this one around. seriously, check out Dog Day Afternoon, great movie that opens with this song. you might end up digging it more...
Stash-- rages with all the funky glory of summer '97.
Water-- i like the old version. the new version too, at times.
Gumbo-- nice long groove. doesn't quite go anywhere the way the best gumbos do, but it's still a nice little trip
Horse/Silent-- i like these here.
Crosseyed-- kickass funkified version.
etc.
Jim is okay.
Ghost-- kind of like gumbo in that i like it while it's happening, but it doesn't really go anywhere.
Izabella-- segue has a moment of shakiness, but then it turns into a solid version.
Monkey/McGrupp-- i happen to like both of these songs, and they both sound good here.
Sample-- weird spot, yet it comes out of McGrupp really nicely, and goes smoothly into:
2001-- excellent version.
Golgi/Frank-- upbeat ending. normally i'd like a big fat monsterous set ender. still, for this weird show it seemed appropriate.
Theme-- i love this as an encore. the encore version from 9.12.99 is one of my favorite versions. this one is really good, too.
so yeah. there aren't any absolute must-hears in here (aside from the novelty of amoreena), yet overall i enjoyed this show a lot. go figure.
Alright, I'm back to set the record straight y'all.
My Schoeps CMXY-4V source sounds a bit muffly, nothing my EQ couldn't take care of on the big system in the basement, but it sounds like dook on the boombox for the relisten as I type, oh well, beggars can't be choosers.
Amoreena: This is pretty cool, Page does a really good job on the vocals. Actually a one timer in the opening slot and they do a good job of playing and singing it is a major kickdown IMO.
Poor Heart: I'll say this, if Phish is gonna play bluegrass I'd definitely rather hear their originals like this or MSO.
Stash: The real start of the show, this is without a doubt an above average Stash. I like the way it avoids the usual dissonance jam and stays mellow for most of the jam. The laid back quality to it is very atypical for the tune. Susep has me thinking about jazz, I have to say there is a more prominent jazziness to this version than most, mostly because it avoids rocknroll over the top shredding by Trey for the most part. I really dug this one, listened to it a few times today actually.
Water in the Sky: It's cool, I like the new flowy version better, this one seems like a bit of a novelty with it's blantant "steeped in old timiness" sound. It's still early enough in the first set for this to work well though, IMO.
Gumbo: Maybe not the best version of the song, but definitely in the top ten, maybe even top five. Big fan of this song, btw. I thought it really complimented the Stash well, as both jams were prominently mellow, but came with an icing of funk. Actually at points both of these reminded me of Manteca, going back to the whole jazz thing again. The groove was fat, but on the d/l still, I like how Page tried out a lot of different sounds during the jam. Not all of them worked, but it was cool to hear him explore a bit. The jam at around the ten minute mark was particularly schmoov, and the ending was an absolutely gorgeous kind of "proto-ambient" jam, that kind of melted into:
Horse>Silent: I love these tunes, and welcome them anywhere in a set, although they are best as closers. I guess what I'm trying to say is they may have disrupted the flow of the set for others, but I thought they were a great choice because I'm me.
Beauty: :banana:
Crosseyed: First off I don't know what was up with Trey between versus, it was like he deliberately wouldn't play the fast riff normally, but whatever. Once the jam got going it picked right up where Gumbo left off and kept things light and floaty. Nice version, but really I never met a C&P that wasn't off the charts, this felt a bit unique in matching up with the mellow tone of the set. Trey sounded like he was gonna go into Cavern for a second, but then:
Wilson>Drummer Boy: Just to make sure nobody fell asleep out there, and remind them this is a rocknroll show, love the drummer boy ending.
Actually I'm gonna have to totally disagree with everyone and say that there is a great flow here, with an especially coherent theme of mellow funk running through the three "big" songs of the set, and that they enhance each other through the summation of their parts. Really if the theme here is easygoing groove, then even the "throw away" songs of Beauty, Water, and Horse>Silent work toward the overall vibe masterfully. Sure the set may have been better if had just been Stash>Gumbo>Crosseyed in the middle, but I'm still gonna give it an A.
Just finished listening, so i'll take a stab.
I enjoyed this show, but then, i rarely don't!
Amoreena - Throw away song. Like a fair number of one timers.
Poor Heart - adequate
Stash - Now we're talking! I got lost during this one.
Water in the Sky - Good song, it's one of those that would be just fine as a studio album only song, but it's not awful.
Gumbo - Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, Gumbo!
The Horse->Silent in the Morning - Probably one of my all time favorite's. This is a good one, even thought it doesn't deviate much, if at all.
Beauty of My Dreams - Good tune, but probably fits into the song list of lesser bar bands better than Phish.
Crosseyed and Painless – OH YEAH! Always love this one, i think it's their best TH cover.
Wilson-> Just good ol' King Wilson, doin' his thing.
Little Drummer Boy - Little Jonny Fishman doin' HIS thing.
Sweet Adeline - I'd love it better if i could hear it.
Set 2
Runaway Jim - Great way to start a set.
Ghost-> A good ghost (which are many) always makes for a great set.
Izabella - Never been a fan of this tune, Jimi's or Phish's
Sleeping Monkey - I love the goofy stuff, so this is a fav.
McGrupp and the Watchful Hosemasters - decent.
Sample in a Jar - Good, but felt out of place.
2001 - Always a favorite.
Golgi Apparatus - I think this was the stand out song from this show for me.
Frankenstein - typical.
Encore: Theme From the Bottom - typical.
Overall, strong B+
jonyem
how can you call amoreena a throw away, and then 2 lines later give props to water in the sky?
yet another example of differing opinions... i love elton john, and this amoreena rules...
Just my opinion.
Amoreena just does nothing for me. Regardless of my dislike of Elton.
Water in the Sky is a good song, but it's out of place in the live setting. That's what i should have said. And it's probably no surprise that I'm also a Velvet Sea fan. (But again, not so much in the live setting).
Yep, differing opinions, that's what being a music fan is all about.
i'm a velvet sea fan also, but would consider water a "throw away" during almost any set... except for any raleigh, nc show where is rains ;)
^^ and ^^^
Ha! You both are crazier than rats in tin shithouses. :-D
Water In The Sky is good stuff both on the album and in a live setting. Lots of Page throughout (his intro to every version is a bright spot at any show), and Trey usually takes a pretty good solo (7/10/99 comes to mind..see the recent topic on that show).
Ah, to each his or her own! :wink:
I am going to get around and contribute a review at some point..instead of just my mindless dribble up to this stage. Promise.
Quote from: gainesvillegreen on August 09, 2006, 04:20:59 PM
Ha! You both are crazier than rats in tin shithouses. :-D
I'm giving you a karma point for that one :wink:
I guess my thing about Water in the Sky is that it can (not always) drag a set's momentum down. But, I still dig it.
Jim - I liked it. Pretty striaght forward, nice and jammy.
Ghost - I've been inactively searching for my favorite Ghost. This one has the possibility, but it doesn't have the length, or the amount of changes that my favorite would have. It did have a VERY sick jam though. Awesome. >
Izabella - Always liked this cover with correct or incorrect lyrics. It's a rocker that rocks. This set is shaping up nice.
Sleeping Monkey - A reasonable place to slow it down, but an unusual placement for this tune... I guess I'll have to wait a couple songs to see if it actually works well here. It's all about context.
Mcgrupp - With this up, I like the Monkey placement. I'm actually diggin' the phlow. This McGrupp is very mellow in an "out in a field in gamehenge" sort of way with some really cool piano IMO. This is a really sweet Mcgrupp. Maybe a favorite version.
Sample - It was one of the first songs I learned to play on guitar so I like it. But then, it seems to "basic" at times. However, I'm ok with it here. Good time for a mainstream crowd pleaser and a cigarette.
2001 - Is it? Is it? YES!!! A GREAT segue into this. It could have easily gone into What's The Use which would have been cool, but 2001 is more than welcome here. AWESOME version. Nice and long and groovy.
Golgi - Cool. Nothing grand.
Frankenstein - boss came by during the beginning of this but it didn't phase me. I'm still rockin' out. Standard, but I like the tune. And it was played well. I'm down with this ending.
Theme - Diggin' the placement of this as an encore. Nice.
I really liked the second set. Flow and all. Some stuff I really liked in there. First set, IMO, wasn't as good, but still good. Using previous shows of the week, this is among my favorites. 4.3/5.0 A/A-
Jephrey
this is gonna be one of the first shows of the week to be up and down.
all the others have a general consensus as to its like-ability...
i might like to see more of these kind of shows.
maybe not....
i am drunk.
a
Quote from: august on August 09, 2006, 04:56:30 PM
this is gonna be one of the first shows of the week to be up and down.
all the others have a general consensus as to its like-ability...
i might like to see more of these kind of shows.
maybe not....
i am drunk.
a
Drunk or not, i do like to see more debate.
Quote from: jephrey on August 09, 2006, 04:52:03 PM
2001 - Is it? Is it? YES!!! A GREAT segue into this. It could have easily gone into What's The Use which would have been cool, but 2001 is more than welcome here. AWESOME version. Nice and long and groovy.
whats the use wasnt around in 1997 :roll:
Quote from: jedifunk on August 09, 2006, 05:25:12 PM
Quote from: jephrey on August 09, 2006, 04:52:03 PM
2001 - Is it? Is it? YES!!! A GREAT segue into this. It could have easily gone into What's The Use which would have been cool, but 2001 is more than welcome here. AWESOME version. Nice and long and groovy.
whats the use wasnt around in 1997 :roll:
FIRST AMOREENA WAS PLAYED TWICE, NOW WHATS THE USE? IN 97...
MAN...JEFF.
:|
A
^ I know, but wouldn't it be great if it was? It just really sounded like it could have fell right into it. Maybe I should mix that up and see. Hmm, I'll send myself an email and put it in my ToDo list or Notes. Oh wait...
Jephrey
amoreena / corrina. They sound similar :wink:
And I wasn't saying it was a possiblity to go into WTU, I was just saying it had the sound that would have catered well to that if it was possible.
Go get me a juice box biatch!
Jephrey
you guys are way off base about jephrey's what's the use comment.
obviously he was pointing out how awesome it would have been if right there the entire band had traveled into the future, taken the whole crowd with them, busted out what's the use? and then returned to the past (present) to continue with golgi.
which move, you have to admit, would have totally kicked ass!
in other words, this set has an IMPLIED FUTURE TIME TRAVEL moment! how many other shows of the week have had that, i ask you?
Quote from: cactusfan on August 09, 2006, 05:55:55 PM
in other words, this set has an IMPLIED FUTURE TIME TRAVEL moment! how many other shows of the week have had that, i ask you?
See Gamehenge narration 12/31/95
Quote from: jonyem on August 09, 2006, 06:22:54 PM
Quote from: cactusfan on August 09, 2006, 05:55:55 PM
in other words, this set has an IMPLIED FUTURE TIME TRAVEL moment! how many other shows of the week have had that, i ask you?
See Gamehenge narration 12/31/95
Actually that's an Implied PAST Time Travel moment. Which was pretty effing cool...but nowhere near as cool as travelling into the future, playing a song, and then travelling back to the next song in the set.
I'm listening to the second set as we speak (first timer here woot!), and while I thought the first set was pretty hit and miss with no flow, the second set is loads better so far (it's no last week tho, that's for sho).
Quote from: fauxpaxfauxreal on August 09, 2006, 08:09:45 PM
Quote from: jonyem on August 09, 2006, 06:22:54 PM
Quote from: cactusfan on August 09, 2006, 05:55:55 PM
in other words, this set has an IMPLIED FUTURE TIME TRAVEL moment! how many other shows of the week have had that, i ask you?
See Gamehenge narration 12/31/95
Actually that's an Implied PAST Time Travel moment. Which was pretty effing cool...but nowhere near as cool as travelling into the future, playing a song, and then travelling back to the next song in the set.
I'm just saying, if they can make time, I'm sure it's no stretch to jump ahead in time, and jump back.
I'll say that I pretty much echo everything August said. Some good parts, but the show is CLUNKY AS HIZZELL.
The Gumbo is GREAT (but a little slow at parts), and the Stash is really really nice (even tho I'd say it's just a B+ or so stash...12/29/95 is what I consider a solid "A" stash).
The thing I like the most about the Stash, is the extremely laid back groove involved. It is a Stash very much in the style jammistically as the A'dam stash (before that stash gets CRIZZAZZY) and I love that it releases tension WITHOUT EVER BUILDING ANY UP (does anyone understand what I mean?). It sorta spaces around prettily and then all of a sudden BAM key change...tension release. Cool little stash groove.
I LOVE the ghost...which is better wholesale than last weeks ghost. Mike is just so damn active and on point, and I love the segue into Izabella.
After that the show really loses me.
I liked the 2001...but the Theme really really stunk in my opinion (and I'm a huge Theme fan).
C+, I think this makes a good show for beginners...but so far it might be my least favorite show in the show club.
Btw, last weeks show is my favorite summer '97 show...and received a solid "A-/A" in my book. MAN THAT SEGUE BACK INTO DWD OUT OF TWEEZER IS AMAZING!
finished set 1 earlier today. while it's fairly fresh in my mind:
amoreena-interesting choice. a bit "flat" when compared to the original. elton john did lots of great stuff before 74 - worth checking out. anyway, this ones OK
poor heart - good page solo
stash - another excellent stash - not a top 10 but gotta love it
water-ok
gumbo-first 5 minutes was a generic phunk jam, started to get going about 12 min with trey's solo. thought I heard a couple of chords that reminded me of cities right before the solo. anyway, I liked the last part of the jam, and the flight into 97 space
horse/silent-always love it
crosseyed-high point of the set. agree that the jam is "related" to gumbo
wilson-ldb - little drummer boy in august? that's phish :-)
adelide - ok, ready for set 2
Quoteobviously he was pointing out how awesome it would have been if right there the entire band had traveled into the future, taken the whole crowd with them, busted out what's the use? and then returned to the past (present) to continue with golgi.
Actually, that's a good idea, but what I really grasp when I'm listening to a show is that time doesn't exist. I could be listening to somethnig from 89 and be like, that could go into Crowd Control right there. My comments are theoretical.
As far as this one, I wonder if anyone else hears it, and it's before 2001. Sample is fading out and 2001 is about to start with that droning bass sound, and it sounds like a good spot for WTU. Can anyone else hear it or am I fuk'd?
Jephrey
before I start the set 2 review, here's a link to a unreleased demo you might find interesting.
http://www.sendspace.com/file/g088b3
on to set 2
Jim - good version
Ghost - I really liked the way it ended up. Mike was goin nuts. beginning and middle of the jam were good but not great. Good seque into
Izabella - solid
Monkey - i got tired of this song for a while, but trey does a nice job with it
McGrupp, Sample - both solid. good page solo in mcgrupp, nice segue
2001 - this can be hit or miss with me, this one hits
golgi, frank - also solid
Theme- a big fan of this one, well done
overall good show but not one I would feel the need to listen to repeatedly, especially with all the monstors out there
B/B+
thanks, whatapiper :beers:
just listened to set I and loved stash, gumbo, and crosseyed. gumbo was especially tasty. thanks a good pick for show of the week :banana:
1st set
amoreena- great cover choice, great placement
stash- great version... the beginning of the jam is great, it really showcases them learning how to just fill in the spaces... less notes, but a better sound... page, mike, & trey are all adding simple notes and layers that really accentuate what the others are doing, which fish has the end held down... very nice... smooth return to the release with a brief tension section.
gumbo- typical summer funk, rough & accented... slow and mindful, again... filling spaces. i enjoy this jam even if its just funk. wish there were a bit more page around the 6-7 min mark... really like the page led jam at around 9 minutes... mike is just in it right here! eventually trey takes the reins, and slowly they climb, build, climb, higher ever so slowly, mellow funk... great for the summmer! around 16 min it calms and we've got some nice mellow grooviness... i wouldnt say this is the best gumbo or even my favorite, but its up there... i find it quite focused, they are listening to each other, complimenting... nice.
crosseyed- umm, yeah, i love crosseyed!
yeah, the setlist makes it look like its disjointed, but i thought the pace was ok... the "big 3" all had a similar feel to them which makes the set gel more for me, while i did enhoy horse->silent...
set 2 later
i'm through the gumbo.
so far:
Amoreena-- sweet. very nice. made me think of summer 98.
then i rEALLY LOVED this STASH!!
hot damn. maybe top 10 i've heard... just amzingly executed. there were a few spots i was sure it was going to fall apart, but it kept building and building, and morphing, and... uh yeah, i'm sorta glad i put this show in to listen to now! 8-)
water in the sky-- BLEHH. i esp. dislike the early versions... wow, if there is throw away mat'l in this set, this is it! :lol:
gumbo started out pretty good, then it lost me. average vesion i guess.
So, re-listening to the show, I had two other memories come back to me, but only two. So sad.
Amoreena: Enjoy it, and enjoyed it at the time. Doing tours, this is one of the things you look for from night to night - not only the legendary jams, but premiers, break-outs, and all around wacky-shit (like the Kesey gag the following night).
Poor Heart: Good version. I like when this comes early (1st/2nd song in the first set) as it has an etude-ish air about it - all get solos in to get their fingers loose and get rid of the jitters (although, I'm told, that the jitters only affected 3/4's of the band..up until the final day of Coventry :wink:)
Stash: Really good version. I don't have the marks written down, but they lock into a quintessential Stash, first beat heavy 4-8 bar phrase which I wish they would have developed, but alas it was not to be. I sit here with my head bowed in shame - I have no recollection of this song being played whatsoever.
Water In The Sky: I don't know what to tell you folks. I've never hated any version I've heard nor this one. Placement though, here, could be problematic. Cover, Bluegrass, Dank jam, Quasi-Bluegrass...are they trying to tell us something?
--One of the things about Water In The Sky, this version in particular, is the tempo at which it is played (does it seem slower than later years?). It is actually kind of difficult to play at this rhythm - on the border of fast and slow, and one has a tendency, as Page does here, to play on and accent every beat in the measure. I wish he would have employed his sense of space and "not played so many notes" and let beats go by him untouched. But that is nit-picky B.S. Bottom line, Water is always welcome when I'm in the lawn.
Gumbo: Song of the set for me. Reminiscent of the 11/17/97 Ghost in how it brightens up at the 12:00 -13:00 minute mark. Page sounds like he doesn't want to give in to Trey's two chord figure (a I-V interval I'm pretty sure in the beginning) but ultimately does and it really works. I liked the Gumbo funk of later years, but I also missed the Page acoustic outtro of yester year.
Horse/Silent: First flub of the night that I recall or remember hearing on this pass through - towards the end of Silent. Flubbed or not, what isn't to like?
Beauty Of My Dreams: Third Appalachian spiced song of the set. Yawn.
C&P: Not the biggest fan. I'll let the earlier reviewer's positions on the song stand as they are. I DO remember this being played though...
Wilson/Little Drummer Boy: Hearing this now, I remember it being played (this is one of the two). Sure, it works.
Adeline: I always thought it was cool when the did the acapella. No different here. Nice rendition.
i will have to re-listen, but for me, this gumbo sums up summer 97 to me. funky to start, gets heavy, cools down while trey decides to go for it or segue, a little spacey/unorganized, then picks back up when you may have given up and gives you the chills. i think around the 15min mark they really pick it up and reach a nice little climax where you can really hear the crowds approval. between the 8-10 min mark is excellent imo, page is getting comfy while trey lays the funk. then around the 11min-12min mark, mike is layin in hard, page has toned down, and the funk starts to build, then page again at 12:08! the funk keeps building with page in and out and trey starts soloing at the 13min mark. and this is when its starting to get heavy imo. 13:30-13:45. then at 14:25 its about to peak and at 14:45-15:30 it peaks, you can tell the crowd is pumped, then the jam slows down to a nice mellow groove at around 16:15, they should have segued there imo, but instead they let it die down for a couple mins and it almost sounds like they're in the middle of it's ice, right before they go into horse>silent.
anyway, i love this gumbo, i picked this show b/c i wanted those who havnt heard this gumbo to get a chance. the 1st set is up and down definately, but the stash, gumbo and crosseyed make up for it. i think the 2nd set flows well, with good song selection. i also picked this one b/c i was there and i figuered others here would be able to say the same. this was a great tour, with lots of great memories.
Aight, better late than never . . .
Set II: Runaway Jim: I don't usually dig it, of course there are a couple exceptions 11/29/97 and 12/31/95 being the most notable, this one was pretty standard.
Ghost: It was good, as all Ghosts are, this one continued the theme of mellow groove. Nothing really grabbed me until Trey started laying down those filthy loops at the end, and then it was over. Oh well, straight into:
Izabella: This ripped as virtually all versions of this tune do, always a treat to hear.
Sleeping Monkey: ugh, horrible placement IMO, this totally killed the flow of the set for me and I don't think it ever really recovered.
McGrupp: P-A-G-E!!!! I think that fact that this is a showcase for Page is a bit overlooked, and he absolutely shines on this one, almost had me thinking I was listening to one of Beethoven's piano sonatas for a second, he was that good on this one. Love the tune, and it did what it could to save the set but instead we got:
Sample: *Sigh, if only it had been McGrupp>2001, Sample I may have been able to rate this set higher. Another misplaced tune and at an even more crucial juncture than Monkey. At least the segue was smooth into:
2001: Typical summer 97 version, which means funktabulous! More solid work by Page, and Trey starts to heat it up at the end.
Golgi, Frankenstein: Two closers to try and make up for a somewhat disappointing set, no deal.
Theme: I love this in the encore slot, and I'd say this was an above average version, very nice!
Because of that I'll give the set a C+ instead of just a C, unlike the first set there was no unifying theme and the jam in Ghost was not good enough to be the set's lone jam vehicle especially when we're talking about 97 Phish. In the end set 2 coughed up two decent (but not great) jams in the Ghost and 2001, McGrupp and the encore and that was it.
I still love the first set, and will probably continue to just listen to that exclusively, so seeing as how we've got one great set here, I'll give the show a B for it's total grade, a straight average of the first set's A and last's C. Thank you and goodnight.