I: Golgi Apparatus, Chalk Dust Torture, The Squirming Coil, Buried Alive> Split Open and Melt, Bathtub Gin, The Landlady, Cavern, Tela, You Enjoy Myself
II: Possum, Guelah Papyrus, David Bowie, Jesus Just Left Chicago, My Sweet One, Bouncing Around the Room, Funky Bitch, I Didn’t Know, Frankenstein, Suzy Greenberg
E: Contact> Big Black Furry Creature from Mars
Notes: This show featured the Giant Country Horns on Buried Alive through Cavern, YEM, Bowie through Funky Bitch, and Frankenstein through BBFCFM.
The ending of the second set at Phish’s last visit to South Park Meadows in Austin, Texas.
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VIDEO OF THE WEEKEND:
“David Bowie” 3.24.92 – Richmond, VA
DOWNLOADS OF THE WEEKEND: A couple nuggets from the horns tour of Summer ’91. Below is a link to my all-SBD compilation from the same tour. 7.19.1991 Somerville Theatre, Somerville, MA < Megaupload I: Golgi Apparatus, The Landlady > Bouncing Around the Room, David Bowie, Fee > Cavern, The Squirming Coil, You Enjoy Myself, Gumbo, …
Another week in the books, and summer tour is but two away. Today is one of the last few installments of Ten Tunes before the music begins to flow in earnest. The time is almost upon us. But while we’re waiting, here are some jams to enhance your Friday. Happy Memorial Day weekend folks, the summer season officially starts now.
After an incredibly (read: too) long sit-in from BB King slowed the first set to a crawl, this sequence picked up the action to start the second set in style. And post-hiatus “Hoods” began to grow.
Only weeks after Remain In Light one can already hear Phish beginning to focus on rhythmic grooves. Segments of this jam sound like they could be plucked from ’97.
Deer Creek “Antelopes” and Alpine “Tweezers,” timeless Midwestern staples of summer tour. This aggressive “Antelope” showed up in the first set of ’96′s first show, setting the tone for a stellar two nights in the cornfields of Noblesville.
Indio’s celebratory, and rather large, Halloween “YEM;” one of ’09′s better versions.
Another week in the books, and summer tour is but two away. Today is one of the last few installments of Ten Tunes before the music begins to flow in earnest. The time is almost upon us. But while we’re waiting, here are some jams to enhance your Friday. Happy Memorial Day weekend folks, the …
Yesterday’s post turned out to be so much fun, I figured we’d segue right into “Minerese, Volume II.” Yesterday we tackled some basic terminology, though I’ve been known to use more colorful language to paint the picture of a Phish jam. Today, I plucked out some of more vibrant terms I’ve dropped from time to time, and dug up some audio excerpts to define them.
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“Colorful Molasses”
When the music gets so thick you feel like you are swimming through a larger-than-life ocean of groove, you’ve entered the realm of colorful molasses. These tar-thick rhythmic textures create a liquid reality where the gooey grooves engulf your existence. In this case I’ve juxtaposed a classic dose with a portion from ’09.
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“Drone Landscapes”
11.21.09 (W.Rogell)
Often times, Phish enters a phase of the jam characterized by its total lack of melody. Often in conjunction with more eerie experiments, these segments are comprised of heavily effected, and often repetitive, musical phrases. These landscapes resemble alien sonic brews that Phish creates in migrating between musical planes.
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“Crack-like Grooves”
These grooves feel so good, you just gotta’ have more! These fiercely-addictive dance patterns are the musical equivalent of choice hubba rocks. Time and space stand still when high on Phish crack.
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“Bass-led Jihad”
Michael Gordon (T.Stack)
This eclectic term is reserved for those segments of absolute Mike-driven annihilation. In these crusades, Gordon’s bass lines anchor the rhythm while, simultaneously, carrying the lead melody. Trey and Page settle into the background while Mike steps front and center as the dynamic leader of the band. Taking no prisoners, Mike’s offerings shower the audience with relentless attacks of bass warfare.
(For those trying to identify these excerpts, the task should be much easier today with more well-known selections.)
This afternoon show took place a half-day after Phish ended their show the night before at Zepp. Taking place within Hibiya Park in central Tokyo, this show facilitated connections between Japanese and American fans in a way that small nightclubs couldn’t. Check out my take on the show, written only hours after it concluded.
I: First Tube, Punch You In the Eye, Horn, Ginseng Sullivan, Stash, Dirt, Possum, It’s Ice, Farmhouse
II: Birds of a Feather, Free, Beauty of My Dreams, Bug, David Bowie, When the Circus Comes, Back on the Train, Harry Hood
E: Character Zero
Source: Unknown
Yesterday’s post turned out to be so much fun, I figured we’d segue right into “Minerese, Volume II.” Yesterday we tackled some basic terminology, though I’ve been known to use more colorful language to paint the picture of a Phish jam. Today, I plucked out some of more vibrant terms I’ve dropped from time to …
With tour just around the corner, I’ll be writing reviews of Phish shows again before too long, and for that I am grateful. While considering my reviews, I thought a good way to change things up and prepare for tour would be to look more closely at some of my more commonly-used phrases when describing Phish music. In an attempt to make my writing clearer for those reading along this summer, I’ve created some audio excerpts to serve as aural definitions of some terms. Today we’ll start with five basic terms, and I’ll put together a couple more installments of “Minerese” before tour starts.
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“Percussive Grooves”
Often growing out of high-speed rock jams, these are the sparser segments where all band members offer rhythmic phrases in unison with each other. When traced back to its origin, this type of jamming grew out of Halloween ’96′s adventure, Remain In Light.
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“Ambient Soundscapes”
11.21.09 (W.Rogell)
Built from layers of sound, these passages can take different forms. While often drifting into spacey realms, “ambient soundscapes” can also remain anchored to harmonies and/or melodies. I’ve tried to select differing examples to illustrate this difference.
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“Blissful Psychedelia”
Emerging deep within a jam, these are the sacred places that Phish reaches after the initial segment of improv has settled. Pieces of unique music that reach deep into the soul, segments described as “blissful psychedelia” evoke the emotions and majesty associated with the magic of Phish.
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“Amoeba Jamming”
An Amoeba
This is a term I coined years ago when trying to describe those musical passages where nobody is truly leading the jam. Each member pushes and pulls the music ever so slightly, creating an “amoeba-like” dynamic of non-linear improv. These jams can also take differing directions, so I, again, tried to choose different examples.
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“Swank Rhythm Licks”
When Trey is feeling his funk-mojo, he’s one of the best rhythm players around. Taking time away from soaring solos, Big Red slices and dices dance grooves like the Iron Chef does meats and vegetables. Check out these vibrant late ’90s examples of Trey getting down with his bad self.
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(If anyone wants to attempt to identify all the audio samples, the winner can select the Download of the Day and write the blurb for the next three days. Some ’09 is featured.)
After “Tweezer > On Your Way Down,” Phish was hardly done jamming at Minneapolis’ Target Center in ’99. In a year that saw many an amazing “Piper,” this version is among the upper echelon.
A Summer ’94 stop at one of Phish’s classic venues of the mid-90s, amidst Fairmont Park in Philly.
I: Runaway Jim, Foam, Sample in a Jar, NICU, Stash, The Mango Song, It’s Ice, Tela, Julius, Suzy Greenberg
II: David Bowie, If I Could, Fluffhead, Down with Disease > The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday > Avenu Malkenu > The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday Reprise, Possum, Hold Your Head Up > Terrapin > Hold Your Head Up, Harry Hood, Cavern
E: Rocky Top
Source: AKG 451
With tour just around the corner, I’ll be writing reviews of Phish shows again before too long, and for that I am grateful. While considering my reviews, I thought a good way to change things up and prepare for tour would be to look more closely at some of my more commonly-used phrases when describing …
As soon as Phish debuted “Ghost” in their first show of Summer ’97, the song became a staple jam vehicle for Phish. Moving with the band’s musical direction of the late-90s, “Ghost” featured groove, rock, and ambient jams depending on the era, almost always providing a highlight for any show in which it appeared. And then in Phish’s second show of 2000, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, the band rewrote the record books for their late-90′s song. Exploring the hyper-complexities of groove and moving far beyond them into completely transcendent music, Phish threw down, perhaps, the greatest version ever played.
After such a blowout, one would figure the band continued magnifying the song for the rest of the summer, let alone the rest of the year. But they didn’t. While the Phish played solid “Ghosts” in Hartford (7.1), Chicago (9.22), and Denver (9.27), the band only took out the song six times after Radio City. And only one truly stood out – 6.15.00. Phish let loose on the final standout “Ghost” of the pre-hiatus years on the penultimate night of Japan tour in Osaka, Japan. Towards the end of the first set, the band unveiled the only Japanese version of the song, and as it turned out, the last truly great version of 2000.
6.11.00 – Tokyo (E.Sakai)
In Big Cat, a small club, elevated six floors amidst a shopping plaza, the audience squeezed into the small, square room. The predominantly Japanese audience packed it in, as the concept of personal space differed from that in the states – a lot. Before long, a combination of fans began filling the room with blown-up balloons, like a life-sized lottery bin. But when the music started, silence fell, and everyone’s focus turned squarely to the stage.
After a routine four-song, set-opening sequence, Trey quietly initiated a series of siren loops, opening the only “Ghost” of the Pacific. Following the composed section, the band oozed into the piece with a methodical, bass-led groove. Taking ample time to settle into a thick rhythmic canvas, the band pondered the early course of the jam before diving in. Mike took the melodic lead, while Trey and Page added effects, beginning the excursion in a sparse dance pattern. Trey coyly began to pick a melody within the groove, very much blending with whole, yet bringing a whole new element to the table. Amidst a increasingly murkier plane, Fishman hit a disco-like groove that Mike immediately latched onto, bringing memories of the infectious dance odyssey weeks ago at Radio City. Page and Trey began to gently toy with the beat, and all of a sudden, the band rolled into subconscious territory.
6.15.00 – Big Cat Ticket
Offering independent melodic ideas along these uptempo rhythms, Trey stepped into prominence, before long, playing an open chord progression that would guide the band through an upbeat, out-of-character second half of the jam. The rest of his band mates picked up on his idea, gradually building a triumphant build over these changes, Meanwhile, after setting the musical plate, Trey transformed into the a cathartic waterfall of notes and melody, peaking the piece in a rolling, cyclical fashion. Uniting all the energy in the room, Phish took sailing on the majestic seas of bliss, drawing out the apex of the jam in an all-out celebration of the human spirit. After the peak, the band seamlessly slid back into “Ghost,” bringing this version to a close.
The Osaka “Ghost” became an immediate highlight of Japan 2000, and without anyone knowing at the time, represented the last pre-hiatus triumph for the song. This moving piece of music goes under-circulated due to its international origins, and has thus been under-appreciated over the years. Everyone knows the Radio City “Ghost,” and rightfully so. This one came next.
This standout version of the song has recently been remastered by Phish Thoughts reader, “Kenny Powers,” and is available to download by clicking the orange title above.
During and after the first Radio City show, fans lined the sidewalks of Manhattan to get tickets for Phish’s just-announced show at Roseland the night after. The intimate gig was filmed for VH-1′s “Hard Rock Live,” and though the show was relatively jam-less, the event provided a special night in the spring of 2000.
I: AC/DC Bag, Wilson, First Tube, Ya Mar, Mike’s Song > Simple > It’s Ice, When the Circus Comes, Back on the Train, Gotta Jibboo, Taste, Sleeping Monkey
II: Punch You In the Eye, Twist, Waste, Piper, You Enjoy Myself, Run Like an Antelope, Train Song, Bug
E: Boogie On Reggae Woman, Cavern
Source: SBD
As soon as Phish debuted “Ghost” in their first show of Summer ’97, the song became a staple jam vehicle for Phish. Moving with the band’s musical direction of the late-90s, “Ghost” featured groove, rock, and ambient jams depending on the era, almost always providing a highlight for any show in which it appeared. And …
