After some weeks away from tour and plenty of time to listen to August through and through, it has come time to unveil “Miner’s Pick’s” for Leg II of Summer 2010. In a tour with many eye-popping jams, many fans could have compiled a similar list. However, I allowed myself only one version of each song, leaving several legitimate highlights absent from this compilation. What you will find inside is an aural trek down memory lane of Phish’s most accomplished tour this era. With tracks assembled to create a natural flow over the the six and a half hour highlight reel, download “Miner’s Pick’s: Leg II,” kick back with loud volume, and enjoy an afternoon of the best Phish jams we’ve heard since their return.
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MINER’S PICKS: SUMMER 2010 – LEG II < Torrent
MINER’S PICKS: SUMMER 2010 – LEG II < Megaupload
1,2. “Cities > Moma” 8.5 Greek: The funk that awakened the band and audience alike during The Greek’s second night.
3. “Light” 8.7 Greek: This transcendent journey gets my vote for jam of the tour. Easily.
4. “Caspian” 8.9 Telluride: Trey spouts gorgeous and original leads in this dark-horse highlight from Telluride onto which Phish tacked a Mind Left Body-laced outro.
5. “Tweezer” 8.5 Greek: This version drips with laid-back, west coast energy. Mike runs shop throughout this thunderous piece and Trey unleashes some of his pimpiest leads of tour.
6-8. “Boogie > Piper > Mist” 8.9 Telluride: Ferocious funk? Check. Footbell? Check. Defining “Piper” of 2010? Check.
9,10. “Disease > What the Use?” 8.14 Alpine: Phish pushed boundaries in this top-notch piece, finding some of the most sublime moments of summer and a transition that defies words.
11. “Harry Hood” 8.7 Greek: In a tour that went a perfect 3 for 3 in outstanding “Hoods,” this centerpiece from The Greek’s final set stands head and shoulders above the rest.
12-14. “Drowned > Jibboo > Bathtub Gin” 8.12 Deer Creek: This three-song sequence that opened Deer Creek’s second set showcased three different styles of improvisation. This standout run to start the second half set the tone for a set that never stopped. “Drowned” is my pick for the most-underrated dose of psychedelia from Phish’s fortnight in August.
15-17. “Ghost > Theme > BBFCFM” 8.15 Alpine: This one-two punch demonstrates the full-on guitar acrobatics that Trey showcased at Alpine Valley. The always-elusive old-school antics of “Big Black Furry” capped the smoking segment.
18,19. “Carini > Free” 8.10 Telluride: This alien encounter highlighted a fun, but improvisationally-thin, second night in The Rockies.
20. “Rock and Roll” 8.6 Greek: A jam that gets unrightfully buried in the avalanche of standout music from The Greek, it’s one of the most sublime examples of the band’s newest, rhythmically-driven “urgent ambient” style.
21. “Antelope” 8.14 Alpine: While never moving outside the box, this version crushed harder than any other in August.
24. “Reba” 8.14 Alpine: This is the pick ’em song of tour, as the band simply slayed all three versions. I, actually, prefer The Greek, but the unmatchable peak in Alpine’s version and the already Greek-heavy highlight reel pushed this version onto the compilation.
25-27. “2001 > Suzy > Slave” 8.7 Greek : Complete with a scintillating “Suzy Reprise” jam that surprised me on listen back, this trio provided a powerful sequence to conclude an ornate, top-notch set of Phish music.
28,29. “Lengthwise > Maze” 8.17 Jones Beach: A nod to the early-90s, Phish also acknowledged the resurgenmce of “Maze” in 2010 with Jones Beach’s final version of summer.
30. “Sand” 8.9 Telluride: A scorching opener to Telluride’s most impressive set; and only the fifth “Sand” since 2000.
31. “Timber Ho!” 8.18 Jones Beach: A thrilling entry into the summer’s final set.
32. “Mikes Song” 8.14 Alpine: I keep coming back to this “Mike’s” with Trey’s flowing and creative leads, thus it kick’s off our August 2010 “Mike’s Combination Groove.”
33. “Simple” 8.6 Greek: One of the most original and exploratory pieces of summer, this was the first full-blown, mind-expander of tour.
34. “Number Line” 8.17 Jones Beach: One of August’s upper-echelon jams, Jones’ Beach’s “Number Line” appeared within “Mike’s Groove and produced the band’s final improvisational peak of the summer.
35. ” Sneakin’ Sally” 8.14 Alpine: Popping up late in the set as a surprise link in Alpine’s “Dirty Sally Groove,” this version brought some dance grooves to an otherwise dark-themed frame of Phish.
36. “Weekapaug” 8.17 Jones Beach: Perhaps Phish’s most original take on “Weekapaug” this summer, the band’s lightening quick percussive work morphed with their melodic sensibility in a stellar version that capped a summer “Weekapaug” return to significance. Trey absolutely went to town in this one, punctuating a phenomenal suite on the water in Long Island.
37. “YEM” 8.10 Telluride: In an anthem-laced show, Phish broke out a super-charged rendition of their seminal piece to cap tw0 unforgettable nights in the paradise of Telluride’s Town Park.
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Jams of the Day: Near Misses
Were it not for other versions, these pieces could have wound up above.
“Light” – 8.18 Jones Beach
“Harry Hood” – 8.12 Deer Creek
“Reba” – 8.7 Greek
“Disease > Free” – 8.5 Greek
