Into the Great Wide Open
6.18.11- Raleigh (John Crouch)
Though Phish jammed on a diversity of songs throughout this past summer, some provided multiple leaps into the wide open and unknown musical pastures. Below are the five most consistently profound jam vehicles of Summer 2011.
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“Down with Disease”
Phish played eleven versions of “Down with Disease” this summer, and nine of them broke free into open jams. Several renditions became highlights of the season with Clarkston’s epic excursion leading the pack. DTE’s 20-minute “Disease Supreme” took the cake for the version of summer, but other stellar outings included UIC’s exploratory jaunt that touched on so many places before winding into “Twist,” Super Ball’s powerful, groove-laced, then ambient piece that led into “No Quarter,” Camden and Alpharetta’s first-leg psychedelic standouts and Essex’ Junction’s final statement of summer. Nine for eleven—that’s one hell of a batting average. Also featured as an experimental vehicle in Bethel, Tahoe and Denver, one can make a strong case for “Disease” being the jam of the season.
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“Light”
6.3.11 (Michael Stein)
Ever since “Light” burst onto the scene in 2009, the song has consistently pushed the band outside the box. “Conventional jamming” doesn’t exist in “Light” aside from Trey’s atonal solo, and the song’s improvisational canvas is ever-morphing. In eight summer outings, all but two reached completely original galaxies, led—head and shoulders above the rest—by Tahoe’s dark, bass-led adventure. UIC’s version likened an extra-terrestrial encounter, while Denver’s final suite of summer favored delicate and melodic interplay, culminating in the sublime “Disease Reprise.” Super Ball’s “Light” turned into the first blowout version of summer, reaching soulful planes untouched by the song over June. Though Riverbend’s version is not long, the band reaches an ethereal plane that—by all accounts—should have been explored further, though Portsmouth’s version capped the most impressive “Light” of leg one.
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“Rock and Roll”
“Rock and Roll,” the lasting piece of Halloween ’98, not only provided the jam of the year, the era, and one of the best pieces of all-time in the Gorge’s 8.5’s abduction, it also left some other lasting highlights on Summer 2011 as well. Mansfield’s version provided one of the indelibly mind-numbing pieces of Leg I—a jam that holds up to anything from the summer. Charlotte’s “Rock and Roll” blossomed into a deeply soulful excursion that has been overshadowed by the top-shelf “Ghost” that followed, and in these three jams alone, the song produced three tremendous summer highlights. Throw in a very experimental, though not as cohesive, version at Merriweather, and you’ve got half the versions of summer. Others included more rocking outings in Denver (which segued into “Come Together), Essex Junction (which dropped into “Twist”), and PNC’s first-set banger.
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“Waves”
6.11.11 (Brian Ferguson)
Though “Waves” only made it to stage four times this summer, three of them were top-notch highlights. Busting the doors of summer wide open on night one in Bethel, the band deconstructed “Boogie On,” landing in “Waves,” and commencing one of the lasting highlights of the season. Getting into a delicate conversation and then abstract soundscapes, Phish announced their improvisational authority on tour’s opening night. The next version, in Super Ball’s finale, was one of several centerpiece jams in the festival’s most experimental (main stage) set. Moving far into ambient, space harmonies, Phish eventually seeped into a dripping version of “What’s the Use?” And then “Waves” came out in the Element Set as the spark to one summer’s most revered sequences: “Waves -> Undermind -> Steam.” Though the band only played four versions this summer (Merriweather being the other), three turned to absolute gold.
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“Piper”
Always reaching wide-open musical pastures, only four of nine summer versions truly grab my attention—Denver, Hollywood, Merriweather and Raleigh. Denver’s Theremin-laced excursion remains one of my favorite jams of summer, while Hollywood’s psychedelic experiment continues to fly under the radar. The Mid-Atlantic region saw two standout explorations of “Piper,” Merriweather first night spectacle and the lesser-talked about rendition from Walnut Creek. Beyond these top four, Blossom’s version, though succinct,” gets into ambient realms quickly and segues into the only “Lizards” of the summer, and Super Ball’s rendition provided high-speed action that dropped into “Tweezer.” All in all a very solid summer for a song that is synonymous with improvisational adventure.
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Jam of the Day:
“Rock and Roll -> Meatstick -> Boogie On” 8.5.11 II
The creme de la creme of Summer 2011.
[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/ph2011-08-05t14.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/ph2011-08-05t15.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/ph2011-08-05t16.mp3]Tags: 2011, Jams, Summer 2011
Give the HTC a test drive. I have a thunderbolt and love it. I’m not exactly tech savvy…at all.
come on we know this is you http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/listening_post/images/2008/07/23/zune_tattoo_1.jpg
yeah I don’t care at all, apple vs whatever, as long as it works
i really should get one of each
anyway later everyone. don’t let get beat up by cops or nothin
i had a Samsung i700, at Coventry
it worked in pc windows format. i was streaming pga tour championship highlights on the runstrip
with my short hair and large pda with headset, all the wook kids thought i was a narc
Yea, C, you got me. I also have the windows insignia next to it…working on the full sleeve…paying homage to the folks that foster my employment.
@phoammhead @c0wfunk are you guys still heading to TAB tomorrow at Thomas Wolfe? Me and a buddy of mine should be in town around 5p, probably head to Jack of the Wood for a beer…
“After dropping out of Reed College, a stronghold of liberal thought in Portland, Ore., in 1972, Mr. Jobs led a countercultural lifestyle himself. He told a reporter that taking LSD was one of the two or three most important things he had done in his life. He said there were things about him that people who had not tried psychedelics — even people who knew him well, including his wife — could never understand. ”
So many great things about this paragraph. From the NY Times obit.
that samsung had a stylus and your one option of data input was that grafiti language
i actually got really fast with it
^should read, “one of your options”
there was the keypad, stylus which you could grafiti write or tap your way thru
the thing was super buggy and ahead of its time, major pain in the ass, but did mega tricks at the time
super Chi Bears hi jack:
White House visit: More than 25 years after their lopsided victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX, the 1985 Bears will be honored by President Barack Obama Friday at the White House.
The famed team never got the chance to celebrate in 1986 because the Space Shuttle Challenger blew up two days after the Bears had pummeled the Patriots 46-10 at the Louisiana Superdome.
Mike Ditka, Kevin Butler, Richard Dent, Gary Fencik, Willie Gault, Jay Hilgenberg, Dennis McKinnon, Jim McMahon, Steve McMichael, Emery Moorehead, Matt Suhey, Tom Thayer, Keith Van Horne, Otis Wilson are among those slated to attend.
super bowl shuffling with Obama
that should be enough to get my re-elect vote 🙂
apples crush other computers. at least in my world. Thanks Steve.
morning all. Apple is the supreme, rip mr. jobs
big digging the TAb 10.1, 10.6, AND 10.8. good recordings of each.
love some of the TAB joints: night speaks, the way i feel, goodbye head, simple twist up, ML&C.
Land of Nod is a unique sounding tune for TAB. complex (at least to my ear) psuedo-reggae style arrangement, but cheesy chorus.
should be “been digging” rather than “big digging” at least i didn’t type big dicking
add drifting and case of ice and snow to the list of dope TAB tunes
highlights form my listening:
10.1 ML&C, snake head thumb, drifting, winter queen
10.6: frost, it makes no difference, case of ice and snow, the way I feel
10.8: land of nod, night speaks, goodbye head, case of ice and snow
palmer and butter re. iaudio 9: perhaps I’ve had no issues b/c I have a PC and not an Apple.
Alive Again
Mr. Completely
At The Gazebo
Mozambique
Silicon Fairy
Aqui Comma Alla
At the BBQ
Sidewalks of San Francisco
Every Story Ends in Stone
Tube Top wobble
Happy Coffee Song
Nothing But An E Thing
Moesha
Flock of Words
Quantegy
Noodle Rave Daddio
Last tube
Nothing but A G Thing
Happiness in My Pants
a lot of Trey tunes to be palyed
Plasma
even Pebbles and Marbles