When Phish splashes into an open jam, the adventure is on, regardless of what song the jam stemmed from. But in 2011, a tighter rotation of regular jam vehicles caused a tad of predictability to ooze into shows. Though the music could obviously go any which way, we all knew when jams were coming based on song selection—except in of a handful of surprise instances. With such a wide array of untapped material this era, the diversification of jam vehicles could instantly bolster the excitement of summer tour. In no way longing for the past, I believe the following five jams could be reinvented as platforms into the future.

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“A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing”

With only two improvisational versions in this era—Deer Creek ’09 and Super Ball IX—it’s a wonder Phish hasn’t further tapped the vast potential of this sinister jam. Like many great Phish jams, this one starts out with structured improv centered on a monster guitar solo, but once this sequence ends, the flood gates of possibilities open. Not prone to one style of playing or another, “A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing” could easily mold to whatever direction the band chooses this summer. At Super Ball, the band quickly integrated an ambient-storage style jam into the piece, and back at  SPAC ’04, they launched into a refined excursion in psych-rock. Thus, every time the opening of this song growls through the stacks, there is inherent mystery as to where it will go. Check out Super Ball’s version below.

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“Halley’s Comet”

Nothing screams summer Phish like “Halley’s Comet” jams. Making its improvisational name for itself from 1997 onward, “Halley’s” is always a welcome addition to any show in summer months. And when the band used it to craft one 2011’s defining jams out of the piece in Bethel, many fans thought its improvisational prowess had finally been resurrected. But it wasn’t to be, as the song returned to its compact form after its New York state adventure. Though doubtful, it would be invigorating to hear “Halley’s” grooves grace the summer air once again in 2012. Here’s Bethel’s version.

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“Scents and Subtle Sounds”

This song has been an enigma in this era after emerging as one of the band’s compelling vehicles the last time around. Played only three times in 3.0—primarily for bust-out purposes—Trey launched into a soaring and emotional solo in Denver that seemed to awaken the spirit of the song. If “Scents and Subtle Sounds” returns to regular rotation—whether used as an open or contained jam—a certain majesty will come right along with it, perfectly meshing with any summer evening. And if this ever does transpire, let’s hope the band brings the intro with it! The following is Super Ball’s version—with intro.

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“AC/DC Bag”

“AC/DC Bag” turned a corner in 1997, with so many other songs, and became a legitimate platform for improv. Though never a guaranteed jam, for the next four years, the band took the song in countless directions, from UIC ‘98s drone/ambient psychedelia to Virginia Beach ‘98’s summer funk to Boise ‘99’s all-time spiritual excursion. The Gamehendge favorite hasn’t broken form in this era, which isn’t all that surprising, but if the band ever decided to toss a few “Bag” jams into the second set, things could get spicy quickly! Check out Virginia Beach ’98 below.

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“Round Room”

Here’s a dark horse pick. Appearing only a handful of times in the post-hiatus era, the title track from Round Room could make an intriguing launch pad with the band members’ now-polished skill sets. Taken in layered, ambient directions back in ’03, this jam could benefit from the sound-sculpting acumen of Phish these days. I wonder, however, if “Round Room” is even still on their radar. Here’s the Gorge version from 2003.

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What song’s would you like to be seen focused on this summer? Respond via Twitter with the hashtag #minertalk, or on the Facebook page! Or just post in comments below, but let’s hear what you think!

When Phish dropped their second leg dates yesterday, I was immediately struck with mixed emotions. On one hand, the announcement of any Phish dates is a cause for immediate celebration, but something about these dates—and the fine print that followed—screamed “stagnancy” to me. If you didn’t catch the afterword, “No additional Phish dates will be announced for Summer or Fall of 2012,” leaving the band with exactly six weeks of the year to play together. One might say that Phish semi-formally announced that 2012 would be “light year” of touring, but in fact, the schedule is exactly same as last year minus a festival. And I would bet that 2013’s touring docket will look eerily similar— a month long tour in June, two weeks in August, and a Holiday Run at MSG. One might also say, look at all the new venues that they booked—it will be an exciting tour. My response to would be, “ I don’t care where Phish shows happen, I only care what they sound like.” And when the band takes such massive chunks of time off from playing together, they don’t always come back together so gracefully (see MSG 2011). While I still hold high hopes for what the guys will do this summer, that hope is tempered by a bit of wonderment about the current intent behind the Phish from Vermont.

With no fall tour planned, this summer will be another standalone tour in which any real chance of musical progression feels inherently limited. Let’s look at 2011. The band built towards a new style of abstract / soundscape / “storage” jamming in the first half of the summer, infused it into some shows during leg two with mastery, and then all but dropped it come the holidays—the run where Phish traditionally showcases their accomplishments of the year. With no Fall 2011, the guys weren’t able to capitalize on their musical momentum and innovation they realized over the summer, resulting in a significant step backwards over the New Year’s Run. But let’s just give the band a pass for MSG. My concern is with such sporadic scheduling—six weeks of dates in a year covering the nation once—that this is pattern bound to repeat itself.

Three years into this era, Phish has played plenty of great shows and thrown down many jams that stand up to any era, but where are they “going” musically? Are they “going” anywhere? Can you remember the last time Phish played for three straight years without establishing a signature sound or improvisational focus of the era? Probably not, because it has never happened. Just as it felt like the band was finally on the brink of something with the Gorge’s “Rock and Roll,” Tahoe’s “Light,” and UIC’s Elements Set, they played three great shows in Denver—none, specifically, delving into this style—and took the rest of the year off. Something tells me that when the band gets back on stage in Worcester come June, they won’t exactly pick up where they left off nearly ten months ago in Denver. Perhaps I’m wrong—and I certainly hope so—but if I’m right, the band may spend another summer unearthing a compelling musical direction only to split come fall for Trey tour, Mike tour, and whatever else the band wants to do these days. It just doesn’t feel like Phish is of the utmost importance to the band members anymore, rather, the band seems more like a summer camp where they can get their jollies out before returning to more focused endeavors—orchestral, familial or otherwise. And while there is nothing intrinsically wrong with that, Phish has never been a casual affair.

Another glaring absence as we move towards another summer of shows is the lack of new material. The band’s newest jam vehicles are still “Light” and “Number Line” from 2009’s Joy, and Trey is currently working on a new solo album. While I realize new material isn’t essential to the touring year, there is a certain creative process that goes into making an album that brings the band together in a way that a few weeks on the road cannot. And it enhances the group dynamic and overall flow of the band. The last time Phish did this was before they stepped on stage at Hampton. Where’s the dedication to pushing Phish forward that has been a hallmark of the band since their inception, and that we heard them speak of upon their return? You get my drift? It seems to me that we, the fans, care far more about Phish music than the band does these days. It never used to be that way. It simply feels odd. With leg two hitting a series of spread out small markets and small venues, tickets will sell out and regional fans will be excited regardless of how coherent the jams sound. Will these conditions breed the potential for complacency? One can only wonder.

The band has been back in action for three full years now, and the feeling of “we’re lucky to have them back” has worn off. While I am eternally grateful that the Phish is playing again, at this point in 2012, I feel like huddling them up like an overzealous football coach, urging them onto the same page, and chanting—as a team—“1…2…3…Let’s do this!”

A unified musical intent would be invaluable in Phish’s current landscape, but with Trey so often on his own musical trip, the single-mindedness that defined the band’s greatest eras has often been missing, and I’m not sure this sporadic scheduling will help the cause. As rock bands get older, so many tend to mellow out and play the hits for one tour a year to keep the wheels spinning. I never thought this is what Phish would become, and I am still holding out that they won’t, but this summer seems to be a critical time in determining the future of the band. What will happen? Well, that is the fun of it all. Come this summer, we shall see.

8/15 – Long Beach Auditorium, Long Beach, CA

8/17-19 Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, CA

8/22 – Starlight Theatre, Kansas City, MO

8/24 – Oak Mountain Amphitheatre, Birmingham, AL

8/25 – Aaron’s Amphitheathre at Lakewood, Atlanta, GA

8/26 – Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Charlotte, NC

8/28 – Chaifetz Arena, St Louis, MO

8/29 – Zoo Amphitheatre, Oklahoma City, OK

8/31 – 9/02 – Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Denver, CO