The Top Ten Jams of Fall
Boardwalk Hall (Andrea Nusinov)
I’ve spent the past week spinning the hell out of Fall and I have come up with my top ten jams of tour. These are—by my ear—the most hooked up, flowing pieces of improvisation from an all-too-short fall run. As always, ranking these was an incredibly difficult task, but that said, I’m quite happy with how this top ten turned out. always, Enjoy the playlist!
10. “Ghost” 10.31 III, Atlantic City, NJ
This locked and driving jam opened the third of set of Halloween with a bang.
[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/3.01-Ghost.mp3]***
9. “Down with Disease” 10.29 II, Reading, PA
After steering through a couple different moods, the band found the end of the rainbow in a southern-style pot of gold. This Allmans-sque passage and earth-shattering peak cement Reading’s “Disease” as a keeper.
[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/2.01-Down-With-Disease.mp3]***
8. “Golden Age” 10.27 II, Hartford, CT
Fishman absolutely destroys this rhythmic jam, as the band dances around his inhuman beats for much of its duration. The band truly sits into this jam, something they are becoming more and more comfortable doing with “Golden Age.”
[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/2.04-Golden-Age.mp3]***
7. “Twenty Years Later” 10.29 II, Reading, PA
Methodical, growling, and funky as James Brown’s band on their worst night, this mid-set surprise obliterated the dance floor and left people picking up pieces of their brains off the walls of Santander Arena. Sliding into a rootsy, Americana outro, this jam hit the feel-good spot as well.
[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/2.03-Twenty-Years-Later.mp3]***
6. “Twist” 10.23 II, Glens Falls, NY
This jam provided the pivot point of tour; from here on out, everything the band touched turned to gold.
[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/2.04-Twist.mp3]***
5. “Carini” 10.31 III, Atlantic City, NJ
A free-form, third-set joyride that reached profound planes following some early-jam hiccups. The improvisational centerpiece of the Halloween show.
[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/3.02-Carini.mp3]***
4. “Light” 10.26 II, Worcester, MA
The most slamming “Light” of Fall has so much to offer, including a searing guitar solo, a passionate composed jam and the the most sophisticated groove exposé of the entire tour. Hey!
[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/2.03-Light1.mp3]***
3. “Twist” 11.1 II, Atlantic City, NJ
The central part of this jam provided the most cathartic group moment of the year aside from Tahoe’s “Tweezer.” Very powerful music; very powerful energy. The band came down from the mountaintop and retained cohesion through a mini-“Under Pressure” jam, continued into a full-blown, psychedelic third segment of music, and finally came down via a dreamy denouement.
[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/2.01-Twist.mp3]***
2. “Carini” 10.18 II, Hampton, VA
This multi-staged, super-dynamic jam is the only piece of Fall—other than my number one pick—that flows with a completely effortless nature from beginning to end. And that’s quite impressive considering the amount of ground it covers, including a scintillating mid-jam, peak and a funked up final section. Despite Sunday’s scorching final set, this “Carini” is the everlasting gem of Hampton 2013.
[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/2.06-Carini.mp3]***
1. “Tweezer” 10.27 II, Hartford, CT
The guys clicked from this jam’s first note, locking into a sacred stride and never missing a beat. No jam from Fall flowed more effortlessly that this—four-minded, egoless, soulful music from start to finish. As if God pressed play and the band simply allowed the music to flow through them—this is what it’s all about.
[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/2.02-Tweezer.mp3]
Hampton Coliseum (Andrea Nusinov)
Looking for more comments from the Wiley Old Vets that ran fall.
Bill Bonney
Dusty
Oldskool
Dr. Yusef Lateef
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKGnMSYbnJ0
‘Eastern Sounds’
In this rhythm-ish era, the tag teaming of trey and page in sections like 11:30 in the Hampton GA are downright nasty. Page playing w such swagger.
Reading YEM. Yes please
Listened to that second set today. I was in such a bad head space for that show. Too much travel that day. I enjoyed little of it in the room but damn if I didn’t love it on playback. When reading was my worst in the room experience of fall you know I caught some fucking heaters. Bring on MSG.
I’ve listened to this #1 Tweezer over and over today trying to figure out how it supercedes Hampton’s version. It doesn’t come close…respect lost for this blog’s views…
Minkin, at least you gave it a shot. Several people prefer the Hampton Tweezer. Miner regularly doesn’t lose sleep when people disagree with his thoughts.
Greensky last night in Denver.
https://archive.org/details/gsbg2013-11-16.matrix
LUOLMA>Reubens Train>LUOLMA is worth a phans spin.
I’m really not one to try and push new music. I’ve become very comfortable with my daily dose of Phish. I just really dig these guys sound. Tight Jamming all around. Lead guitarist can shred. Check them out if you are like me and bored with the Phish at the present time. Aqueous. First band I’ve liked other then Phish or the Dead in some time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrZV__mtHM8
Touchdown. One hip = two feet
I’m gonna check these guys out next Friday in Columbus. Not really sure where the venue is yet, but I’ll look it up. If anyone is in the area it should be cool. They have that it factor that I find so important in the music I allow myself to listen to. Should be fun.
Looking forward to the first hand account Phishm. You may be the BB scout with this particular band.
Wow, that’s a lot of pressure. I can tell you for sure that I like them already after just a few listens. I don’t know any of their songs, but their jams are amazing. I’ll let you all know what I encounter. If it’s even close to some of the energy I’ve picked up just off of youtube listening, then it should be a great night. We’ll see. Could really use someone else to listen to. Most other music sucks IMO. Good to hear something that doesn’t.
I will tell you one thing is that sometimes their jamming style seems to be to take 2 different Phish songs and play each against each other, but only in a different key and include some lyrics. It’s weird how they do it, but if you listen to them long enough you will get what I’m saying. Some slick shit if you ask me. Maybe not the most original thing, but very groovy. They also seem to include other bands sounds into curves into their jamming music. It’s hard to describe, but it seems to work. And each member seem to really feel the music. A lot of good communication that leads to turns that were unexpected. You know, jazz influenced psychedelia that comes from the soul. I dig it so far. Can’t wait to be in the room.
Probably my favorite video so far. Also dig part 1. Part 2 is kind of lame.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=By6GcJZEde0
And after that I’ll be quiet on Aqueous. This is a Phish blog.
I gotta tell ya though, listening to another band makes me appreciate that much more what Phish provides. Night and day. IMO of course.
And on that telepathy thing, I just feel like when one has such a deep understanding of the being involved in the communication involved that it makes that type of scenario possible. I would sound crazy to think that type of interaction between humans is possible without said relationship in the first place. Call it a kinship, or a mutual understanding between astral beings that make what I stated even fathomable. It’s hard to put into words what I was really trying to say. It’s all good. Just a 1.0 thing. It’s passed and I realize that I’m just as boring as the next guy. I just seem to have a relationship with my kids that supersedes any connection I’ve had in the past. Or I could be wrong. Most likely explanation. Night all.
I’ve listened to this #1 Tweezer over and over today trying to figure out how it supercedes Hampton’s version. It doesn’t come close…respect lost for this blog’s views…
^ allow me to explain.
Hampton—loose, exploratory, successful at points, at other points overly-whaley and meandering. I find it to be a great jam, but I don’t find the band to be incredibly connected throughout. The Hartford Tweezer is like the breath of God with not a note out of place and the band jamming in sync for the entire time. I find it to be a more rewarding jam by a mile. It’s not all about intent, it’s about execution.
i find hampton to be the least fulfilling tweezer of the 3 on listen back. and 2nd for the live experience.
Have not scrolled through the other 25 pages of this thread, but NO LOVE FOR THE AC3 JIBBOO?!?!?! Trey’s rhythm guitar skills are on full display and the band is completely locked in as they elevate a great melody to the nth degree before it culminates in a righteous and tasty dose of euphoria.