Mr. Miner's Phish Thoughts

On Twitter yesterday, while groveling for post ideas, @KevinMSpence and @david_artis each suggested “remaking” studio albums with live selections; forming a playlist that would look like the album, but contained all live music. For today, I took that exercise and twisted it a bit. When Phish dropped A Live One in 1995, it was their first-ever official live release. The double-album was filled with cuts from 1994, and released to give mainstream audiences a taste of what the band’s heralded concerts sounded like. Since 1995, the band and technology have come a long way, and now every live show is released within hours, making the concept of a “live album” totally obsolete. But what would A Live One look like if it were re-conceived today in order to showcase the past two years? Maybe a little something like this…

DISC ONE

“Bouncing Around the Room” 6.17.11, Charlotte, NC

This was a “pick ’em.”

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/1.05-Bouncing-Around-the-Room.mp3]

***

“Stash” 10.31.10 I, Atlantic City, NJ

My favorite “Stash from this era.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/ph2010-10-31t10.mp3]

***

“Gumbo” 5.28.11 I, Bethel, NY

Packed in the middle of a monster set.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/1.07-Gumbo.mp3]

***

“Nevada“

A Live One had “Montana,” a 2 minute and 4 second excerpt from an exploratory “Tweezer” played in Bozeman, MT. Well, this is 3.0, and “Tweezer” ain’t what she used to be, so I took a 2 minute and 4 second excerpt from one of Phish’s most exploratory jaunts this era. Can you tell what it is?

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/california.mp3]

***

“You Enjoy Myself” 6.13.10 II, Hershey, PA

The Hershey “YEM”—it’s whaley, but it’s good.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/2.08-You-Enjoy-Myself.mp3]

***

“Chalk Dust Torture” 8.16.11 I, Chicago, IL

A furious first set version.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/1.03-Chalkdust-Torture.mp3]

***

“Slave to the Traffic Light” 6.19.11 II, Portsmouth, VA

A gorgeous, mid-set masterpiece.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/phish2011-06-19.d2t04.mp3]

=====

DISC TWO

“Wilson” 7.3.11 I, Watkins Glen, NY

One of the top performances of this song ever.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/ph2011-07-03.ka500.603a.lb_.m10.set1_.t09_Wilson.mp3]

***

“Tweezer” 9.3.11 II, Denver, CO

One of the defining jams of this go-round.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/ph2011-09-03t12.mp3]

***

“Simple” 8.6.10 II, Berkeley, CA

An all-time version of “Simple” from The Greek.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/ph2010-08-06t12.mp3]

***

“Harry Hood” 12.28.10 II, Worcester, MA

One of everyone’s favorite tracks on the original album was “Harry Hood,” and this time it’s back with a vengeance.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/ph2010-12-28t19.mp3]

***

“The Squirming Coil” 8.19.11 E, Lake Tahoe, CA

The first and only “Coil” that came to mind when making this list.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/E.02-The-Squirming-Coil.mp3]

***

The time between Fall Tour and New Year’s Run did little to derail Phish’s building momentum. Set to return to Worcester and Madison Square Garden—the exact venues of the ’95 Holiday Run—for an unprecedented five nights, fans were flying high to take on the most extensive year-end run in history. And the band’s playing did not disappoint. Though only one of the five shows really came together as a complete two-setter (1/1/11), the run produced ample highlights as the band completed a tremendous year of progression and playing. It would be almost six months before we greeted the band again in Bethel, but after the holiday run—the musical exclamation point on 2010—the time felt a heck of a lot different than this off season does.

2010’s Holiday Run featured six central jams—”Seven Below -> What’s the Use?,” “Harry Hood,” “Tweezer,” “Sand,” “Ghost,” and “Simple”—and plenty of supporting music to go along with them. Today’s playlist is comprised these selections and more as we continue our audio retrospective on this era.

***

“Seven Below -> What’s the Use?” 12.27 II

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/ph2010-12-27t15.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/ph2010-12-27t16.mp3]

***

“Wolfman’s Brother” 12.28 I

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/ph2010-12-28t05.mp3]

***

“Harry Hood” 12.28 II

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/ph2010-12-28t19.mp3]

***

“Bathtub Gin” 12.30 I

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/1.10-Bathtub-Gin.mp3]

***

“Tweezer” 12.30 II

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/ph2010-12-30t16.mp3]

***

“Sand” 12.31 II

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/ph2010-12-31t14.mp3]

***

“Ghost” 12.31 II

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/ph2010-12-31t17.mp3]

***

“YEM -> Manteca -> YEM” 12.31 II

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/2.07-You-Enjoy-Myself.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/2.08-Manteca.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/2.09-You-Enjoy-Myself.mp3]

***

“Twist > Simple” 1.1 II

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/ph2011-01-01t15.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/ph2011-01-01t16.mp3]

Following a festival slot at Austin City Limits, Phish’s fall tour of 2010 began in earnest with an intimate three-night stand a Broomfield, Colorado. While these shows didn’t hold up as tour highlights come, they were a solid starter pack for what would be the band’s best 3.0 tour to that point. This tour contained several indelible trends, and the first began in Broomfield—”Light” as a vehicle for quickened groove. What had been primarily an abstract and “ambient”-slanted jam, transformed in Broomfield, upping the song’s potential for improv, and several stellar versions would follow. Another Fall trend was the transformation of “Carini” into a blissed out jam. The band took the demonic piece and continuously flipped it upside down, transforming its path into melodic realms. Finally, durng Fall 2010, “Sand” evolved from a platform for guitar fireworks into a whole-band jam, and was a centerpiece of fall. Surrounding these metamorphoses, Phish’s musical efficiency and proficiency both soared, but the band’s lock-step jamming didn’t fully click until their second performance in Charleston. From that point, Phish traveled north for the rest of the tour—two weeks that saw the band’s consistency return like never before in this era. Less Amherst, the band ran off a stretch standout performances in Augusta, Utica, Providence, Manchester, and three in AC. When this tour ended, the community was flying high as the band seemed destined for greatness again. Today’s playlist—featuring a few more than ten tracks—brings us back though the hottest stretch of Fall 2010.

***

“Crosseyed and Painless” 10.16 II, Charleston, SC

A three-tiered beast of the likes we rarely hear this era.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/ph2010-10-16t14.mp3]

***

“2001 > Tweezer” 10.16 II

A high-octane, mid-set pairing from the band’s fire-stoking show.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/ph2010-10-16t17.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/ph2010-10-16t18.mp3]

***

“Light” 10.19 II, Augusta, ME

My pick for the version of Fall, combining both groove-based and abstract elements.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/ph2010-10-19d2t05.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/ph2010-10-19d2t06.mp3]

***

“Reba” 10.19 E, Augusta. ME

Out of nowhere Phish dropped one of the elite “Rebas” ever.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/ph2010-10-19d3t04.mp3]

***

“Run Like an Antelope” 10.20 I, Utica, NY

The Utica “Antelope” went where no modern version has been before or after.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Phish-Disc02Track05.mp3]

***

“Split > Have Mercy > Piper > Split” 10.20 II, Utica, NY

The unforgettable sequence from Utica’s second set.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Phish-Disc03Track04.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Phish-Disc03Track05.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Phish-Disc03Track06.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Phish-Disc03Track07.mp3]

***

“Rock and Roll > Carini” 10.22 II, Providence, RI

Some avant-garde psychedelia into, arguably, the “Carini” of tour.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/ph2010-10-22t13.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/ph2010-10-22t14.mp3]

***

“Light” 10.26 II, Manchester, NH

A groove-centric rendition that saw a reprise of the “Alumni Blues” funk from the opening set

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/ph2010-10-26t18.mp3]

***

“Ghost -> Mango” 10.26 II

A fierce “Ghost” that, for some reason, doesn’t get mentioned much.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/2.10-Ghost.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/2.11-The-Mango-Song.mp3]

***

“Cities” 10.29 I, Atlantic City, NJ

Atlantic “Cities.”

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/ph2010-10-29t14.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/ph2010-10-29t15.mp3]

***

“Sand > Carini” 10.29 II

Two staples of tour came together in the opening show of AC.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/2.03-Sand.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/2.04-Carini.mp3]

***

“Chalk Dust -> Whole Lotta Love -> Chalk Dust” 10.30 I

Was this a Halloween trick or tease? During setbreak, opinions varied.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/1.06-Chalkdust-Torture.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/1.07-Whole-Lotta-Love.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/1.08-Chalkdust-Torture.mp3]

***

“2001 > David Bowie” 10.30 II

After the Zeppelin antics, the band got down to business at the end of the 30th.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/ph2010-10-30t18.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/ph2010-10-30t19.mp3]

***

“Stash” 10.31 I

The improvisational beast of Halloween.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/ph2010-10-31t10.mp3]

***

“Fat Man In a Bathtub” 10.31 II

The kick off of one of Phish’s more fun Halloween sets ever.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/2.02-Fat-Man-in-the-Bathtub.mp3]

***

“Spanish Moon” 10.31 II

The highlight of “Waiting For Columbus” that we are still waiting to see reemerge.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/ph2010-10-31t20.mp3]

=====

2012 Champion: “YOU ENJOY MYSELF”

After only a month off, Phish was back at it again, this time starting out west at Berkeley’s Greek Theatre. Beyond the very creative jamming that took place in the Bay, these shows also welcomed Trey’s newest weapon to the big stage—The Ocedoc. His new guitar completely altered his style of leg one, as he all but abandoning The Whale for more precise runs of notes. The band stopped at Telluride for a couple of shows before moving to the Midwest for Deer Creek and Alpine Valley—the other standout stop of tour. Finishing with two at Jones Beach, the band was gelling like never before in this era and had their sites set on fall tour filled with downsized arenas.

***

“Tweezer” 8.5 II, Berkeley, CA

An underrated version filled with thick, west coast groove.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/2.07-Tweezer.mp3]

***

“Simple” 8.6 II, Berkeley, CA

One of the most innovative and gorgeous jams of the year.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/ph2010-08-06t12.mp3]

***

“Light” 8.7 II, Berkeley, CA

This wide-open masterpiece got my for jam of the summer.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/ph2010-08-07t12.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/ph2010-08-07t13.mp3]

***

“Harry Hood” 8.7 II, Berkeley, CA

A gorgeous version that sounded even better in The Greek’s pristine acoustics.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/ph2010-08-07t14.mp3]

***

“Piper > Mist” 8.9 II, Telluride, CO

After aborting “Tweezer” in the Rocky Mountains, the band salvaged the set one of the jams of summer in “Piper.”

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/ph2010-08-09t16.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/ph2010-08-09t17.mp3]

***

“Carini > Free” 8.10 II, Telluride, CO

The only piece of exploration in a seemingly out-of-place second show of Telluride.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/ph2010-08-10t18.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/ph2010-08-10t19.mp3]

***

“Drowned > Jibboo -> Gin” 8.12 II, Noblesville, IN

This unconventional second-set trifecta anchored Deer Creek’s opening night.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/phish2010-08-12mbhos2t02.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/phish2010-08-12mbhos2t03.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/phish2010-08-12mbhos2t04.mp3]

***

“Reba” 8.14 I, East Troy, WI

This version was a toss up with The Greek’s for best of summer.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/1.06-Reba.mp3]

***

“Down With Disease -> What’s the Use?” 8.14 II, East Troy, WI

A spectacular jam that saw the band execute the most astounding segue of this era.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/ph2010-08-14_mk4v_s2t03.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/ph2010-08-14_mk4v_s2t04.mp3]

***

“Ghost > Theme” 8.15 II, East Troy, WI

Nothing crazy, but plenty of great playing.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/ph2010-08-15d2t01.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/ph2010-08-15d2t02.mp3]

***

“Legthwise -> Maze” 8.17 II, Wantagh, NY

This early-90’s combo kicked off the second set at Jones Beach

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/phish2010-08-17d02t01.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/phish2010-08-17d02t02.mp3]

***

“Number Line” 8.17 II, Wantagh, NY

Jones Beach’s “Number Line” bookended the summer’s versions with Blossom’s—perhaps the two best to date.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/phish2010-08-17d02t06.mp3]

=====

THE TITLE GAME: “YEM” vs. “TWEEZER”

The votes have been tallied and the two finalists for the title of “The Most Loved Phish Song” are no surprises—”You Enjoy Myself” and “Tweezer.” While “YEM” illustrates Trey’s magnificent early song writing, there has not been a jam in history that has taken us more places than “Tweezer.” This one should be a close battle, and voting is open all the way through Tuesday to get the most accurate count possible. Cast your VOTE NOW at Trey Is My Friend’s Facebook page, and watch the votes pile up!

Semi-Final totals:

“YEM” def. “Harry Hood” —  590 – 519

“Tweezer” def. “Reba”  — 666 – 437

 

We last left our modern-era audio retrospective after wrapping up the comeback year of 2009 in Miami. This week, let’s take a look back at the the year that was 2010. After six long months off—a time filled with promise—Phish came back at Toyota Park in Chicago, kicking off Leg One of summer with a blistering two-set effort amidst sweltering heat. Coming off a practice session at UIC Pavilion, the band’s beginning-of-tour momentum carried through Blossom and Hershey Park as they opened up the run with three of its stronger shows. The following weekend featured two nights in Hartford and two in SPAC, before the band hit an improvisational breakthrough at Camden and Merriweather with jams such as 6.25’s “Chalk Dust,” 6.26’s “Rock and Roll,” and 6.27’s “Piper.” After popping north to Canandaigua, the band finished out the tour with four shows down south, each featuring flashes of greatness, but little whole show consistency.

This tour was also the month that Trey favored his whammy pedal for pitch bending, a technique affectionately (or not) nicknamed “The Whale.” Many fans lamented this more mimialist playing by Trey, but by laying back, Trey allowed Page, and specifically, Mike to step up and lead jams like never before. When Trey got finally debuted “The Ocedoc” and a more fiery style of play at The Greek, a new improvisational dynamic had emerged over Leg One that allowed the band to communicate on a more democratic level. Phish threw down many great jams during this month, and today’s playlist represent ten of my favorite in chronological order.

***

“Ghost” 6.11, Bridgeview, IL

The improvisatioonal centrepiece of a big-time second set that opened tour with a bang.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/ph2010-06-11t12.mp3]

***

“Number Line” 6.12 II, Cuyahoga Falls, OH

One night later, this jam topped Chicago’s “Ghost,” showcasing a single-mindedness rarely seen in 2009.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/ph2010-06-12t13.mp3]

***

“Disease -> Sand” 6.17 II, Hartford, CT

An intense throwdown on night one in Hartford.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/ph2010-06-17s2t03.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/ph2010-06-17s2t04.mp3]

***

“Rock and Roll > Free” 6.19 II, S.Springs, NY

This “Rock and Roll” set up the following weekend’s tour highlight version. This one from SPAC, however, ain’t too shabby either.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/ph2010-06-19s2t01.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/ph2010-06-19s2t02.mp3]

***

“Drowned > Swept > Steep” 6.20, II S.Springs, NY

This sequence provided the meat of SPAC’s second performance.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/2.04-Drowned.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/2.05-Swept-Away.mp3]

***

“Chalk Dust > Caspian” 6.25 II, Camden, NJ

Phish hadn’t dropped a jam like this all summer long. It felt like a monumental breakthrough at the time, and it still holds up just fine.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/ph2010-06-25t13.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/ph2010-06-25t14.mp3]

***

“Rock and Roll > Free” 6.26 II, Columbia, MD

Right up there with the best jams of tour; a gorgeous piece of improvisation. This comes from the Saturday night of tour’s peak weekend.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/ph2010-06-26t13.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/ph2010-06-26t14.mp3]

***

“Piper” 6.27 II, Columbia, MD

Amidst a thematic second set strewn with allusions to “Saw It Again,” Phish dropped the gnarliest “Piper” of the era up to that point.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/2.04-Piper-11.mp3]

***

“Light” 7.1 II, Raleigh, NC

This was the top version from a tour in which “Light” became Phish’s preeminent jam vehicle.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/ph2010-07-01t13.mp3]

***

“Tweezer -> Slave” 7.3 II, Alpharetta, GA

Believe it or not, this was the first time that “Tweezer” and “Slave” had been paired in the band’s career—and it made for a no-brainer tour highlight.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/ph2010-07-03d2t06.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/ph2010-07-03d2t07.mp3]

=====

UPDATE: THE PHILLER

The latest from Robert Champion of The Sloping Companion:

On May 24th, on the brink of Summer Tour’s kick-off in Bethel, Phish will drop the DVD/CD Box set “Live in Utica,” commemorating what many fans, including myself, selected as the show of 2010. As the release gets closer, the band will likely release several previews of the DVDs, and the first snippet came today—footage of the show’s first set “David Bowie.” Below is my description of the jam, excerpted from last year and the video clip.

***

While Fishman’s cymbals danced into the intro to “Bowie,” Trey continued to play “Guyute’s” triumphant lick with increasingly distorted phrasing, a seemingly innocent move at the time. But these teases sparked a theme for the rest of the set – self-referential integration of one song into another in with the spontaneity of lore. As “Bowie’s” jam dropped, Trey used the same “Guyute” line, phrased differently, to initiate the improvisation. Almost immediately, the band landed in the opening hits of “Wilson” and the crowd caught on just as quickly. In a call and response exercise, the crowd chanted “Wilson” to which Trey answered in Guyute-speak, “He’s bouncing like a new born elf.” Instead of dropping into “Wilson,” in earnest, the band made the far shrewder call of melting back into a delicate, full-on “Bowie” jam. Page’s piano leads wove with Trey’s melodies, pushing the piece in an ominous direction. Mike supported with harmonizing rhythm offerings that catalyzed a darker feel, and the band took off running in a powerful version of their revitalized classic. Passing through an additional “Wilson” tease on the way to a smashing final section, Phish had dropped a twisting tour highlight smack dab in the middle of the first set. And that wouldn’t even be their most impressive excursion of the half!

***

***

Read the rest of my Utica two-part retrospective…

***

Jam of the Day:

“Run Like an Antelope” 10.20.2010 I

The peak of Utica’s opening set.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Phish-Disc02Track05.mp3]

***

 

In lieu of my usual Friday playlist, this weekend I have assembled a group heavy-hitting selections from 2010 that all took place on weekend nights. Enjoy this weekend, enjoy the tunes, and may all fare well in the ticket lottery!

***

“Tube” 10.30.10 II

This slick version kicked of the second half of Saturday night in AC.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/ph2010-10-30t14.mp3]

***

“Crosseyed and Painless” 10.16.10 II

Another Saturday second set opener.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/ph2010-10-16t14.mp3]

***

“Light > Twenty Years Later” 8.7.10 II

A modern classic from The Greek.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/ph2010-08-07t12.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/ph2010-08-07t13.mp3]

***

“Number Line” 6.12.10 II

Perhaps the most impressive jam of last June.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/ph2010-06-12t13.mp3]

***

“Rock and Roll > Free” 6.26.10 II

In a month when every Saturday night opened with “Rock and Roll,” this version from Merriweather took the cake.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/ph2010-06-26t13.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/ph2010-06-26t14.mp3]

***

“Tweezer > Slave” 7.3.10 II

The definitive jamming sequence from Alpharetta’s holiday stand.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/ph2010-07-03d2t06.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/ph2010-07-03d2t07.mp3]

Traditionally a platform for extended guitar sorcery, “Sand” made the jump from TAB to Phish at The Gorge in the Fall of 1999. Adopting a similar structure as it had in Trey’s solo band, Phish’s “Sand” showcased a deep, linear groove over which the band largely improvised by adding and peeling away sonic layers and effects. Rarely veering from this structure, the song became a relic of 1999 and 2000—the millennial era—a time when Phish focused on psychedelic soundscapes and dark, rhythmic jamming. Appearing only once in the post-hiatus era as a part of 2003’s New Year’s Run in Miami, Phish doubled that output in 2009 with versions in Camden and Miami. Camden’s version added a surprise element of melody to the groove-based palette, but the song remained a rarity through Summer 2010.

A turning point for the song came in Telluride, when Mike broke form and began improvising bass leads while Trey tore into ferocious washes of sound and sustained, uncompressed phrases. Page stepped up and began playing along with Mike’s uncompromising lines before Trey drifted back into a more standard lead role. While Mike, Page and Trey engaged in a distinctly different conversation, Fishman still maintained a driving beat that kept the creativity framed in familiar style. Coming together in a crushing full-band peak, Phish capped the jam without returning to its final musical verse. This version carried something far more dynamic than previous incarnations; interplay that foreshadowed a forthcoming change.

Over the course of Fall and New Year’s, Phish dropped four “Sands”—as many versions as they had played in almost two years since their return. Over these four outings, Phish continued the shift that had begun in Telluride, from a one-dimensional piece into a jam in which all four members play an equal part. Coming off the shelf in the first set of Charleston’s finale, it was this version of “Sand” that kicked the show into overdrive; a show that would set Phish afire for the rest of the fall. Building off Telluride’s version, the entire band—including Fishman—treated the song more equitably than ever before. Trey left space for other ideas in the mix, and before we knew it, Phish was crafting a legitimate four-piece conversation amidst “Sand.” Applying their ego-less jamming that has steadily matured since their return to “Sand,” the band transformed the one-time Trey highlight reel into a dynamic show-stopper.

Phish liked what they played in Charleston so much that “Sand” was moved into the second set only two shows later in Utica, New York. Coupled with Atlantic City’s fall finale on 10.29, these two versions explored the band’s newly-discovered four-piece rhythmic gamesmanship. And both resulted in fall tour highlights that reached places previously untouched by “Sand.” Utica’s knee-buckling version featured more powerful exchanges than Charleston’s and broke into a second segment that provided a groovy bridge to “Theme From the Bottom,” while giving us a preview of the open jamming we’d hear from the song in Atlantic City. “Sand’s” curtain call of the season came in a scintillating centerpiece on the first night of Atlantic City. Following another mind-numbing and equitable excursion, Phish skirted the song’s typical ending and landed in a slowed down, melodic piece of music with a shuffle beat that, had nothing to do with the song’s structure at all. “Sand,” the ultimate contained jam, had finally broken down its doors into open, uncharted territory. Eventually leading into “Carini,” this version illustrated how far the song had come over fall tour. But we had no idea what was waiting for us on New Year’s Eve.

As the opening of “Sand” emanated from the stage at Madison Square Garden, it felt like the theme music to a prize-fighter’s entrance. Shit was about to go down, and everybody in the building knew it. Bursting out of the gate with his signature staccato licks featured prominently over the New Year’s Run, Trey began the jam as he would any other in history. But with 2010’s improvisational transformation, the rest of the band reacted completely differently than in years past. Instead of providing a canvas for Trey’s crack rhythm licks, the band joined right in! Echoing and improvising off of Trey’s infectious lines, the band members engaged in a selfless symphony like none heard in the song’s history. Page, Mike, and Fish were all playing some form of Trey’s stacatto licks, transforming the jam into one of the danciest and most impressive jaunts of the song’s career. The band members all left space for each other to continue and finish each others’ musical ideas, and the jam quickly turned into one of the most intense high “Sand” had ever provided. And as Trey released from his syncopated patterns with a jazzy lick, the band followed right along, sailing fluidly through the second half of the song with communication just as jaw-dropping as the first. And then without wasting a moment, Phish seamlessly returned to the final chords of the song in a flawless rendition.

It is a fruitless attempt to compare “Sands” from 1999 to “Sands” of 2010, as the band’s intent for the song has now completely changed. That being said, each spin of the New Year’s version continues to floor me with its precision and perfection. Along with Big Cypress’ middle of the night romp on the other end of the spectrum, I believe these to be the song’s crowning achievements. The former version is 40 minutes and the latter is 10—timings that are signposts of vastly different eras. Cypress’ odyssey represents the peak of the original “Sands,” while MSG’s represents the peak of a whole new style. But when all is said and done, with Phish’s new focus on equitable “Sand” structures, the song’s brightest days may yet lie ahead.

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Jam of the Day:

“Sand” 12.31.10 II

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/ph2010-12-31t14.mp3]

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DOWNLOAD OF THE DAY:

4.27.1991 The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, New York SBD

FLAC Torrent (via etree), Mp3 Torrent, Megaupload < Links

I played roulette with for today’s download. I chose a year, closed my eyes, and clicked the mouse. So here we have it—The Capitol Theatre, a very Phishy stop in 1991. This was the band’s third of seven shows at the venue between 1990 and 1992. Enjoy the Thursday SBD treat. (Note: The FLAC torrent is an AUD new to circulation.)

I: Sweet Adeline, The Asse Festival, Runaway Jim, Cavern, The Landlady, My Sweet One, Reba, Llama, The Lizards, Suzy Greenberg, Stash, Golgi Apparatus

II: The Curtain > Possum, TMWSIY > Avenu Malkenu > TMWSIY > Mike’s Song > Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Fluffhead, Tweezer, The Squirming Coil > Wipe Out > Tweezer Reprise

E: Bouncin’ Around the Room, Good Times Bad Times

*Aquarium Rescue Unit opened

Source: DSBD / FLAC: akg 451eb’s

VIDEO OF THE WEEKEND:

“Crosseyed > Twist, Simple” 1.1.11 (mkdevo)

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Jams of the Weekend:

“Farmhouse” 12.27.10 II

A gorgeous piece from the first night of the New Year’s Run in Worcester.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/ph2010-12-27t14.mp3]

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“Reba” 1.1.11 I

Trey’s magnificent work carries this entire jam.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/ph2011-01-01t11.mp3]

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We are back in the long-offseason, which will certainly mean more installments of Ten Tunes For Friday. This week, since we have been looking back on 2010, I decided to highlight jams from the past year. By no means was I trying to pinpoint the ten best jams, but simply ten outstanding pieces of improvisation from the past calendar year. Enjoy reminiscing over the last day of the week.

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“Rock and Roll > Carini ” 10.22 II Providence

This sequence kicked off an underrated second set with one of the defining jam sequences of fall tour; some avant-garde psychedelia to start kick off Friday.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/ph2010-10-22t13.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/ph2010-10-22t14.mp3]

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“Ghost > Theme” 8.15 II Alpine

Shredding versions of each song came together to open Alpine’s final set with fireworks.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/ph2010-08-15d2t01.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/ph2010-08-15d2t02.mp3]

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“Simple” 8.6.10 I Greek

One of the most creative jams of 2010.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/ph2010-08-06t12.mp3]

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“Piper > Mist ” 8.19 II Telluride

After botching the Rocky Mountain “Tweezer” everyone had dreamed about since the shows were announced, Phish salvaged the set with one of the “Pipers” of the year.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/ph2010-08-09t16.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/ph2010-08-09t17.mp3]

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“Stash” 10.31 I Atlantic City

The much-heralded Halloween “Stash” has definite staying power.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/ph2010-10-31t10.mp3]

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“Harry Hood” 8.12 II Deer Creek

A dark horse version overshadowed by The Greek and Jones Beach’s centerpieces, this Deer Creek outing is right up there with the “Hoods” of summer.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/phish2010-08-12mbhos2t12.mp3]

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“Split Open and Melt” 10.11.10 Broomfield

The Broomfield shows seemed to get buried in the rubble of an east coast avalanche last fall, but several the pieces from the run, including this “Split,” deserve to be remembered.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/ph2010-10-12d3t01.mp3]

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“2001 > Bowie” 10.30 II Atlantic City

Possibly the most fluid musical sequence of fall tour; a true pimp ride through the universe.

[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/ph2010-10-30t18.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/ph2010-10-30t19.mp3]

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