WHY THE "CLIFFORD BALL, 1994" WILL ALWAYS BE MY FAVORITE SHOW
Some days you get just end up neck deep in it. I knew I was in for trouble when I woke up incredibly hungry and willingly broke my morning breakfast routine and schedule for immediate satisfaction. Fast forward to lunch and a (luckily) damage-free fender bender at the Traffic Circle Satan himself would apologize for and I'm writing off today. Arriving back at my desk, I need to take the edge off, so in go the headphones. Now normally, I'd search for a show to listen to, but inevitably a random show will only add to the day's frustration. That's it! I'm opening Spotify and putting on A Live One.
And then everything changed...
You see, the fine folks at Spotify didn't get the memo on the album's origin.
[Live LP Version - Clifford Ball, 1994]
No one told the data entry person that the whole "Clifford Ball" thing was an inside joke with the band. It made me chuckle. And in such a liberating way. Then it made me think. Isn't this album the ultimate show?
It's the mix tape we all made before LivePhish and the internet gave us everything we wanted. It's the process that successfully tried to find the best versions for all the best songs. It's the show that if they played it now, we'd all sit back in awe.
And for a few minutes today, it changed my whole perspective on today. So thanks, Spotify. For keeping it real, you guys.
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Phish.net
The Mockingbird Foundation
A.) The album I have listened to the most
B.) The album that REALLY got me into Phish
C.) The "default" version I always hear in my head when I think of each song on that album.
D.) The day I sell my kidney if they ever release it on Vinyl
I wrote this as really quick exercise to just get the thoughts out there. It's certainly light on details. The Wikipedia page probably says it all better
Sincerely,
Dosque
ha god remember when people with a CD burner and a laser printer could make more money than crack dealers by pretending like a CD full of crappy quality outtakes and/or live tracks was worth $30 bucks?
i really wish i had a CD Burner and a laser printer in those days.
love it
but i gotta say that i prefer slip switch and pass for live phish releases before LivePhish and i also if i had to had to say would put Junta as my fav phish compact disc... with ghost as a close second
Side A
Bouncing Around The Room
Stash
Gumbo
Side B
Montana
You Enjoy Myself
Side C
Chalk Dust Torture
Slave To The Traffic Light
Side D
Wilson
Tweezer Pt. 1
Side E
Tweezer Pt. 2
Simple
Side F
Harry Hood
Side G
The Squirming Coil
Side H
ETCHING -- or better yet...bonus track!!
7/8/94
10/9/94
10/23/94
11/2/94
11/16/94
11/26/94
11/28/94
12/2/94
12/7/94
12/10/94
12/30/94
12/31/94
I came in late to the game.
+1 to the bonus track from the era idea!!!!!
Side 1 – Dark Star (19:21)
Side 2 – Drums (2:32), Dark Star (17:34)
The album itself changed my life. And I totally agree with the previous comment, a lot of the tracks on here are still the default track I hear in my head when I think of the song.
for a long time i thought that the 'turn' in the ALO Hood was standard operating procedure -- it was the first Hood i heard, and remains my template for the song. i remember my mom and brother walking in to the supermarket once when i was in high school -- junior year, probably -- i refused to go with them because i wanted to sit and listen to that Hood. the first time i remember crying with happiness was listening to the 12/30/97 Guyute(?!?!), but i wouldn't be surprised to unearth someday a memory of being torn in half by that Hood. the particular sound of the recording is precious to me.
plus the Harry/Coil pairing to close this album is pretty close to my ideal finale -- i'm glad they left off Tweeprise, which would have dispelled the powerful spell of page's Coil solo.
damn, i'm gonna listen to this today!
A Live One is still one my go to Phish albums, and I am glad that I get to remember my first show whenever I hear it.