N00B100 PRESENTS: MY FAVORITE SETS OF 3.0, DIRECTOR'S CUT (THE TOP TEN)
Previous installments:
And one last time, for all time:
DISCLAIMER: All of this is just one man's very subjective opinion. Feel free to discuss, disagree (gently), and point out anything I may have missed or ignored in the comments. Vive la différence!
NUMBERS 10-1
10. 7/27/14 II, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD
I think that, at this point, we have finally exhausted everything that could possibly be said about 7/27/14 II.
9. 12/…
10. 7/27/14 II, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD
No, just kidding. I’m still not really sure where the idea that this set has no replay value comes from, unless you’re absolutely beholden to jams and jams alone – yes, this set is a tad light on improv compared to, say, even something like 7/20/14 II, but I’ve always maintained that segues can sometimes be just as interesting as jams (not always, but sometimes), and there are some absolutely mind-melting segues in this show. Couple that with deep improv post-”Tweezer” 1, the giddy wackiness of the “NICU” -> “Jam” -> “HYHU” > “Jennifer Dances” > “HYHU” run, and the heart-warming close with “I Been Around”, and you’re talking about something as *fun* as the band has ever played. This is a pretty good demarcation set for the elite of 3.0, I’d think.
Also, “Catapult” -> “Slave” still gets to me every single damn time.
9. 12/29/13 II, Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Another show that, from top to bottom, is nigh unassailable as part of 3.0’s canon. The cool thing about the 1-2 punch style of jamming that Fall 2013 and this show traded in is that it doesn’t allow you to catch your breath after the first big-time jam – that’s not always a good thing, but so many of Fall 2013’s 1-2 punches (to say nothing of this show) featured two jams so strong that their cumulative effect really hit home in a way separating them by, say, “Julius” wouldn’t. Think about it – how strange would this death-defying “Disease” and Pigpen-from-Peanuts-filthy “Carini” sound not paired together?
8. 8/12/15 II, The Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia, PA
When you get into this level of greatness, we’re really only talking about a matter of degrees separating all of these sets – if you hold this one higher in your heart, I wouldn’t argue with you one little bit. “Twist” and “Scents and Subtle Sounds”, paired together, make for a truly hearty half-hour-plus of music, with a superb journey-to-the-center-of-the-peak in the former and a head-down charging dark groove in the latter, and is where the reputation of this set lies. But a lot of sets in this era would be quite happy with the “Gin” and “NMINML” that kicks things off, and who doesn’t love “Hood” at the end? Five songs, all well worth hearing, and the moment (for me) where Summer 2015 started playing for higher stakes.
7. 8/15/11 II, UIC Pavilion, Chicago, IL
One of the true Big Deals of the era, a set that, when it was played, really started to get people talking about how the band had truly found their feet in this incarnation. It’s the fluidity of the set, more than anything else, that impresses me the most today – how every song seems to segue together, even if only a few do in the setlist-marking sense, creating the “one big jam” sensation of the great sets (and much of Fall ’97). For the people that think Page need to use the theremin more often (my hand is raised), this staggering “Undermind” is Exhibit A, B, C, and D.
6. 8/22/15 II, Magnaball, Watkins Glen, NY
It’s funny how people (including me) get nervous once they’ve passed the first two songs of a second set without improv being played – we have tons of examples of the band getting down to business with Set II, Song 2, but once you get past that with no improv, you start wondering what exactly the band is getting up to with their self-styled terrain for improvisation. It makes it all the funnier, then, when the result is something like this Set II, where the next four songs take you on a near-hour tour through the cosmos (RIP Harris), peaking with an era highlight in “Tweezer” -> “Prince Caspian”. Sometimes I need to remember that those fellows on stage know what they’re doing, y’know?
5. 8/19/12 II, Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, CA
A companion piece with 6/23/12 II, where a parade of encores follows up an absolutely thrilling jam sequence, almost like a Europe ’72 second set in reverse. The peak in “Light” and decamping into “Sally” still remains one of 3.0’s most “hold on for dear life” moments, and when they find their way back into “Crosseyed” after that high-energy “Sally” jam, you find yourself just shaking your head in disbelief. But, man…”C&P” > “Light” -> “Sally” -> “C&P” > “Theme” > “YEM”. Man…
4. 7/31/15 II, Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood, Atlanta, GA
Here’s a question – what part of this set would you take out, if asked to take a part out? You wouldn’t take out the “KDF”, of course, that’s the tentpole jam. You wouldn’t take out the “Martian Monster”, it’s such a crazy and weird sidecar to the big monster jam. Would you get rid of that gorgeously melodic “Twist”? Maybe the “BOTT”, but every set needs a breather, and it’s connected to the songs on both sides by segues, even! You’re definitely not tossing out that “Reba”, especially considering how high-quality it is, and that hell’s-coming-with-me “Gin” is just too good as a set closer. So that means this set is a perfect sum of its parts, right? No wonder it’s got such a special place in my heart.
3. 7/13/14 II, Randall’s Island, New York, NY
Isn’t it great how much this set works as the yin to 7/27/14’s yang? Rather than pull out more segues than you can shake a stick at, this baby’s got jamming coming out of its ears; you could very easily argue that no hour-ish sequence of the era matches “CDT” > “Light” > “Tweezer” for sheer quality improvisation. It’s a truly rare set or jam in 3.0 that a) immediately marches up .net’s official or unofficial rating chart, b) actually gets other Phish-related forums to say something nice for once, and c) becomes a standard-bearer for future shows/jams to chase, but this set accomplished all three more or less from the moment it was played. And yet, it’s still not as much a favorite to me as…
2. 10/20/13 II, Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA
This was, for a good long time, my favorite set of the era, and I’m sure I’m not the only person who held that sentiment. There’s just *so much* you have to argue against here – the Heart of Darkness “Tweezer”, the vicious firepower of “Golden Age”, “Piper” -> “Takin' Care of Business” -> “2001”’s lighter-waving moment, strong versions of “Sand” and “Slave” to close. There’s so much to love in this set, and any era of this band would welcome it with open arms. It’s one of their career highlights.
But it’s no longer my favorite set of 3.0. What is, you ask?
1. 12/31/14 II, American Airlines Arena, Miami, FL
The heart wants what it wants. Think about this – 12/31/14 II starts with “Birds of a Feather”, a song I don’t care for very much (sorry, “BOAF” fans); it has a “Chalk Dust Torture” that is played a mite too fast (didn’t think that was possible, but here we are) and doesn’t have any improv in it; it closes with “Martian Monster”, which nearly hit “Back on the Train” in ’99 levels of overplayed in the year following this show. So how can I justify calling this my favorite set of the era, over some of the most famous sets of their career?
Here’s how: with a “Ghost” that works its way into some of the best bliss jamming this side of NYE 2010, then seemingly comes to an early close, only to explode back to life and hit a staggering second peak when Trey Anastasio grabs the reins and leads the band down the stretch, a “Theme from the Bottom” that devolves into scratchy and punchy Echoplex-driven funkiness, and a you-GOTTA-hear-this mega-segue into a “Cities” that opens up like a lotus flower in gorgeous fashion and closes 40 minutes of superlative music that might as well be one long jam. I may not love “BOAF” and that version of “CDT” might not be 7/13/14’s, but neither of them actually detract from the set at all. And yes, “Martian Monster” may be a tad overplayed now, but it sure as shit wasn’t on New Year’s Eve 2014, and that massive roar that greets “You have been selected…” still tugs my heartstrings the hundredth time I’ve heard it as much as it did the first (not to mention that the version played has some real stank on it, as well). Add all that up, and you’ve got a set that I think competes with damn near anything they’ve ever played, and serves as a worthy ruler to seven truly fantastic years.
Thank you so much for reading, everyone! I hope you all enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed putting it together and reliving the best of the last seven years. Please leave a comment below, and be sure to tip your waitress.*
* the Mockingbird Foundation
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Good work.
Cheers.
And 2) My fav set of 3.0: Set II of 12/31/13 ! Jamming aside, this setlist is about as dreamy as it gets. Add in the occasion/30th anny, and you got something special. Not to mention everyone in the Garden was freaking out!
a) I didn't want to give in too much to recency effect, and
b) We're talking about the best of the best, here. Top 10% of all sets, remember? I'd say they're comfortably in the top 20-30%, if that helps.
By the way, you identified the reason (or the main reason) people are knocking the Mexico shows (save 1/17) so hard in your own post. You'll figure it out, I'm sure. But don't let me, or anyone else, take the experience away from you.
It's in Part 3; I'd suggest you go back and re-read. I was confused for a second because I thought you said 12/31/12 II, which is just fine but nowhere near as special as 12/31/13 II is.
So grateful for all the amazing moments this band has provided in the last seven years. I couldn't be happier about the state of things, and it's just remarkable how far they've come since Hampton Fluff. If nothing else, @n00b100's fine work compiling his list and sharing it should make plain that there is a lot to love and cherish in the 3.0 oeuvre.
If you find yourself on tour this year or at any one show, take time to count your blessings. It's a great time to be alive and to be a Phan! Savor it!
That said, I agree with much of what's on the list. Different strokes for different folks. Great write up! Thanks for doing it.
I love reading these lists. I think the short, but to the point, narratives are a critical part of these. Especially when the author is such a good writer. A simple list is not nearly as much fun. I was lucky enough to attend 6 of the 10 and they were all great of course.
I'm not sure once you get to the top 10, that the order matters quite as much. My top 5 sets are all included in the final 10. But it is interesting to me that #s 10, 9 and 8 would all be in my top 5 - in some order - (along with 7/31/15 and 10/20/13). When you get to the elite of the elite (and all 10 sets qualify), I think I hold flawless sets with no soft spots (12/29/13, 7/31/15) in slightly higher esteem than those which have highlight segments that are so overwhelmingly spectacular that they render the "weaker" parts of the set completely irrelevant (8/22/15, 7/13/14).
As far as the list in its entirety, I have no real beef. I haven't even listened to all of them
OP - How much did the so-so Hood affect the absence of 1/2/16? I'd have to imagine if the Hood was even an A- version it would be in there?
Well done, sir.
To a few of your points:
a) 7/14/13 II was one of my last cuts. It or 10/27/13 II would probably have taken 9/6/15 Encore's place if they'd never played that encore.
b) Put in 10/23/13's Hood and it's there. Put in, like, the 7/26/14 Hood and it's top 50; put in the 7/1/14 Hood and it's top 20-15. Like I said, the differences are minute.
7/14/13 II. Similar in construction to 12/31/10 II and 8/4/15 II - okay first half, stronger 2nd half. Light -> Boogie On is fantastic, and the YEM is a killer.
10/27/13 II. Beautiful major-key Tweezer, funky-as-heck Golden Age.
7/8/12 II. Something out of 1993 - lots of well-played songs, wonderful Piper, great Hood at (sort of) the end.
10/16/10 II. A super mega sleeper set from Fall 2010, one of 3.0's finest jaunts. Always loved that first review by @Fluffyfluffyhead. I should review this one some time.
6/7/09 II. People like the Sand a lot, but the Tweezer here is just so damn good. Oh, wait, they didn't jam in 2009, I must have dreamed those up.
12/29/09 II. 12/30 II has a jam I like more (the BOTT - wait, BOTT???), but this one hangs together so well from start to finish. I gave a set with TWO Jibboos in it praise, so I'm not messing around here.
1/2/15 II. Still a superb Mike's Groove; right behind Nashville 2015's and Star Lake 2012's.
7/20/14 II. When ARE they gonna jam out The Wedge again??!?!
1/1/11 II. I keep going back and forth on this show; at the moment, while I'm not sure it has a big standout jam, the set holds together so well, and that's definitely worth noting.
1/2/16 II. As noted above. Throw in a Hood that doesn't FUBAR the ending (I've listened to it enough times now that I can't give it points for improv because the ending is so gnarly compared to many other great 14-16 Hoods), and it's on the list for sure. Still like that YEM a good deal...
other than that thank you for read, you obviously put a lot of time into this and love the band dearly
i think both sets should be on this list.
1. Light 15/44/2.9 (15 total appearances on Noobs list, 44 total points on 5/4/3/2/1 scale, average 2.9 pts per appearance on the list).
2. Harry Hood 13/35/2.7
3. Ghost 12/31/2.6
4. CDT 10/29/2.9
Tie. Piper 10/29/2.9
6. Twist 9/31/3.4
7. BDTNL 9/22/2.4
8. Tweezer 8/27/3.4
9. DWD 8/25/3.1
10. YEM 8/22/2.75.
Thanks Noob, I think you can tell these long breaks between tours/runs in 3.0 don't agree with me by the fact I wasted an afternoon on the above. Your list helped kill some time till new shows to listen to and will guide my listening between now and summer tour. Peace.
The 50+ min. block of music beginning with C&P and culminating with Theme stands up with any era or sequence of Phish music for several reasons. The concept of execution as being one of those hadn't occurred to me until my cousin's case of mistaken identity.
Although not "hold on for dear life" special, there is something delicately germane about the piano trickle into Theme.
@phunky58 said: Also appreciate the kind words - I'd figured the #1 choice would be a tad controversial. Summer '12 and Fall '13 are both well represented in the entire Top 50 + 11; I'm a bit surprised you can't find any straight fire in 7/31/15 II and 7/13/14 II, but hey.
Phish acumen. Bravo!!
I've said it before and say it again, I read this list and feel I'm listening to different shows. Did the reviewer even listen to Fall 2010? No Augusta Set II? No Utica? Barely a reference of Atlantic City? 10/30 is #47? 10/30/10 was raw, unadulterated Phish. No Mullins Center? Manchester Set I was probably better than 75% of what is on this list. Even the Providence show was a barn burner - not one single bathroom break/non-rocker. Fall 2010 is still the Holy Grail of 3.0. Summer 2015 coming in a close second.
Where is the Exile set and Waiting for Columbus with full horns sections and guests?
The festivals and NYE shows just get way to many mentions when almost every one of those shows have produced mediocre content relative to 3.0. Sure there is a heady jam in every gig. But almost every one of those sets has every day dreck. Not even the Drive-In Set made an honoroable mention even though it was the best set of Magnaball and the reason we all go to these shows.
Always to fun to read this stuff and appreciate the reviewers time and effort, I just could not disagree more with this entire 50 plus list. I guess thats why we are here and the phun of it! I agree with "humalupa," while my list is way different, theres no room to argue the thoroughness and thoughtfulness of compiling any list. Nice work!
Blaze on to summer '16!
You clearly find more value in 2012 in particular than I do, but it's all good. I may disagree with some of your rankings, but you know your Phish. However....
No Drive-In Jam? At all? As in, the Drive-In Jam is not one of the Top 50 sets of 3.0? I know it's not a "normal" set, and I'm not even one of those "20+ minute jams are the only thing that matters" type of fans, but come on man! Really?
Sir, I demand satisfaction. Pistols at dawn!
@The_Optimistic_Vet said: "Just one man's trash, but yet again, the feeling seems awfully slanted towards one's personal experiences and the shows they attended."
I've attended a grand total of zero of these shows, so I guess the personal experiences are me listening to these shows in bed on my speakers?
"I've said it before and say it again, I read this list and feel I'm listening to different shows. Did the reviewer even listen to Fall 2010? No Augusta Set II? No Utica? Barely a reference of Atlantic City? 10/30 is #47? 10/30/10 was raw, unadulterated Phish. No Mullins Center? Manchester Set I was probably better than 75% of what is on this list. Even the Providence show was a barn burner - not one single bathroom break/non-rocker. Fall 2010 is still the Holy Grail of 3.0. Summer 2015 coming in a close second. "
Well, there's your hand tipped, then. I love Fall 2010, and have talked about it a lot on the forum, but we're talking absolute best of the best here. Both Utica sets are probably in the top 20% of all 3.0 sets. 10/19/10 II would be here if the Reba was part of the set, instead of the encore. 10/26/10 I is a strong *first set*. Agree to disagree on everything else.
"Where is the Exile set and Waiting for Columbus with full horns sections and guests? "
I lean a) more towards improv and b) more towards sets that feature Phish doing more than performing (awesome) versions of someone else's songs. They're both great!
"The festivals and NYE shows just get way to many mentions when almost every one of those shows have produced mediocre content relative to 3.0. Sure there is a heady jam in every gig. But almost every one of those sets has every day dreck. Not even the Drive-In Set made an honoroable mention even though it was the best set of Magnaball and the reason we all go to these shows. "
Just about every set ever played has everyday dreck, unless you think only the 4/5 song sets deserve to be considered the greatest ever (which I'm not 100% unsympathetic towards). Let's put a pin in the Drive-In Jam.
"Always to fun to read this stuff and appreciate the reviewers time and effort, I just could not disagree more with this entire 50 plus list. I guess thats why we are here and the phun of it! I agree with "humalupa," while my list is way different, theres no room to argue the thoroughness and thoughtfulness of compiling any list. Nice work!"
Thank you! I imagine I'd disagree with your list as well, but that's what fandom's all about - having differences, and respecting them.
@RobPJohnson3 said: "First off, thanks for your thoughtful comment on my earlier post about the relative merits of early 3.0 vs. late 3.0. I was on vacation and unplugged from the Internet for a few days so I just saw it."
No problem! Thanks for giving me something to chew on.
"You clearly find more value in 2012 in particular than I do, but it's all good. I may disagree with some of your rankings, but you know your Phish. However....
No Drive-In Jam? At all? As in, the Drive-In Jam is not one of the Top 50 sets of 3.0? I know it's not a "normal" set, and I'm not even one of those "20+ minute jams are the only thing that matters" type of fans, but come on man! Really?
Sir, I demand satisfaction. Pistols at dawn!"
So here's the thing - it's called the Drive-In JAM. Not the Drive-In Set (despite what @The_Optimistic_Vet referred to it as above), the Drive-In Jam. You let that one in, you're opening up a can of worms. What about the Storage Jam? Would you count the Tower Jam and Ambient Jams in 2.0 and 1.0 lists, respectively? What about soundchecks? The Magnaball soundcheck is over 50 minutes and absolutely incredible music, shouldn't 8/20/15 get some recommendation as a great set? Shoot, at least the Storage Jam has > Sleeping Monkey tacked onto the end of it, that'd *definitely* give it a better case to call itself a set than the Drive-In Jam does. It's the same reason it's not part of the 2015 Jam of the Year Tournament - it's too hard to categorize.
For the record, a) I think if it was in the 2015 Jam of the Year Tournament, it'd win pretty handily or at the very least get to the Final Four, and b) if I *was* including it in this exercise, it'd probably be *at least* between 7/31/15 and 7/13/14.
I am of the opinion that the Ghost > Theme -> Cities is very good but the rest of the set is nothing to write home about. You seem to be of the same opinion.
I, however, can't make the mental leap to say 40 very good minutes makes it the "best" set of 3.0, let alone the top 10. I can understand how it might be your "favorite."
Agree to disagree on that one.
@The_Optimistic_Vet said: "Just one man's trash, but yet again, the feeling seems awfully slanted towards one's personal experiences and the shows they attended."
I've attended a grand total of zero of these shows, so I guess the personal experiences are me listening to these shows in bed on my speakers?
"I've said it before and say it again, I read this list and feel I'm listening to different shows. Did the reviewer even listen to Fall 2010? No Augusta Set II? No Utica? Barely a reference of Atlantic City? 10/30 is #47? 10/30/10 was raw, unadulterated Phish. No Mullins Center? Manchester Set I was probably better than 75% of what is on this list. Even the Providence show was a barn burner - not one single bathroom break/non-rocker. Fall 2010 is still the Holy Grail of 3.0. Summer 2015 coming in a close second. "
Well, there's your hand tipped, then. I love Fall 2010, and have talked about it a lot on the forum, but we're talking absolute best of the best here. Both Utica sets are probably in the top 20% of all 3.0 sets. 10/19/10 II would be here if the Reba was part of the set, instead of the encore. 10/26/10 I is a strong *first set*. Agree to disagree on everything else.
"Where is the Exile set and Waiting for Columbus with full horns sections and guests? "
I lean a) more towards improv and b) more towards sets that feature Phish doing more than performing (awesome) versions of someone else's songs. They're both great!
"The festivals and NYE shows just get way to many mentions when almost every one of those shows have produced mediocre content relative to 3.0. Sure there is a heady jam in every gig. But almost every one of those sets has every day dreck. Not even the Drive-In Set made an honoroable mention even though it was the best set of Magnaball and the reason we all go to these shows. "
Just about every set ever played has everyday dreck, unless you think only the 4/5 song sets deserve to be considered the greatest ever (which I'm not 100% unsympathetic towards). Let's put a pin in the Drive-In Jam.
"Always to fun to read this stuff and appreciate the reviewers time and effort, I just could not disagree more with this entire 50 plus list. I guess thats why we are here and the phun of it! I agree with "humalupa," while my list is way different, theres no room to argue the thoroughness and thoughtfulness of compiling any list. Nice work!"
Thank you! I imagine I'd disagree with your list as well, but that's what fandom's all about - having differences, and respecting them.
@RobPJohnson3 said: "First off, thanks for your thoughtful comment on my earlier post about the relative merits of early 3.0 vs. late 3.0. I was on vacation and unplugged from the Internet for a few days so I just saw it."
No problem! Thanks for giving me something to chew on.
"You clearly find more value in 2012 in particular than I do, but it's all good. I may disagree with some of your rankings, but you know your Phish. However....
No Drive-In Jam? At all? As in, the Drive-In Jam is not one of the Top 50 sets of 3.0? I know it's not a "normal" set, and I'm not even one of those "20+ minute jams are the only thing that matters" type of fans, but come on man! Really?
Sir, I demand satisfaction. Pistols at dawn!"
So here's the thing - it's called the Drive-In JAM. Not the Drive-In Set (despite what @The_Optimistic_Vet referred to it as above), the Drive-In Jam. You let that one in, you're opening up a can of worms. What about the Storage Jam? Would you count the Tower Jam and Ambient Jams in 2.0 and 1.0 lists, respectively? What about soundchecks? The Magnaball soundcheck is over 50 minutes and absolutely incredible music, shouldn't 8/20/15 get some recommendation as a great set? Shoot, at least the Storage Jam has > Sleeping Monkey tacked onto the end of it, that'd *definitely* give it a better case to call itself a set than the Drive-In Jam does. It's the same reason it's not part of the 2015 Jam of the Year Tournament - it's too hard to categorize.
For the record, a) I think if it was in the 2015 Jam of the Year Tournament, it'd win pretty handily or at the very least get to the Final Four, and b) if I *was* including it in this exercise, it'd probably be *at least* between 7/31/15 and 7/13/14."