@waxbanks said:

I unexpectedly got invited to the two Great Woods shows just before Coventry, and they were terrible - 80% of the music simply wasn't worth paying for. Dismal.

Well, the 8/10/2004 Birds of a Feather jam is among the greatest improvisations Phish has ever performed. I take it this 20+ minute BOAF is in that 20% you thought was worth paying for? I would take that jam over the vast majority of improv from 3.0.

In any event, fwiw, I'm sure few want "to hear crisp SBD recordings of an acrimonious onstage divorce," as a rule. But Coventry did contain some stunningly powerful music that was created out of "acrimon[y]" and turmoil.

@Terrapin9614: I didn't say I recalled the Curtain With fondly. It was remarkable to me because they were closing the show with a song that had enormous importance for me personally. That's all. Obviously, it was the worst performance of the song, ever.

I mean, that's just it. EVERYONE can find fault with Coventry's music. There are musical errors of all kinds all over those sets. There are several "worst versions" and many weak ones. In a sense, the profound number of warts make it more challenging to appreciate (and remember) the greatness of the music of the weekend that does deserve praise. I guess this is all I'm saying. (By "rethinking" something, we don't necessarily change our mind about it. We may firm up our previous feelings and opinions about it all the more.)

I do think it's a shame, though, for a Phish fan to have never listened to these shows. There is both spectacularly bad, and spectacularly good, Phish at Coventry. They are certainly among the most unique shows, performed by one of the most unique rock bands, in rock history.