@andrewrose said:

I think we can all agree, however, and I'm not sure who said it first (maybe @bertoletdown ..?) that the Dick's run as a whole is an embarrassment of riches. Finally starting to get around to giving some of the other Leg 2 highlights a third and forth listen. Have to say Long Beach is holding up pretty nicely in terms of laaaaaid baccccck beauty Phish. So much space in that RnR ... and that Hood!

Thank god someone brought up Long Beach, between Graham's and Dick's I was beginning to think it would be a forgotten gem. That 45 minutes spent on Rock and Roll -> Ghost is the bread and butter of Leg 2 for me, and for reasons that I'm guessing most phans overlook it for. You hear a lot of criticism about jams being too "careful", not allowing themselves to escape into uncharted territory. For me, this segment has it all. The RnR jam never feels too noisy, with each sound and effect chosen so carefully by each band member, and a surgeons touch on the notes played. Its the kind of jam that escapes into space through the back door, quietly and delicately. Going over it a few times, I still can hardly pick out any missed notes or dead ends. I think somewhere in the middle there Fish stops playing completely, and Trey holds back pretty much until the end of Ghost, but the jam always holds its flow and still keeps you in the stratosphere somehow.

It is tight yet laid back, and careful yet cosmic -- unlike most you'll hear from any era. But hey, it could be just me. I'm sure the fact that I was too close to see Page's face over his own piano grants me some bias! Ha, well fuck it, I'm digging this new modern touch. Long Beach all the way to Dick's is tits and beer.