"Ha! Love the rip on Minor! Guy only likes one kinda show"

Not to be the guy defending Minor..

But he did seem to be the first person who banged (bung? that cant be right) the gong about this 2nd set kind of set being a new way forward for Phish. Where they use short dense pieces of improv to connect songs instead of basing sets around a centerpiece jam.

He can be a hypocrite, but so can the rest of us. I might like Heavy Things and Farmhouse and what Phish is doing with them enough to think they're perfect dead center set II but a lot of other people might think complaining about them ruining the flow of a set is such a given that they can comfortably step out of their "it's all good" guise and whine a little.
I love Caspian. A lot of people who criticize others for their negativity seem to have no problem complaining about Caspian. As if its 1995 and they are playing the 3 minute Caspian what seems like every show. In general, it seems accepted to indulge anyone who just apes the complaints of 1991 reviews and whines about Bouncing. In the last week there was a review saying that Bouncing not having a jam is a prank. As if Phish's repitoire isn't made of more songs with no improv than songs with improv. And even hilariously further! Apparently as if its Phish's only song with no improv!

I've gotten way off track and created at least 3 straw men. I'm halfway to a gang.

People have their preferences. And they change. Most people's complaints about Miner tend towards the "OMG dude stop fluffing everything" but when he is negative the detractors flip it and act as if his negativity is unfounded. How can somebody win? Some people's persona or writing just angers/ annoys other people and they'll always view that person through that lens.

To me, pointing out that Gumbo doesn't have a jam or Mikes doesnt have it's 2nd jam is bizarre. At some point after 100s of shows and dozens of versions it's not worth mentioning anymore, no? Halleys has cracked 10 minutes 18/100 times and 4 times post Coventry. Maybe 12 apreciably jammed Tubes ever? 4 Roses jams ever? The lack of jam in that song is getting called out in 90% of reviews. Count it.

But if they played Farmhouse or Steep and didnt have a short atypical jam segment like they have the past few times they were played, it's a virtual lock that nobody would mention that in a review. That's my pet peeve. Others have their own. Someone might think Possum shows more improvisational heft than Mikes or Boogie On or a dozen other songs that pop up almost as often. Others have consigned Possum to the 91 Bouncing 97 Mu Soul Zone where bitching about it is a sign of fellowship (now if only Number Line or Possum had a few segues into it as good as 12/30/97 and 7/22/97 -> My Soul!)

I think I've lost the thread here.