From cdirksen@my-dejanews.com Sat Sep 12 23:35:41 1998
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1998 16:19:48 GMT
From: cdirksen@my-dejanews.com
To: dan@netspace.org
Newsgroups: rec.music.phish
Subject: 12/13/97 Albany Mike's Groove

12/13/97 The Pepsi Sucks Arena, Albany, NY

Mike's kicks in > after Ghost in an unusually upbeat fashion.  The
opening isn't entirely ordinary.  Trey throws in some funky chords,
and some additional lyrics ("Brad no are no nice guy").  Tramps jam
begins at the usual time for older versions (2:32) and RIPS.  Truly
awesome, powerful opening to this segment of the jam.  It sounds like
Trey says some things (incl. "cactus" and "Bring the Dude") employing
a queer effect in here.  "Break it down Cactus" from Trey, and Mike
tears it up around 3:50 for two or so measures.  Trey and Fish repeat
"Bring in the Dude" and "Cactus, Bring in the Dude" a few more times.
At 4:36 it is Trey's turn to Bring In the Dude.  He just grooves
funkily for a few measures, before the entire band explodes back in
with a dark and ugly jam. "The Dude [pause] of Life" from Mike..
(5:40) Don't know how to describe this wretched, heinous, repetitive,
chord-heavy, plodding jam. "Funky" doesn't quite cover it.  "PAGE,
BRING IN THE DUDE!!"  Then it is Page's turn (6:23) to play a few
measures by himself (he almost teases part of that tune, "I Feel the
Earth Move Under My Feet.."), before the band comes back in at 6:36.

At 7 mins the jam rocks, but well...  This is jamming, screwing
around.. nonserious raging.  Very angry, repetitive groove.  Trey
starts repeating "Bring in the Dude" over this dark, straightforward
Rock Jam. He screws around in rock star Trey fashion around 8:25.  At
8:40 or so the jam suddenly cools off.. mellows out.. and becomes
rather gentle and spacey (sudden transition), before at 9:18 it
EXPLODES back in a RAGING, R&R fashion -- and Fish starts picking up
the beat!! This jam rips and Trey screams some more shit (can't make
it out) before he starts soloing in Hardcore Rock Star fashion once
again (10:15).  Just tearing it up!!  Very passionate jam, but not
very mellifluous or, uh, enchanting. :^}  Strong rock groove.. I'm
sure some people think this is "hose" but the band is just F-cking
Around to me.  Just crazy jamming in here, and at 11:11 Trey starts
playing the chords to Llama, overtop a My Sweet One rhythm from Fish.
Fish kicks in Llama's beat soon, though, and everyone is well into
Llama when at 11:42 Trey starts singing the lyrics at a very fast,
intense pace...

[When the Circus Comes..]

Several seconds of silence after Circus before Fish kicks open
Weekapaug.  Mike plays along with him and solos a bit in the opening
(repetitively.. nothing unusually good), and this is drawn out a wee
bit longer than usual.  Page and Trey come in 53 seconds into it (not
the usual 30) with the opening chords.  Good jam for the first few
minutes, but nothing unusually inspiring imo.  Trey's soloing is
typical melodious 'paug (and wonderful), but nothing over the top..
yet (3:38).  Fish starts screwing with the rhythm around 3:50 in a
manner I've never heard before in 'paug, but he knocks it off after a
measure or two and kicks back into a standard 'paug beat.  Good
clavinet action from Page (4:30), but Trey is very low key (Mike's
great of course.. still playing lead bass in the Lesh tradition).

Trey comes back in around 5 mins soloing melodiously, but he doesn't
appear to have found a theme... more of the traditional 'paug
soloing.  The jam gets fairly intense when Trey starts repeating this
one particular riff around 5:45.. but nothing amazing happens until
around 6:30, when Trey starts tearing it up in the upper octaves! =^]
Raging 'paug!!  Jam cools off a little around 7:15 -- steps back.  Trey
repeats this chord.. jam just sortof dies.  Then Fish jumps back into
a typical 'paug rhythm -- trying to jumpstart this dead 'paug.  A jam
does return, slowly.. curious snorking around from all parties except
Fish and Mike.. whose playing seems to be saying "Well, WTF.  Let's
just play 'paug and see if we can get Trey to come back on stage."
Around 9:30 everything has died again... things get spacey...

and at 9:43 Mike starts singing Catapult (which oftens happens, by the
way, after someone fucks up).  At 10:40 Mike finishes Catapult and
Fish kicks out 'paug once again, and after some gnarly chords Trey
starts soloing melodiously anew, hopefully to end this rather shitty
'paug. Trey flubs a little in this closing jam for good measure.. Fish
picks up the rhythm.  Fish, Mike and Page are still there to play.  At
12:26 Trey is hanging in there -- employing effects ...  At 12:42 he
starts playing "Can't You Hear Me Knockin'" and gets the other band to
get into that and then breaks out soloing mellifluously again around
13 mins, dumping CYHMK.  Rather disoriented...

At 13:28 or so the closing chords show up, but the closing lyrics take
awhile to come in.. in fact the jam quiets down (loses steam is more
like it).  Trey is still just playing the closing chords over and over
again softly.. then there's a crescendo/build, which I've never heard
in this closing segment before.  This is probably the most improvised
"closing segment" they've ever played...

At 15:20 Trey starts playing the chords faster and Fish picks up the
beat.  At 15:44 they all stop more/less on a dime and end with .. I
don't know what this little number is called, but it is the non-Phish
ditty that you hear played after someone fucks up (gee, I wonder why
they ended this 'paug like this.. I'm sure it isn't because this is
one of the most f#ucked up 'paugs that they have ever performed...;-).

Total time:  16:17.  Easy N/R for this version.  I never want to hear
it again,  but it is unusual... you should hear it for yourself! =^]

Get the Ghost in this set!! It's amazing!! Oh.. and the Mike's?
That's N/R, too, since they clearly weren't taking it at all
seriously.. (which is fine.. it's "fun" of course .. it just isn't
musically meritorious)

two cents
charlie