BOO! (RebaReview #15)
10/31/94 Glenn Falls Civic Center
Glenn Falls, NY, set I
Time:  15:44 (w/ whistling)
 
The first set of this very special Halloween show is definitely on my
top ten of favorites right now.  The killer Frankenstein opener, the
wonderful Simple, a killer Divided Sky, a _completely_ wicked Harpua,
_then_ Julius.  After all that we get a Horse->SITM, which on many other
nights might be followed by an acapella song and a set break.  But
tonight, folks, it's Reba time. God, I love Halloween!
 
THE DIRECTIONS (0:00): First notes start while SITM is still
fading...Trey kind of sneaks them in.  Tempo is laid back, it sounds
very gentle...partly, I think, because it comes so nicely out of
Silent.  Sounds pretty good, though...clapping is coming on in the
second verse.  As always, I sympathize with those that don't like much
clapping, but it's moments like this where it's just pretty hard _not_
to clap.
 
THE SIP (2:32): The sip sounds fine, but I'm starting to wonder if maybe
the recording speed on my copy is not totally up to snuff...Trey's voice
sounded OK, but I'm sure it's at least a little off...a really good
build up to the swallow, Page getting way down low...here comes the
tricky part!!
 
THE SWALLOW (4:58): "Well, I see they found their way out of that so
there's absolutely no need for me to interrupt at all." - J. Cleese
 
THE CHILL (6:22): Trey fades out with a very cool effect similar to the
one used on Lawn Boy.  Mmmmm...there is thick funk hanging in the air
already...some more clapping starts to pop up...Mike signals that he's
in the groove with some high notes, and Trey flutters in at 6:42.  He
drops down low quickly, picks about on a line down there and flutters up
again.  This he begins to explore and experiment with, all very pretty.
Meanwhile, Mike is immersing himself in the groove...at 6:56 he starts
some true funk _way_ down at the bottom that quickens the pace and
affects everyone...Page signals that he feels it, Trey finds a little
flutter to repeat and hang on to while Gordon's Magic Bass bops
along...Page starts painting pretty pictures in my head...Trey grows
more audible against the thickening groove, then shoots up, descending
slowly back down for a shift at 7:24.
 

The shift takes Trey way way down low, beneath Page's pretty synth work,
and he begins to pluck to expand the groove with Mike...Mike is just
thumping away...Lizards alive, what a groove is starting to develop!  At
7:45 Page finds his niche in the groove, and now Reba begins to take
control...everyone is just rollin'...it's _great_.  Mike inserts a bump
into the road to let us know there's a shift ahead, which we hit at
8:05.  Trey begins to hit his licks a little harder, and Mike starts to
freak a little, never letting go of the groove.  I feel like I should be
saying more here but words can't describe the feel of this groove...you
really need to hear it.  Trey climbs upward and hits a shift at 8:26.
He starts to poke around up there, opening up a little, when suddenly
Mike really does freak out, hammering way up high for a several
seconds... "This way, guys...I know the way"...gently he lets it go,
dropping back down...a few moments later, Trey and Page follow Mike,
down, down, shifting at 8:47.

Trey dives way, way down, plucking around so low you more feel it than
hear it...Mike and Fish begin to funk again, while Page chimes against
all of this...a shift approaches but Trey lays low until the last
moment, chopping at a chord to mark the shift at 9:08.  Damn, that was
sweet!  Trey hits a really nice lick and starts to fade back...now he,
Page and Fish are getting extremely airy, and they start to...well,
evaporate!  Mike hangs on to the groove...Trey floats up and up and
up...everyone goes with him...they float impossibly high, and for a
moment I think that this whole jam will just disappear!  They all dangle
up there, and when Trey begins to drop, Mike finds a totally new line to
follow, giving everyone something to attatch to as they float back
down.  Page and Trey tinkle and flutter around Mike, while Fishman taps
out some new rhythms on his hi-hat...eventually Fish brings the bass
drum back into the mix, beginning to solidify things again.  Trey begins
to scale upward...at 10:39 he finds something new, as well...what is
that?  It's beautiful!  It kind of sounds like Linus and Lucy, but it's
not...he hangs on to it, and everyone begins to gather around it...oh, I
can't describe it, it's gorgeous!

They groove around this wonderful melody for a few moments...Trey
finally releases it and heads down smoothly through a shift at
11:25...he begins deep, soulful sustain, while GordoFish return to the
original groove and Page lends his color...Trey continues to sustain
through one shift point, but he shortly releases it and starts hammering
fiercely...Fishman feels it and rolls out a solid shift at 11:57.  Trey
returns to some sustained licks, not taking things too fast, pushing his
phrases  up the doc and stirring up some good tension...another shift
passes by, and Trey hooks on to lick which he repeats over and over
against the growing turmoil...he repeats them faster and faster,
building wonderfully to a release at 12:51!  Now things are extremely
solid, and Trey is growing more wild against the pulse...he flies around
for a bit, exploring, then goes hop hop hopping up the ladder and
punches through for another great release at 13:12!!  He starts that
upper level Reba wailing...we've arrived!!  Trey starts to go off,
nothing holding him back now!  He's heading...even...higher!!  Another
release at 13:33!  He starts in on yet another lick, repeating it,
getting Fishman's attention...they can't end it that way...oh, man, Trey
works it, faster and faster, building...shifting it at 13:54 into top
level Reba jamming that defies all imagination!!!  Mr. Palmer, here I
come!  Fishman lets loose with a snare roll, I think he means to rescue
us!  Yes!  Trey gives a final wail as Fish swoops in with the toms at
14:15.

THE WET WHISTLE (14:29): So here I am, lying in a daze on the
floor...where is that whistling coming from?  Who are all these mad
people marching around me?  Wait a second, I'm marching too!  Yes, I
remember now, there was this woman named Reba and she gave me a sip of
this... stuff...she's going to sell it, you see, and she should, 'cause
it's damn fine stuff!!  In fact, it may very well be the finest in the
nation!  The Wet Whistle slaps the tag on at (15:58).
 
***********
 
How did I possibly go even one day without having this in my
collection?  Like I said, it's just a monster set...I mean, you've still
got the Golgi closer after the Reba.  And what a Reba!  Incredible.
There is such a thick, thick groove almost right from the start...my hat
goes off to Mr. Gordon, we can thank him for much of it.  That rolling
groove puts me in a trance every time.  And then they just totally let
go...

Now this is something I really admire.  This is where they take a
chance...everyone ends up floating off into space and the question is
"Can they make their way back?".  Why, yes they can, and in the process
they produce truly unique, beautiful music.  I mean, what more can you
ask for?

OK, so you can ask for that amazing, fierce Reba ending that we all love
so much, but this Halloween they have that covered, too.  They return
completely from their spacy, happy groove to reach a truly fulfilling
ending.  And _then_, to top it off, whistling!  Well, yeah, it's
Halloween!

My point here is that there really isn't anything else I could ask for
in a Reba.  I would be happy to see any Reba, but I would feel blessed
to see one like this.  Can there be any doubt about the grade?  I don't
think so.

Finest in the Nation?  You betcha.  Happy Halloween! =)

A+

If you don't have a copy of this one, get it ASAP.  I'm pretty sure
you'll enjoy it. =)

- Tim