From: DR MARTIN B GOLDSTEIN 
Subject: Review of 12/29

Remarkable Effort


    In order to save some time, I'll just say that the first set was 
above average and speaks for itself. I called My Friend and Fluffhead 
and highlights were those tunes as well as Disease and Stash. DWD is 
one of those tunes which is weak on Hoist, insane live! Crazy Trey 
solos and awesome work by all. Stash had a loooonnnngggg, spacy jam 
and Fluffhead is always a treat. All others were standard, but good. 
I didn't have to say, "aw shucks" once during the set. Nice job. I 
will now give set II the usual treatment

Makisupa Policeman: Lots of teases to kick this off, Maze, Scent, 
Harry, I thought I heard them all. Instead we got the upbeat Kingston 
groove of Makisupa. No 4:20 or wacko lyrics, but still really fun.

Cars Trucks and Busses: Great new instrumental, kinda like a cross 
between Landlady and a HYHU jam. Lots of potential.

Bathtub Gin: Here we goooooooo......Standard, solid, Bathtub leads 
way to some nice jamming. Eventually Trey starts playing a 
recognizeable chord structure (great segue!) and kicks into...

The Real Me: Wow. First Quad tune since 'ween and this rocks like a 
bitch. Great choice and the audience went bonkers. A jam back into 
Bathtub led into,

Mcgrupp: Yes! One good turn deserves another. Much more experimental 
than Mcgrupps of the past. A spacy Page solo was thrown into the 
middle and at one point I could've sworn they were playing Bowie. As 
Trey told of the demise of Gamehendge, we prepared for,

BBFCFM: Nice set huh? Intense. Mr. light board guy once again gets 
major props. Standard with Trey making crazy howling noises on the 
megaphone. Lots of feedback saw a guy in a blue t0shirt and grey cap 
walking on stage.

Bass Jam: Interesting! Mike and this guy named Jim Stenner (?) 
jamming on bass for about 10 minutes. This will sound very cool on 
tape. Eventually all of the other guys came out and went into

La Grange: ! When was the last time they played this? Awesome, bluesy,
 gritty rock jam that benefited from the extra bass. Incredible 
set!!!

Bouncin': Why? Oh well, I guess they're entitled.

Fire: Great choice, long jam, hard rockin song to close an 
unbelievable set, despite Bouncin'.

Golgi: I think that Trey and Page were in conflict over which song to 
play. It was Trey that eventually said, OK, so if Page made them play 
Golgi, well phooey on him. Not my encore of choice, but the chorus 
does have power. I'll give it that. But they play this one and 
Bouncin' waaaay too much.

Overall an incredible show with the greatest second set I've ever 
seen. GET THE TAPES!     BTW: MSG 12/30 looked coolon paper, but it 
doesn't matter because they opened the first set with Prince Caspian..
.HaHa! How can they abuse their fans like that more than once? (12/2) 
Oh well....Happy New Year!  
David Goldstein NPDP32C@prodigy.com

*************************************************************************
12/29/95 The Centrum, Worcester MA (Charlie Dirksen)

The first set was very well played, but to cap it off with Adeline was a
mistake.  The NICU, as Joe Rioux has noted, was (and is) an excellent
version.  Fluffhead had some nice jams.  The Stash is my favorite version
**ever** outside of 5/19/94 and 8/15?/93, even though its ending is
more/less botched.  It had some intensely melodic jams that mesmerized and
spine-tingled.  Don't blow off this set in favor of the second, though it
isn't quite as intense.  Everything in the second set was spectacular,
although I wished they had jammed out La Grange more.  The bass jamming
from Mike and Jim (Mike's bass teacher) was very enjoyable (a great xmas
present!), but nothing occurred as ear-splitting as the stuff Bela's bass
player Victor Wooten put out the other day at the Birchmere in VA (thanks
Marcie, Stretch..).  Bouncin' was nice (one had to sit down... catch one's
breath).  The Golgi (E) didn't disturb me at all, given what might have
been played instead.
	The Gin was a Hose moment if ever there was one, and rivals only
the 8/13/93 Murat Gin.  I prefer this version to the Murat Gin, and, well,
you'll understand why when you hear this on tape.  The segue into and out
of The Real Me is Phish at its best.  This 12/29 second set was probably
the best of the run (similar to last year, with that Bowie), although I
especially enjoyed the second and third sets of 12/31. That Dan Nooter was
sans shirt by its close should be sufficient evidence of its majesty.


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From: Ethan White 
Subject: review, 12/29/95, Worcester

I'd like to add that Down With Disease rocked so well because 
they take it a lot faster than they do on Hoist.  The album version 
is a little too slow for its tune.  They have corrected that live.  
Hoist tunes were recorded before being performed live, so the songs 
are different from the album now.  (Better, too; DWD, and of course 
those insane Scents (see 12/5)!).   Hoist is harped on a lot, with 
good reason, but I think some of the songs have REAL potential.
Ethan
(efwhite@amherst.edu)