From cdirksen@earthlink.net Sat Sep 12 23:35:40 1998 Date: Mon, 06 Jul 1998 05:42:50 GMT From: cdirksen@earthlink.net To: dan@netspace.org Newsgroups: rec.music.phish Subject: 7/31/97 You Enjoy Myself!!! 7/31/97 Shoreline Amphitheater, Mountain View, CA I was *very* surprised that they played YEM at this point in the set. And even more surprised that they played such a long version. This nearly one hour and forty minute first set is still one of the longest first sets in Phishtory. (wasn't there a longer first set the other night in Europe??) Trey isn't as tight as he usually is in the opening segment of YEM. The pre-Nirvana section contains some spacey & enchanting playing, as usual. Nirvana at 3:20. I never tire of this section. Page is very patient and inspiring in this section -- he doesn't STORM through it as he usually does. Gorgeous and original. Mike's solo-section occurs at 4:03, and he climbs his 'doc thoughtfully, but it isn't all that hot, imo. Pre-charge section is solid, but not as impressive as it can be. "Boy" at 6:40. Groovy BMGS/WUDMTF segment.. but nothun over the top. Tramps jam at 8:47.. Good groove. Page is more mellow than usual, though. Jam segment starts at around 10:30 I guess (the tramps jam was pretty mellow.. no real "ending"). At nearly 11 minutes, Trey immediately starts repeating this queer theme while employing a Strange Effect on his 'doc. Mike, Fish and Page patiently accompany this goofy little repetitive melody. It has an ominous feel to it, though. Trey dumps it for 20 or seconds, before returning to it anew around 12 mins. Mike starts phaaaatly accompanying him Very unusual interplay between Trey, Mike and Page in here (12:39). It is a *highly* *irregular* YEM jam segment -- I can't even do an ADEQUATE job of describing this peculiar jam. Fish picks up HIS accompaniment, adding a bunch of fills, too. A bewilderingly DIFFERENT YEM jam segment. You sure as hell wouldn't be able to tell it was a "YEM" jam segment (14 mins). It is very experimental (but not spacey). At about 14:30 Trey teases "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" in an extremely odd and unusual key (very queer). At 14:57 Trey kills the effect and chords as if to signal a return to more of a Proper YEM jam. Fish cooperates. But Mike and Page resist.. and the jam returns to a very chaotic, aimless groove (sounds like they are all just fucking around, frankly, around 16 mins). At 16:20, the jam starts to mellow.. Fish slows the rhythm a bit. They are all still screwing around at 17 mins.. improvising I should probably say. At 17:30 or so, though, a groove finally develops after Trey finds a theme.. and by 17:43 the jam begins building in intensity. Quickly. And returns to something one might ordinarily hear in YEM. (good segue back into *YEM*) The groove around 19 minutes is AWESOME, imo -- funky & danceable & upbeat.. Trey begins soloing a la Carlos Santana (Page throws out some Oye Como chords). Yeah! (19:40) The jam begins to soar with tasty licks from Trey.. =^] By 20:20 the jam is just COOOOKIN!!!! YEAH!! Jam chills a little at 21:11.. And Mike begins to take over. :) Not for long, though.. At 22 mins they are in a mellow groove, with no one taking center stage, although Mike is the most prominent.. He doesn't really "solo". You just have to hear this. (yes, this is a MUST HEAR YEM in my opinion.. a work of art!). I'm failing miserably at trying to describe this at all well.. Trey starts playing along melodiously aroudn 23:30.. Mike plays along with him. Excellent interplay. Fish and Page and being very quiet.. listening carefully to Mike and Trey, who brilliantly play off each other. AHHHHHHH!!!! This is just such a great fucking YEM. At 24:30 Trey starts scatting.. :-) Everyone continues to play gently, though. Mike and Page begin scatting too... everyone continues to play along. Softly. What a god damn work of art. Everyone is still scatting by 25:45. At 26 mins they have all stopped playing their instruments, and the scatting segues into vocal jamming (that's right.. no closing WUDMTF lyrics). Trey appears to vocalize something towards the end of this harmonious vocal jam. I can't make out any real words, however. Total time 28:58. As I said, must hear, work of art.. it isn't really in the same league as the vast majority of YEM's given the improv in this mothuhfuckah, but I'm still giving it an "A". Not all of this YEM is beautiful, but there's some sahweeet jamming in it. BTW, just because I'm giving it an "A" doesn't mean I prefer it to other "A" versions like 12/9/95 and 5/5/93 and 11/18/95 (because I don't). It just means I think it is a work of Art and you should try to hear it. Definitely a YEM to sit back and enjoy with the headphones on, in spite of the weak opening. two cents charlie p.s. For more YEM reviews, check out http://www.phish.net/hpb/yem.