(Commentary on DWD > What's The Use only)

The first half of this version can;t be characterized as anything special. It lacks the power and pure energy of many other 3.0 versions. In my mind, it's kind of a snoozer. BUT, 12:00 in this jam goes to a whole other level. Beginning with the Sparks-esque break down in tempo, Trey starts one of the little riffs that I think define his sound mid-jam. When you hear that noise, something good is about to happen. Page, Trey and Mike are all run through patterns that build and then fade. Crazy stuff. At 14:20 Mike starts a new pattern that progressively goes lower and lower and the little solo Trey has over-top is so in sync. Loving it. The jam gets sloppy as Mike and Fish move into a darkened march, but Trey tries to maintain what everyone else has moved on from. Somehow he manages to find everyone else and comes through with a pretty little interlude that actually contrasts the previous minute quite well. At 18:18 Trey shifts towards What's the Use and Mike picks right up on it (Page had teased his part even earlier). Pretty tight.

The What's the Use also lacks the energy in other 3.0 versions, but the segue is really cool. All in all 6+ minutes of some very high level improv.