Rarely does the cover art of the show fit the music perfectly, but it sure does for this version of Carini. The opening distorted fuzz brings the spacecraft to a landing. By 8:30, the bay doors open, the aliens descend and fire off a few ray guns to clear the area. Weird effects from Page signals the transition to bliss land, arriving at 11 minutes. Mike is especially active and punchy weaving his way around the landscape. At 13 minutes, the hose is being turned on to cleanse the urban landscape with goo.
So far, things have been up to par with good phish, but everything after this is top shelf. The band is purely in the zone. When I looked around on the floor, everyone I saw was in rapture. No distractions or wandering focus. It seemed as if all of us were united in in our pursuit of levitation. The mothership had lifted off and was conquering the entire planet.
The funky breakdown at 19 minutes made me think of Steam, Undermind, Sally and You Sexy Thing all at the same time. The transition into Ghost was methodical and to my ears, welcomely unexpected.
10-31-2013 will always be my favorite Carini. This is my #2. It was one of the best jams of the year and deserves much more than the tepid review currently on the jam chart. From my talks with plans, there are many others who feel the same way. I’m looking forward to the JOTY voting to place this bad boy in its rightful place.