From cdirksen@earthlink.net Sat Sep 12 23:35:41 1998
Date: Tue, 14 Jul 1998 14:43:07 GMT
From: cdirksen@earthlink.net
To: dan@netspace.org
Newsgroups: rec.music.phish
Subject: 11/26/97 Hartford Tweezer

11/26/97  Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT

Tweezer opens the show powerfully.  This version is slower than many
older versions, but about avg. for versions of the last year.  Mike is
very prominent in the mix, otherwise the opening is what you'd expect.
Toes the line.  Crowd goes crazy after the "Ebeneezer," but there's no
screaming from the band. Jam segment at 4:57...

Trey comes in at 5:20 with very funky chords that accompany the phaaat
bottom laid down by Fish and Mike.  Page tools around a bit more.. I
vastly prefer these ultrafunky Tweezers to the early dark and chaotic
versions.  Groovy jamming from everyone (Mike is playing much more
melodiously than Trey, fwiw).  Around 7:10 or so Mike starts repeating
a lick that's similar to the BEK melody line, for a couple measures.
Trey is still grooving along.. no lead soloing (except arguably from
Mike!).  Trey lets loose an digital delay, spacey effect or two in
here.  Around 8:32 Trey begins to solo.. patiently and soufully in the
lower octaves.  Fish and Mike continue to pound out a funky bottom to
the groove.  Trey's soloing is fairly melodious and steady (he doesn't
rip off licks left and right, in other words.. just cautious, but
mellifluous soloing, that arguably hints at Crosseyed and Painless
around 10:20 or so).

Trey's in the upper reaches of his 'doc by 10:50, still soloing
soulfully.  Page accompanies very well, but he's honestly difficult to
hear in this mix (I really have to stretch to hear him when everyone
else is jamming away).  Band begins to climax around 11:39.. isn't as
dramatic as it could have been.  Trey starts repeating a somewhat
catchy lick aroudn 12 minutes, and continues to repeat it for several
measures, but he takes off soloing melodiously and soulfully again.
Very, very uncharacteristic soloing from him in this Tweezer.. Tweezer
usually isn't spiritual.  Trey appears to tell a story of sorts in
this version (not quite sure what this story SAYS, though).

Very good climax (again) around 14:50, and Trey's playing in here
reminds me of part of my personal favorite normal-lengthed Stash's jam
segment (15:10)!!!!!  I just LOOOOOVE THIS!!!! =^]  At 15:29 Trey
breaks out of the dizzyingly intense jam that reminded me of 5/19/94's
Stash, rips out a lick or two, and then sustains... lets loose a
digital delay loop, too.. At 16:20 Mike and Fish continue to coast
along.  Page tools around a wee bit here and there on the piano.. Very
spacey jam at this point (16:50).  And at 16:56 Trey begins steadily
chording Sparkle's opening chords.. slowly at first.. then more and
more quickly as the others key in.  At 17:29 Sparkle basically starts
up.  Niiice -> imo.

Got to give this version an 8.0 I think.. must-hear territory, in other
words.  The jam for the most part didn't do much but Funk It Up, I
suppose, until the 14:50-15:29 point, when it just RIPS!!  They should
have dragged THAT jam out a lot more, imo.  Check this version out!

two cents
charlie