Greetings maties!!!

This edition of AIR comments on a fantastic rendition which is pretty
recent.  I want everyone to pay particular attention to Page’s role in the
mastery of this one, he is so bright and fresh with some very intriguing
innuendoes and phrases.  Enough babble and senseless analytical BS, here
is the info:

10/19/96  Buffalo, NY  Set II
AC/DC Bag (with Wish You Were Here Tease), Sparkle, Slave, BATR, Split
Open, Fluffhead, Swept Away, Steep, Antelope, Ragtime Gal, E: Fee, Rock
Top

Swept Away/Steep --:  a couple of cute tunes, pretty nice and sweet.
Nothing remarkable, but at the end there is this utterly absurd SCREAM!!!!

Antelope -- Intro:  Fans still erupting from after the scream!  Trey gets
it going and Page is there playfully patting along.  Crowd starts clapping
along.... yipeee!!  No flubs, and everything is on such a perky note...
Trey and Page get a little adventurous here and toss out some friendly
melodies and entirely skip over the usually bridge to...

Opening theme: 1:42  Pretty early for the intro, but it is well done!
Trey is resounding, as usual, in the...

Trill!: 2:10

Key Change to Em:  2:15  Immediately Trey dives deep, but what’s this??
Page is opening up a wonderful framework of chords... definitely fresh and
very new!  This is very exciting because anything that breaks away from
the standard is totally intriguing!  This reminds me so much of the famed
10/24/95 Em theme at this point.  Page is placing some very melodious and
brilliant chords in and Trey is taking full advantage.  They realize at
this point that this will be no ordinary antelope and aim to let the flow
take them all the way!  Trey is dwelling a bit in a shallow solo but Page
is trying to break him out...  Mike is really coming along with Page on
the melodious theme.  We reach a peak as Trey breaks free but I wouldn’t
call it 2nd gear. Very interesting though, Page is controlling the
intensity very well and we are seeing an Em jam segment NOT entirely based
on tension-release principles.    Interesting mixing and tapping (?) from
Trey now... he reaches for 2nd again but Page is controlling the natural
climax so well (wonderful chords again), that we hold out for a couple
more seconds, until an even great peak is cleared....!!!

Second Gear: 6:54  definitely this time!!!!  We are away on a ride and
climbing higher and higher.  Brilliant building now from everyone, Fish is
very noticeable.  Rip-roaring build up to a wonderful series of trills
from Trey!!!  Yes!  The climax and intensity is so utterly high right now
and instead of dropping off as I expected for the pre-marco, it keeps
getting higher!!
We are riding this huge wave, and extended gear shift in a sense, all the
way into!!!!!!!!!!^^^^^^^.#&$*%**$#!!!!! --drop.
Pre-Marco-Groove: 8:19  Interestingly aggressive chords from Trey a ways
in, and then right before Ry, Ry, we get a wonderful chording structure
from Page again, this is definitely his night!  Mike and Fish are all over
it as well.

Ry, Ry, Rocco!!   (shhhhhhh!)
 
MARCO ESQUANDOLAS: 9:20  Ay! AY! Ay! Ay!!  from Fish to follow!!

Would you happen to have any spike, man?

High Gear Theme: 10:10   Nice transition.  Page is making it happen by
filling in the gaps, nice and smooth!  Runs are all in order and pretty
confident!

Trey:- Set the Gear shift:  10:30  Trey is totally confident and the
leader! 

End:  11:28 No significant variation before the end, but clearly a
resounding rendition.  I was worried that the shortness of the version
would make it somehow less good, but it is really negligible given the
all-around mastery of the statement.  There is a very long pause before
Ragtime gal as if they are all looking at each other saying: YES! That was
nicE!  the crowd of course it totally going nuts and erupts over and over.  

This version makes on my top ten list, period!  I am curious to hear the
Florida version after that Crosseyed jam, though.  

Well, until next time mates,
Penned and signed sincerely,

Captain William Prichard