From cdirksen@earthlink.net Sat Sep 12 23:35:41 1998
Date: Sat, 18 Jul 1998 07:38:55 GMT
From: cdirksen@earthlink.net
To: dan@netspace.org
Newsgroups: rec.music.phish
Subject: 12/9/97 Mike's Groove in PA

12/09/97  Bryce Jordan Center, State College, PA

Don't have the time to review everything inbetween this Mike's and
HydroWeekapaug (ChalkDust, MySoul, Stash).  So just timings and
reviews for the usual.

Mike's Song starts the FIRST set of this show (nice to see this at
Hampton and here, eh?!  thrilled that they brought back the first set
Mike's Groove!).  Opening segment is standard, maybe a bit on the slow
side.  Tramps segment at 2:46.  Crowd goes crazy at 3:15 (big roar),
and I dunno why... maybe you can tell me? (publicly)

Very funky jam segment, as you'd expect given the other Fall 1997
shows.  Trey patiently chords (after setting off a digital delay
loop), jamming along with Mike, Page and Fish, instead of soloing over
them (as he used to do regularly do).  At 5:05 or so, Trey does begin
darkly soloing in the lower octaves of the 'doc.. slowly at first.  He
then leaps a couple octaves and solos more mellifluously, soulfully
even... nice groove!

At 8:30 or so, Trey stops soloing above the others and returns to That
Typical 1997 Funky Groove you all know and love.  At 9:15 they change
key suddenly, and you'd swear that they might go into Cities at some
point, but no.  They just changed key to alter the character of the
groove!! =^]  Dead stop at 9:53.  Then Trey funkily chords for a
couple measures, then Mike, Page and Fish come back in (a Black Eyed
Katy-esque jam segment, actually, at this point -- but it ain't BEK).
I love this jam!!  =^]  Another dead stop at 10:50, more funky Trey
chords.. and, you guessed it, the band comes back in together at 11:09
to continue this phaaaaaat groove.  At 11:47 there's another dead
stop.. then Page plays a bit by himself.

And at 12:05, Trey rips into the Torture.

Oh well.  Rather lame ending to this Mike's Groove.  No closing chords
at all whatsoever.  I enjoyed the jam segment A LOT, but given the
ending, well.  Not a very strong version by 1997 standards.  Still
have to give it a B/B+, given the history of grooves (to arrive at a
rating, I compare the Mike's Song to all the versions I've heard, not
simply to contemporary versions).  The ratings are unreliable anyway.

Hydrogen segues-> out of a fine Stash (a great '97 version, imo, with
a spacey ending... not a typical ending at all.. but no jam
approaching the majesty of even the normal lengthed 5/19/94).

Weekapaug opens with a fast, fiery, snappy, slap-happy Mike solo for
thirty seconds!!  Trey's soloing after the opening segment is typical
glorious, mellifluous weekapaugian Groove.  Excellent accompaniment
from Mike, Page and Fish...  At 3:50 Trey starts throwing down some
funky chords (the funk was THICK last Fall), and the jam lays down
into what I've formerly called the "quiet jam" (for some stupid,
uncreative reason) segment of 'groove.  At around 5 minutes, I thought
the jam might start seguing into "Can't You Hear Me Knockin'," but it
doesn't do it.

Trey begins somewhat melodiously soloing again (Fish, Mike and Page
are just kicking out typically awesome accompaniment) and, at 6:12,
climbs an octave or two and sustains a note up high abit, before
dropping an octave or two down to repeat the process.  At 6:50 Mike
teases CYHMK again, and by 7:10 Mike, Page and Fish are into CYHMK but
Trey isn't (he's darkly soloing.. no longer melodious). This doesn't
sound too coherent, so they drop CYHMK and try to accompany Trey, who
has left the stage and is WICKEDLY soloing (see 12/31/97's Weekapaug,
actually).. come back.. Trey.. he does. The jam soon cools a bit.. and
by 9:22 Trey starts the closing 'paug chords up. Total time: 10:25.
This is a considerable length of time for a Weekapaug that wasn't
really THAT great, in my opinion.  It is a complete waste of time in
light of the 12/2/97 'paug.

Hard to complain about a set with Stash and Mike'sGroove and Loving
Cup (not to mention Horn).  But in the context of Fall 1997, and 1997
in general, this set doesn't hold water to many others from last year,
in my opinion (although the Mike's Song and Stash are worth hearing
once or twice, imo).

two cents
charlie

--
"All the obvious.  Miles Davis and Bill Evans."
  -- Steve Kimock, on his jazz influences.