Those of you who do not have this version need to get it.
It is assuredly a must-have if you like Tweezer, or even
if you don't, since it coherently and harmoniously jams
very well in places.

Loving Cup opened and it sounds nice, but doesn't have as
sweet a jam as the 4/17/94 'cup, imnfsho.  Sparkle is
exceptionally ordinary, with no hints of what is to come.
Tweezer segues out of Sparkle's close.  Well, Trey starts
playing it immediately, but then stops after no one comes
in and starts it again after like 10 seconds or so.

The opening Lyrics segment is standard.  Very unoriginal,
outside of some rapping from someone (Mike I believe, but
mostly vocal noises with no audible words), but
nonetheless has a punch to it.  The pre-Ebeneezer groove
has some hints of the GWAR-segment style of jamming that
comes in later ... typically powerful Tweezer opening,
though (don't get me wrong).

When the jam starts, around 4:30 or so as usual, the
groove is pretty laid back.... just coasts, with some
opening sustained chording from Trey. Nothing intense by
any stretch, no warning of what is to transpire... spooky
and tweezeresque, with some light noodling from Page, and
some repetitive noodling from Trey.  Mike is saying
"What!" a lot, which amuses, in light of what the other
band members are doing, and Trey says it, too, I think.
The jam progresses in a groovy, mellow, not-screwing-off
mode, then begins to climb powerfully with significant
chordwork from Trey.  It really starts swinging after
about 7 minutes or so.. everybody is jamming hard, and
complementing eachother well (no awkward Tweezer moments,
at this point).

My favorite section of this version begins at around the 7
minute and 20 second mark.   What Trey does in combo with
Mike and Page at this point is gorgeous -- very melodic
and charming.  Fish is sharin in the groove, of course,
but is holding back and not undermining the efforts of the
others.  Trey's melodious improv is truly Kind, and is
unusual for Tweezer, based on all those I've heard.  It is
practically teary-eyed, but honestly, not quite, in my
opinion, since it has a raw and mysterious character about
it --> untrustworthy, suspicious.  This section  levels
out after about two mins, and the "GWAR"-like jam is
teased a little.

Around 10:30, the jam gets into a mildly, not severely,
dissonant mode -- chaos and clashing of sounds, but with
an uptight, semi-Tweezer, almost Llama-esque, rhythm from
Fish.. doesn't sound very hot around 11:30 in my opinion.
Repetitivity from everyone in here... Soon the jam gets
out of dissonant mode (thank God for that.. there is a
proper length for dissonance, I think, before it becomes
lame) and segues into what has been referred to previously
as a GWAR section, where the boyz are to be caught
singing/shouting "Yeah Yeah"s.  This section effectively
begins around the 12 min point, but does not start raging
for at least another 30 seconds or so.  I have no idea
what the hell GWAR is.  I believe it is a band, and expect
that it is an unduly lame one, although I have never heard
"it."  This Gwar crap is mostly chordwork from all, with a
slow, buesy, plodding, dreary rhythm from Fish...  I
thought it was pretty funny that they went into this, but
can't say I'm really a fan of this section.  At least they
were mocking it (which is good).  "Yeaaaaah" at 13:30 or
so from Mike and Trey.. more Yeah-ing.. ;) Trey rips out
some nice licks around 14:20... then there is some bluesy,
soundcheck-style jamming for a bit.. very cool in here,
imo (15 mins or so), but also very minimalist, and not
dwelled on very long...

After the bues jam, around 17 mins or so, the jam gets
very trippy and fast.  Eerie too.  Somewhat-hints from
Mike of the Peanuts theme (ok.. not real teases, but Mike
almost plays the damn Peanuts theme around 18 minutes in a
way.. kinda teases it a touch, but doesn't outright play
it, so don't get excited).  Trey just wails around a few
notes repetitively, as he is oft heard doing in many a
version of Tweezer, but not quite in this way...  Sounds
cool.  Eventually everyone gets into another fast
dissonant jam (18:45ish) that soon segues into a slow,
groovy, kinda haphazard, playful mode (19 mins). The jam,
in short order, leaps out of this somewhat flippant groove
into a solid, magnificently more funky jam at around the
20 minute point.

The jamming in here (20-22) is very repetitive but
funky and engaging -- not at all pallid or unsatisfying..
Page is the only one really contributing (noodling away).
Just a great groove.

At 22:16 or so, Trey starts soloing in a tremendous 'Mind
Left Body' like-manner.  I know some of you are sick of
this Mind Left Body crap, but I know this jam from Dead
tapes from the 70s, and this is without doubt a very
similar style of groove to 'Mind Left Body.'  This is
certainly NOT the same jam as "Mind Left Body," but it is
similar enough that, given Phish's knowledge of the Dead,
it is effectively a tease-jam, and, in my opinion,
deserves a mention on the setlist as much as the Sweet
Emotion Jam.  Mind Left Body is not a song, after all, but
a readily discernible style of jam that has a descending,
sustained melody... and which can be duplicated in any key.

I think this jam is very inspiring and groovy, and Trey
trills hard for a bit in here around 24 mins or so,
touching again on the Mind Left Body sortof theme. At
24:40 or so, Mike hits The Note that usually ends Tweezer,
and the jam enters into what would ordinarily be a closing
Tweezer jam segment.. slows down steadily, the theme dies
out.. but guess what?!  Instead of ending, the jam segues
masterfully into a groove that can only be described as a
pre-Sparks jam, around 25:30 or so.. and then, by 25:46,
Fish starts going off on the drums a la Sparks.. and at
around 26, Sparks kicks in (a WHO instrumental). I wish
they did Sparks more often...  This is a standard Sparks
(i.e., FANTASTIC).. drops out just after 2 minutes, and
the jam, after serious Walk Away teasing around 28 mins,
starts sounding Makisupa-esque at 28:20 with the rhythmic
change from Fish.. a pleasant, but not amazing, segue...

Ahhhh, Makisupaaaaah.. I am so glad this was brought back,
along with NICU and (occasionally) Tube.  Now, if they
would only think of playing "Brother" again soon..
Makisupa is nothun special (outside of just BEING), and
ends after 2 and a half mins or so.  I still love this
silly reggae tune, even though I know Trey "wrote" it when
he was but a sapling in the forest of Gamehendge. Makisupa
isn't played in its entirety, obviously.. there is no jam
segment to speak of.  At almost 31 minutes, it just stops,
and then Trey begins a digital delay loop jam, that sounds
remarkably similar to the one before the Providence Bowie
(12/29/94) and the NYE Maze (12/31/94), but which has also
made an appearance in the Bozeman Tweezer (11/28/94 or
something), not to mention many other places, like the
Guelah Papyrus from 6/14/94 I think it was, and of course
recently to close out the NYE 95 Mike's Song and set two.

After Trey lets loose some digital delay loop jams,
everyone comes in steadily, and Trey starts grooving
masterfully on the 'doc, with the digital delay loop stuff
providing a base for an excellent improv session.. The
groove in here (32-35mins) is fun, and well, not at all
dark and funky.. well, until around 34:30 or so, when Trey
starts repetitively chording in almost "Gwar" segment-like
fashion.. then it starts sounding tweezeresque...

This jam starts seguing into Sweet Emotion (well, a Sweet
Emotion theme jam, not the entire song by any stretch) at
around the 36 min point.. Trey doesn't truly tease the
Sweet Emotion theme... until 37:27 or so. Before then it
is just hinted at, really.  This is not nearly as kind as
the sweet emotion jam of the 5/3/91 tweezer, I think it
was.  They actually sing a couple "Sweet Emotions" in
here, and then Trey starts dishing out the Tweezer theme a
few times, before, around 37:30, jamming around the actual
Sweet Emotion theme.   This is a really cool portion of
the jam, if you enjoy Sweet Emotion.  Think of this as a
Sweet Emotion theme in a clearly Tweezer jam, since
directly in its center is an articulate, unadulterated
Tweezer theme from Trey.

Anyway, the segue into Walk Away occurs around
38:20.  Not a fan of this tune.. but it is played well, and
has a power that the older versions of this cover don't
have.  Walk Away ends, and a

[what follows is basically the old review from 11/94]

really queer spacey jam comes in, that includes some great
stuff from Page, not to mention some severe 'Ice' teases
(Fish starts playing the 'Ice' drum beat early on in this
segment of the jam, goading Trey to tease ice... this was
probably done in the spirit of Page's cleverness on the
keys).

Soon the jam gets pretty fierce, taking a Cannonball-esque
turn, and then dies around the 48 min mark.  Simpsons
signal, and Mike hints McGrupp's fiercely on the bass
prior to a grand 'Cannonball'...  'Cannonball' was nice,
but what really cooked was the Purple Rain, which was
bewildering, especially when compared with the Patriot
Center 10/8/94 version.

After the 'Rain, the HYHU theme is unusually wailed upon
(a HYHU JAM!!!), and a groove begins that goes on for
awhile.  Mike and Page really tool around on this.  When
Trey finally gets back to his Languedoc, THE JAM SOARS ...
a stellar groove.. just before the Reprise begins.
Although the Tweezer Reprise doesn't truly kick in until
around 65 mins, there are hints of it during the jam that
leads into it.

This was a bewildering set of severe improvisational jams
that really worked most of the time (i.e., didn't sound
like shit), and this is my favorite Tweezer Reprise (even
though Charlottesville 10/27/94 had a good final
closing-note drum solo/jam).  This Tweezer Reprise was a
solid, joyous close to a great set that must have been
fulfilling and extraordinarily majestic to behold *live*.
The first set also contains some excellent jams, including
a really mellow, spacey ending of Horn before Divided
kicks in.  9.0 rating for this Tweezer. One of the
greatest Phish sets for jamming, and basically a giant
segue from Sparkle onwards.  A great Tweezer in its
uniqueness, but nonetheless, I prefer the Bozeman Tweezer,
and several shorter, more tight & fiery versions to this
one.. see the summary for that info.  There is no real
"total time" for this "version" of Tweezer.. call it 68
minutes or something, if you want.

two cents charlie