This YEM is a touch faster than many.  The pre-Nirvana spaciness is
beautiful.. very mysterious and wondrous, even moreso than usual, even
though it seems a little on the short side (this YEM is quick).
Nirvana at 3:02.  Groovy Nirvana segment with some unusual accents
from Mike, Fish and Page, but Trey is a tad sloppy.  Mike's
solo-section is cordial and bouncy and happy, which is bewilderingly
unsual for this often dark, ominous section.  I wonder what he ate
before the show..   The pre-charge section is vibrant, and Trey chords
peculiarly, before hitting the first Note accurately at 5 mins.  He
jams well about it (and even sustains it a little).  Second Note is
sustained quite well by Trey.

"Boy" at 6:18.  BMGS/WUDMTF segment is carefree and fun, with some
nice fills from everyone (but no teases).  The tramps segment starts
around 8:34 or so, and Fish seems a bit more inspired in here, at
first, than Page.  Fish viciously grooves out this section, it would
appear (he just seems more passionate than usual).  Page really isn't
doing much at all -- just patiently soloing for the first minute or
so, before he tears it up a bit on the hammond for the final 40
seconds or so of the segment.  Trey lets out some effect of sort
around 10 minutes, and Fish really starts going off!  At 10:30 Page
moves to what I believe is the clavinet (employed in Frankenstein),
and meanwhile, Mike and Fish pound away, and Trey moves to the
percussion kit after releasing some effects.

Nice groove in here (11:30), when Page moves onto the piano and lets
out some chords that definitely hint at Oye Como Va and the standard
YEM-jam-segment groove.  (CUT!!!!!)  Damn I hate cuts in the middle of
the jam segment.  And this tape is allegedly from a DAT master (yes, I
kept a daud-2 with a cut YEM around.. this is in the recylcing pile
after I check out the Bowie one last time).  No music lost (lazy god
damn DAT taper.. asshole!).

Trey begins soloing around 12:30 (back on the 'doc and off of the
Fisher Price drum kit), and he does well.  Page continues to
repetitively chord on the piano (and I do mean REPETITIVELY.. he
doesn't really seem into it around 13 minutes at all).  Trey is simply
jamming away, themelessly, aimlessly.

At 14 minutes Trey starts chording in a vaguely passionate but
Absolut YEM manner, but still, this groove doesn't really go
anywhere.  At around 15 minutes, however, Trey hits on a theme I know
I've heard him play in YEM before (nothing especially melodious or
exciting), but then this just completely dissolves into a fog of
effects.  Just melts.. at 15:54, though, Trey continues that
aforementioned theme lightly out of a heavy effects-fog (and Mike
becomes more prominent).  But then the theme dies rather shortly.

At 16:30 Mike becomes more prominent with Fish, as Trey apparently
moves back to his percussion kit.  Mike's soloing around 17 minutes is
quite good.  I really don't hear Page at all in here, fwiw.

Nice groove with Trey and Fish providing percussion, and Mike soloing,
around 17:30.  I'd swear that Mike, in his repetitive soloing, teases
a theme from a "Jesus Christ Superstar" tune.

Anyway, the bass and drums segments gets incredibly fantastic and
groovy aroudn 19 minutes.  Fish and Mike just really kick it out.

At 19:31 the closing WUDMTF segment begins, and the vocal jam shortly
ensues.  Trey coughs during the first minute or two of the vocal jam.
At around 23 minutes the vocal jam finally gets crazy, but it isn't
exciting enough to recommend.  Snoring noises to close this YEM out,
appropriately, imo.  Snoring _and_ groaning noises.. :)  Total time
25:15, and then Trey begins a light, soft cymbal-lead-in before Page
begins playing the Purple Rain opening chords.

I enjoyed listening to this YEM, but it isn't a keeper for me.  I'm
more inspired by many, many others.  Still, an impressively Awesome
Jam. B/B+ rating overall.

two cents
charlie

p.s.  Best Alternative titles to Billy Breathes (as considered by
the Committee at Elektra):

Page Against the Machine
No One But Ourselves to Blame
A Lame One
Wish You Were Dead
Weird Design
My Friend My Friend is Nailing My Wife
Oh Taste And See
Electrolux Dream
Songs to Take Acid To
Kill The Pig
You Have Failed Me for the Last Time
Breathe Deep the Gathering Gloom
A Man Has to Shoot His Own Dog
Theme from the Bottle
Deduct the Carrots from Your Pay
Gamehendge My Butt
Vader Release Him
Been You To Have Any Spike, Man
Let's All Get Drunk and Screw
Bacon Lettuce Tomatoes
Mike's Nose
I Am Hydrogen Hear Me Roar
Kiss Me I'm Fishman
Lap It Up, Lap It Up, Oh Oh Oh
She's Got Looks That Kill
Come Waste Your Money With Us
Hi We're Phish and We Suck
Cars Trucks Blood
Have You Seen The Man Mulcahey, Because He Owes Me Money
Prince Cheesepian and His Merry Hosemasters
Swept Away Sheep
Capital Zero
Sing We Merrily on High
We're Going To Bring Back Cities in Europe, And You Suck