Subject: *12/31/95* You Enjoy Myself
   Date: Sun, 15 Feb 1998 09:37:43 -0800 (PST)
   From: Charlie Dirksen 

(I don't think I have ever posted this)

12/31/95  Madison Square Garden, NYC, NY

Aaaah, what a show.  By the time this YEM came around, I was awestruck
and in shock.  Anyone who doubts the merit of this show should seek
medical help.  There is so much ingenious improvisation in this show!!
If you fail to hear its glory, upgrade your tapes.  The DAT from AKG
460s sounds beautiful!

You Enjoy Myself opens typically.  The pre-Nirvana section is very
serene, and more melodic than usual (Trey gently plays and sustains
more notes than usual in it).  Nirvana section at 3:07, and it is
*almost* flawlessly peformed (Trey slips up a wee bit).  Mike's solo
section at 3:51 tells a story of sorts in the usual 15 seconds -- a
very active, melodious effort from Mike.  The pre-charge section is
typically good, with a great first shot at The Note (Trey jams well
around it, too).  Second shot at The Note occurs at 5:55, and Trey
unfortunately doesn't sustain it as well as he could have.. Charge at
6:12, and, of course,

"Boy" at 6:28 with a crowd-assisted scream.  WUDMTF segment is
ok, a bit weak in the second round of WUDMTF "lyrics."  At 8:35 the
trampolines section begins, and Mike starts signaling the tramps
moves. Excellent drumming from Fish in this section, and soloing from
Page!

At 9:45 the jam segment TAKES OFF, with Trey repeating a lick that
means business.  Trey teases a bit of "Oye Como Va" at 10:13, then the
jam quiets down considerably.  Soon it is only Trey noodling with
gentle support from Fish.  Crowd begins clapping along.  At 11:08,
Mike pokes his head in a bit, as Trey begins repeating a very familiar
Oye Como lick low on his 'doc.  Page soon comes in on the same Oye
Como vibe, gently.  Then Fish.  Then at 11:41, the jam takes off
again, with obvious Oye Como Va chords from Page, and soloing from
Trey.  Mike and Fish keep the jam funking along.  By 13:25, Trey is
soloing in the upper reaches of the 'doc, kicking out a typically Oye
Como Va-based YEM jam segment!! This climactic jam continues for
another minute before truly climaxing around 14:30 with some heavy Oye
Como chords from Page..

BUT THEN COMES JAM SEGMENT NUMBER TWO!!!

At 14:36, one of the grooviest jams in Phishtory begins, in my
opinion.  This whole thing almost sounds pre-planned and composed as I
hear it (even though I assume, of course, that it wasn't).  The jam
becomes intensely harmonic and mystifying, with a spell-binding,
enchanting Presence.  Page and Trey keep it a little melodic, but not
overly so.  At 17 minutes Trey starts soloing a bit more melodiously
overtop Mike, Page, and Fish, but complements -- and doesn't upstage
-- them. This is one of Those Jams where you know they are all
listening *INTENTLY* to each other.  Just incredible improvisation in
my opinion. I'd love to have a DSBD of this mother fucker (not to
mention a DSBD of the whole gig!!).  The jam mellows around 18:30, and
segues softly into the

WUDMTF segment at 19:13.  They whisper the WUDMTF lines for nearly 40
seconds before starting the "vocal jam."  The VJ is at first primarily
just noisy-whispering (whatever the hell this means).  There's a bit
of typically harmonic vocal jamming for a few measures around 20:30..
then back to whispering.. then back to more harmonic VJamming. Then by
21:54 they are sustaining OOOOHHHHHHHH.  They sing on OHH for a while,
hauntingly, mystically, tunefully.. I was on my ass for this at the
show (I sit down for vocal jams usually), even more in shock than I
was when the YEM started.  I couldn't believe how good this show was..
what a god damn Experience!!  Anyway, after some somewhat sketchy
vocal jamming, they close this amazing version of You Enjoy Myself
quite uneventfully.  But in only a few seconds, SANITY starts up (I
went absolutely BANANAS!!!! I suddenly had ALL THIS ENERGY!!!! I had
wanted to hear Sanity *live* since first hearing the song on Junta in
college in the late 80s.. I am ALWAYS AMUSED by this song)  Total time
for this YEM, 25:50.

Anyway, this YEM is a brilliant piece of music, in spite of the
weakness in some of the sections prior to the jam.  Easy "A". Sure, it
doesn't have the kickass, jaw-dropping, rager-of-a-jam-segment like
the YEMs from 12/9/95 and 5/5/93 Albany, to name two.  But it has two
jam segments, one of which is one of the most harmonious and intense
jam segments I've ever heard Phish perform IN ANY SONG AT ANY TIME,
and that's Good Enough For an "A" as far as I'm concerned.

If you aren't similarly impressed by this YEM, upgrade your copy and
be impressed, or have your ears hacked off, because they obviously
aren't serving you at all well.

two cents
charlie

p.s.  If you are new to these YEM reviews, I've heard a lot of
versions of You Enjoy Myself.  There are still plenty I have not
heard, however, so *PLEASE* let me know if you think there's a version
I should check out (and why).  Please.  Visit the hypertexted HFB
at http://www.phish.net/hfb/yem/ to check out more reviews, if you 
care.  I've been going in chronological order, hence the lack of 
post95 reviews. I haven't reviewed every YEM I've heard (by 
any stretch), but there are still dozens and dozens of YEMs I haven't
heard.

(and to those of you who have asked me to recommend shows, the 
arrogantly titled  "Best Shows Summaries" are up now at 
http://www.phish.net/hfb/articles.html ... you might find them very 
helpful if you are looking for pre-97 show recommendations)