Onwards to show #4 of my out-of-order, how-far-will-I-get run through of Europe, Winter 1997:
2/14/97 Brussels
Set 1
Exceptional Runaway Jim to open. Type I Jim's don't get much better than
this. Peakage all over the place in the best way. Nearly 9 minutes
long, this thing is an utter beast of a version. After a nice NICU, we
go into a 23 minute YEM. YEM has a great jam - very patient and dynamic.
Lots of breaking it down and building it back up, so to speak. Funkier
than usual, imo. Chill funk deluxe. No, seriously, this thing RIPS. A+ must-hear YEM!!!!
Out of the YEM vocal jam comes a rare mid-set Sweet Adeline. Very odd
placement, but I guess if you're gonna do an acapella number you might
as well do it out of a vocal jam!!!
Next is a sequence of hotly played but ultimately nothing special songs -
Axilla, It's Ice and Billy Breathes all turn in as-expected strong
versions. Unexpected, however, is the rip roaring shredfest that is Uncle Pen. Seriously - I can listen to Trey shred the old bluegrass all damn day.
A hotter-than-the-sun-as-usual Antelope closes this very enjoyable set.
All in all, the Runaway Jim and the YEM are all you really need, maybe
the Uncle Pen too.
On to set 2!
Set 2
A slightly lethargic AC/DC Bag opens the set. Sounds good, but boy does
it drag! Thankfully it picks up more steam as it goes along and by the
end has turned in a fine rendition. Bag concludes and into a 9 minute Ya
Mar we go. A very fine version that does not feel a minute over 5!!!
Great stuff. Into a 12 minute Disease we go...
And of course, Disease is an absolute firestorm like you'd expect. 12
minutes of pure, molten, lave-type destruction right into your ears. A
phenomenal Type 1 reading. Funky B follows up and keeps the heat going.
Funky B is a little more groovy as expected, but by the end it's just
laying waste to everything in sight. Perfect.
Reba is up next and features a brief mishap in the intro. Reba has a few
moments of mishap, but they are few and far between and even mentioning
them is nitpicking. Let me put it like this, 3.0 Phish would kill to
play Reba this well. The solo is decent but never feels like it hits
that next level you expect from a classic Reba. All in all, I'd rate
this Reba a solid B+ or so for Phish 1.0.
The duo from hell, Walfredo and Rock A William are up next. Honestly, I
kinda dig a good version of Walfredo. This one is very spirited but I
still give the nod to the 2/13 London reading. Not a fan really of Rock A
William. Scent of a Mule and A Day in the Life are both strong but they
are among my least FAVORITE Phish songs, so at this point I'm just
waiting for it to end.
Thankfully, Character Zero brings down the house again.
A good show, but not really anything to return to ever. The 3.3 rating
on .NET is perhaps a little low - I'd give this a solid 3.5
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