Ghost review - 12-31-98 Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

Date: Sun, 16 Jul 2000 03:03:23 EDT
From: LiverLobes@aol.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: 12-31-98 Ghost Review
 
Looping goodness starts: crowd is very enthusiastic and ready for the ensuing
fun!
Enter drums: trey is delicately chording and page adds the clav wah wobble
subtly every now and then.
Lyrics (timidly) at 1:34: Mike is in good fashion, driving the song along
confidently. There is nothing lazy about his playing.
Pages adds a wonderful noodle at 2:50 and goes off on it. Leading the band to
a great grooved out section. Mike slaps for a measure...then it winds down to
"maybe he's still with me."
Raucousness as we enter back into the lyrics (I FEEL I NEVER TOLD YOU). Trey
lets out an energetic rip at 4:17 and is already soloing on his langudoc in
mid-sentence. Page answers his second rip with a short clav riff, then goes
for the piano for some subtle chording. Mike melodiously solos at 5:20 and
takes center stage for a good measure or two. at 5:45 Trey is nowhere to be
found. oooh i spoke too soon; at 5:57 he's back and he's found a little theme
(not before Fish alters the beat a little to enhance the new direction).
Mike's bass is extremely active at 6:47 but not over powering, nothing earth
shattering. NOW! at 7:26 it now sounds like a Gin jam. Trey starts to climb
and climb and the others are there WITH him. at 8:23 the theme is
reintroduced and played with more confidently. HELLO? What song is this? Um
Runaway Jim? Bathtub Gin? oh wait it's GHOST! at 9:09 variations of the theme
pop up played even more confidently Trey is now bending notes on his doc,
giving the theme a dreamy connected feel. 9:48 Ride cymbal keeping beat on
right hand by fish. Trey is just soaring, and page is right there filling in
the gaps! YES! Mike is still active. VERY active, it's like he's playing his
own song, but it fits well. It's extremelymelodic AND fitting. at 11:12 a new
groove pops up and it sounds like a PYITE intro (muted chords)
at 11:37 trey is wondering around his doc... OOOOH AND BAM 11:51 Fish changes
his beat and a new groove is formed YES YES YES YES 12:13 Page gives a little
clav and the tempo is increasing....muted
chording...faster....faster....FASTER....
13:10 finds us in a new groove, which is extremely dark yet intriguing. Trey
is employing a very gritty effect on his guitar and just playing the same
thing over and over dah Duh da da dah Duh da da....There's several rhythms
going on at 14:30 EACH complimenting the next, and each member a VITAL part
to the total sound (duh). This is some amazing stuff. Mike is playing VERY
high on his Modulus and it sound extrememly, well. MELODIC (um, i need a
thesaurus next review). 15:06  a new theme. sounds 15:25 DARK....gritting
LOUD CLIMBING...BOOM HA HA HA at 15:46  what a release.
 
What intrigues me most about this version is the diversity of improv. This
version has several different styles/themes, yet flows from one to the other
effortlessly. At one point around minute 9, I was questioning if it was still
ghost, the jam was soaring into Gin-esq jam territory. Its thoroughly
satisfying, without being a blatant mock copy of another song.
Toward the end it gets dark and "grinding" (whatever that means) and plummets
into Ha Ha Ha. This version's identity crisis at times is satisfying and at
other times makes me wish they'd explore some of themes deeper.
 
All in all it's definitely a Ghost for the "fantasy file"
The Verdict...
B+/A-, while it doesnt have the constant energy and length of the groove
monster 7-23-97, i think it has enough interesting themes to hold it's own.
 
Ratings are extremely subjective.
John Tambroni
 
PS: I hope this makes some kind of sense. It's 3:03 am and i felt inspired to
give the ol review thang a shot. Enjoy!!



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