From: Charlie Dirksen
5/27/94 Warfield Theater, San Francisco, CA (Rvwd 11/95) This is a pretty *&%$#*CRAZY*#$%&* show from any
perspective. The show has exciting versions of many tunes, particularly Reba and Possum. Those priviliged enough to have been
present must have been ripping their hair out!! 5/27/94 is perhaps one of my ten/fifteen faves of 1994. You should hear it at
reasonable cost, if only because it has the first -- and worst (imo) -- version of Simple (conveniently in the middle of an alleged
MikeS, and herein reviewed). Some people **love** this First Simple, tho! Those who were at this show tell me that this
whole MikeS Event was an intensely spiritual, bewilderingly Life-Affirming Experience. (what follows is perhaps a not so subtle
affirmation of the "The tapes don't reflect the experience *live*" doctrine) With this in mind: the opening lyrics segment is wholly
standard. Nothing at all special. Just after the start of the tramps segment, instead of the usual Mike & Page grooving before
Trey comes in (Trey ordinarily comes in after an obligatory 30 seconds or so), almost right away Trey starts jamming the main
theme of Simple. It is my opinion that this 'Simple' was basically un-rehearsed and not really a "song" at this point. They may
have been screwing around on the bus with it, but I don't think they'd ever actually played this tune plugged in before on stage at
the Warfield in front of everybody. It probably isn't fair or sound to call this "Simple," especially if you compare It to the refined
versions of Fall 1994 and the present. Mike doesn't play more than a few notes during this whole segment (maybe just one or
two notes..!), and Mike and Trey do a lot of eerie screaming of the Simple-lyrics, some of them deliberately off-key. They also
repeat words/lyrics (Trey gets stuck in a "Skyscapers" chant at one point), presumably for effect. It is just f@cking *NUTS*
around 4:50 or so, just before they dive into what is now the Simple finale-be-bop-n-be-bo-phone closing jam. The drums are
a steady tramps jam beat during this whole thing, btw (and Page more/less plays as if he were playing MikeS..). There are
sustained screams on "phone" and other things all throughout this bizarre jam. It really doesn't sound MUCH AT ALL like the
"Simple"s of today. This version is really the agonizing, powerful "BIRTH OF SIMPLE." ;^) The MikeS tramps segment ending
jam (that everyone has heard who has heard MikeS... the theme!) comes in at 6:29 or so, and then, after ten or 15 seconds, it
ends, AND THEN SIMPLE IS TEASED/JAMMED ON YET AGAIN by Trey, but only for a few seconds. The jam then
goes into a trippy groove -- which is actually quite intense and spooky -- around 7:30-8 mins. Trey applies distortion. Fish is
absent at this point. Page is very quiet with a chord here and there, until 8:35 or so, when he starts quietly noodling. Soon Trey
does the same thing (and Fish twings the cymbals a bit). Mike talks to the wind. Around 9 mins, Trey starts slowly playing O
Mio Babino Caro (.. a very pretty tune). Was this in the movie 'A Room With a View'? Why do I know this tune? (I highly
recommend you see this movie with your s.o., and/or with someone whom you want to get closer too.. I thought it was an
all-around great film, and when it comes to movies, I am even more opinionated, arrogant, and close-minded). What opera is
'O Mio' from, originally? I don't know JACK about operas. The segue into this, btw, is very spacey and ominous. The *real*
Mike's Song finale jam (which recently has topped off the often chaotic and dissonant "post tramps jam segment") never comes.
The opera singer, Andrea Baker (?), isn't mic'ed, but she is audible on my tape. FOBs probably capture it well.. She comes in
around 10:20 or so (she comes in quietly on my tape, sooo.. I am not sure when exactly she came in). Page noodles a little bit
while she sings, but otherwise she is unaccompanied. It ends about 11:35 ish. Possum kicks in after mucho applause, twenty
seconds later. The Possum has a REALLLLLLLLLLLY drawn out opening (they were passing out the Flintstones mac&cheese
(TM) at this point). This long opening reminds me of the "Signals" Possum from way back when.. 3/20/92
BinghamPPPP=;^0@$^%*&TTTon. The opening drags on for at least two or three minutes here ('the opening' meaning
Fishman, btw.. Page doesn't come in for two mins, at least, with the typical Possum-opening rapid-fire repetitive chordwork).
Get this weird 5/27/94 at all costs (the Peaches is a bit sloppy, if I remember correctly, but the Reba is fantastic.. it has a Slave
or Hood -- not a true Reba -- sort of jam segment). As far as a rating for this MikeS, it really was NOT a "Mike's Song", as
you Observant Ones were able to discern from the aforementioned, relatively incoherent impressions... It was a MikeS Opening
with a wild SIMPLE JAM that changed The Whole Damn Story.. and then a very brief MikeS tramps closing jam/riff.. I dunno.
I guess one can call this MikeS, although a Mikes Simple Sandwich might be more appropriate!! This "Simple" is nothing like
the great song it has become, fwiw. If you want to hear an amazing Simple, check out Halloween 1994 or 11/16/94 (well, on
11/16/94, there was an incredible "jam" after the mikeS->simple that wasn't technically "simple".. still incredible... you must hear
it.. I'll be reviewing this soon.. AND GEEZUS CHRIST, THE STASH ON 11/16/94!!!!! PHHHHAAAAAAAT!! ;). This
5/27/94 "version" of Simple will disappoint you if you go into it thinking that it will be harmonious and melodically comforting. It
is, imo, not especially agreeable to the ear. They were, uuhhh, experimenting. I'm going to include the Mio Babino and Simple
bits in my rating of this "MikeS Song" (it seems wrong to call it MikeS, though, damnit), and give it a C+ (AWESOME = B )
rating. If I had to rate the alleged MikeS with the Simple jam but without O Mio Babino Caro, it would be a D+/C- easy. There
are tons of MikeS -- which aren't even particularly esteemable -- that I'd laud more vigorously than this "version", given its
goo-covered, Simplistic Corruption... Seriously, though, this jam is sloppy and off-key and embarrassing... yeah yeah, I know,
it was great to hear the birth of a new tune, but geeeez.. 'TIS A MESSY, MOST ODIOUS version, on account of its carelessly
farraginous, and not really SIMPLE, quality. I hesitate to give it any higher a rating because it simply isn't much of a "MikeS
Song," and the Simple jam isn't even close to as pleasing as most of the Simple jams that I've heard in MikeS. I know the
people who were there disagree with me about its glory, but hell, I'm trying to at least ATTEMPT to be objective and critical,
and when comparing this alleged MikeS to other versions of MikeS, this ain't no fucking MikeS, with the exception of the
opening lyrics segment (BFD!) and a brief touch of the MikeS theme (ya know, the theme that always closes the tramps jam
segment). I hope those of you who were at this show will either support or debase me. I really want publicly posted comments,
whether you were there or not. This is/was the very first Simple.. and a great show. The O Mio Babino Caro, of course, is
worthy of Awesomeness given its originality (it is also sung well!). The alleged MikeS at this show is/was an Experimental
Simple Jam, and not a true MikeS, imo. The Possum, though it takes a little while to get going, is Impressive, and should be
heard ... As should the Fire (E). What a **HOT** show! THANKS, PHISH!!!