From: Charlie Dirksen
10/22/96 Madison Square Garden, NYC, NY Thanks for the tapes, Dean! I'm breaking with tradition. As many of you
know, I usually review YEM in chonological order. But since so many people wanted me to review this asap, and primarily
because Anson Burtch became the first person ever to actually grovel for a review from me, I review this now. Don't get your
hopes up! I just listened to the 11/16/91 YEM, one of my favorites, which James Treworthy upgraded me by about 1000
generations on. My AUD went from being one of the worst quality Phish tapes I've ever heard, to a "A" audience tape on my
list easily!!! It is higher quality than any of the 1996 dauds that I've heard.. got to love those small venues!! Thanks, James!
Opening standard. The pre-Nirvana segment is short and contains nothing of any merit, and is actually remarkably base in light
of the 1994 versions I have heard recently (almost all of them). There is nothing particularly melodious, although the spacey
flavor is there, naturally. Nirvana at 3:07. Nirvana segment is good, and Mike's solo-section at 3:55 is delightful and unusually
active! The trampolines are obviously brought out (as usual) during the pre-charge section, given the crowd reaction. DOH!!!
Trey screws up in the pre-charge around 4:45, which totally caught me by surprise. I've never heard this sort of error from him
in this section before. First shot at the Note at 5:15 is hit well, and Trey jams inspiringly around it. The second shot at the Note
at 6:01 is sustained beautifully by Trey, as normal. A little static/feedback or something from a speaker, though, at the end...
"Boy" at 6:34 after a TREMENDOUS scream from Trey, as if to let out his rage at screwing up the pre-charge like that! ;) The
WUDMTF segment is standard, although the jamming between the WUDMTF chanting is quite good (especially Mike,
although Trey employs some groovy wah-wah). Tramps segment at 8:45, and Mike begins signaling post-haste. Crowd goes
absolutely BESERK for this tramps segment (I can only assume that they did not do the usual routine.. I wasn't at the show).
Page's playing in here is very laid back, and he doesn't jam in any exquisitely noteworthy manner. Trey comes in a lil' bit in this
section as well... At 10:02 the jam segment opens up quite groovily with Trey repeating this trembling little lick, and Mike
funking out dankly on his 'doc. Page is also adding some nice 'clav in here, taboot. At 11 minutes, Trey begins soloing
melodiously, from the depths of the 'doc, slowly sustaining a note here and there. Within thirty seconds he picks up the intensity
a little bit, and Mike steeps up his excellent, awesome accompaniment, too! Trey's soloing is actually not all that typical for
YEM. (12:25) He's soloing painstakingly, almost carefully and considerately, and not "melodiously noodling" as he usually does.
Around 13 minutes, nevertheless, he's clearly soloing a la Carlos Santana in "Oye Como Va," but in a lower key and more
slowly and steadily than usual, just building a sweeeet jam!!! Still Oye-ish around 13:40, fwiw, and Trey is STILL steadily
building the jam... until at 13:50 Trey climaxes beautifully in the 'doc's upper octaves and sustains some notes flawlessly, adding
a bit of quick licks... A typically awesome YEM close at around 14:35, but this finale is honestly not as magnificent as many that
I've heard. At 14:46 it is bass and drums, and Fish and Mike RAGE right from the start! Trey moves to his drum-kit, too! =^]
Mike's soloing is (15 mins) very steady and melodious at first, but at 15:25 he turns on one of those 21st Century Effects and
starts ripping out some truly PHAAAAT licks on dat damn 'doc of his!! Fish and Trey are keeping a fairly straightforward B&D
groove going (Fish is letting Mike wail profoundly throughout this B&D segment). YES!!!!! At around 16:15 Mike is actually
teasing Oye Como Va himself, as Trey had done in the jam segment!! Mike then changes course but mightily concludes.. At
16:48 the closing WUDMTF segment begins, and Trey adds some fills. Vocal jam within twenty seconds as usual.. Crazy vocal
jam with lots of mouthy noises and less Small Furry Creates (no harmonizing, really.. no chanting..). Not a meaningful one in
light of many others, in my opinion. Total time 21:25 or so. I thought this was a pretty awesome YEM, but the whole opening
segment wasn't all that hot, imo. The B&D and jam segments really made up for it, though. B/B+ rating. two cents dirk420