This Mike's Song starts off typically.  Nothing special.  Tramps
segment at 2:40 or thereabouts, as usual.  Trey's jamming is very
sinister and eerie -- typically MikeS.  However, he does NOT do any
significant amount of off-key sustaining, choosing instead to lay out
a lot of intense but chilling and rather spooky noodle-jams.  It is
QUITE good.  It has some great sustain in places, taboot.  It is
significantly an above-average version compared with the pre-'95s,
especially the MikeSs I've recently reviewed.  It is also quite long.
Trey is still wailing away at 7 mins, when Page and the others try to
go into the MikeS theme.  Trey drags it out a little longer.  Everyone
successfully goest into the MikeS theme at 7:25, and the post tramps
jam starts at 7:43 or thereabouts.  It sounds a bit like Simple at
first (as it very often does), but doesn't go into Simple.  This
post-tramps jam is at first very typical -- raw, dark, plodding,
somewhat dissonant.  But after about 30 seconds or so, Trey starts
looking for a theme (noodling around).
 
 

He still hasn't found anything especially melodious by 9 mins.  Page
and Mike are throwing their own two cents in, but it is really typical
post-tramps segment material from everyone.  Fish is still maintaining
a straightfoward MikeS rhythm.  At around 9:30 ish, Trey goests into
his effects... At 10:30, the jam sounds frighteningly akin in a very
subtle way to a Zepplin tune (hmmm.. which one is that.. hmm.. I can't
remember).  The jamming around this 10-12 min point, though, is really
not that exciting imo.  Very haphazard, even though Fish is basically
maintaining the groove.  There just isn't anything harmonious going
on.  At around 12 minutes, spacey stuff from Trey begins, and everyone
else goest into a quiet mode, and then by 12:20 Fish drops the groove
entirely.  Just space in here.  Digital delay loop stuff from Trey,
sustained low notes from Mike (with some effects, taboot).  Page gets
in on it as well...  The "jam" at 13:30, this spacey interlude, is the
sort of Phish I don't always mind *live*, especially after a seriously
rockin' jam (need that breather).  But on tape it, uh, sucks.  At 14
minutes, Trey starts tooling around on an eerie theme, which the
others steadily join him on.  It isn't space at this point (14:40),
but it isn't that appealing as a jam yet, either (always imo.. don't
get excited).
 
 

This spamming (spacey jamming) is most displeasing to me.  Fish kicks
in some harsh drums, as if to jumpstart this rather lame groove...(and
goest into something more hose oriented) buuut, at 16 mins, Trey and
Page are still improvising in a rather anti-melodic way.  I don't
know. Well, wait a second here.  Trey does seem to be trying to build
something.  It just doesn't sound very good.  By 16:30 Fish has kicked
in a sustained groove, but Trey (and Mike and Page in support) are
still basically FARTING around.  This stuff just doesn't sound good to
me, and I sure as hell wouldn't recommend it to someone I was trying
to turn onto Phish.  Jamming just kinda fudges around, until after 18
mins or so, a typical MikeS style of jam re-enters the picture.  Trey
doesn't break into the MikeS Theme Ending Jam until 18:52, though.
Trey is masterful as usual in this closing jam -- lots of beautiful
solos.  Still, straightforward (not an extended closing jam or
anything).  AGH!!! Kinda fudged a little on the final chords towards
the end.. DOH!  Hydrogen segues in at 20:09. (that was a pretty long
Mike's Song, huh!?)
 

It seems like years since I've listened to Hydrogen (even though I
heard it earlier today).  This tune is soooo gorgeous.. I still prefer
Leprechaun, but hey, I know many of you think Leprechaun sucks... you
are entitled to your opinion (although I don't know where the hell it
says this in the FAQ).  This Hydrogen is flawless and delightful...
and soon, it goest into..
 

Weekapaug kicks in at 23:09.  Mike's opening solo is typical in the
quick, snappy and funky way (traditional), but is also extremely
upbeat, with an unusually happy flavor to it.  He covers a little more
territory on the 'doc than usual, too.  It is a typically great
opening...
 

What can I say?  All of the '95 Weekapaugs have been magnificent (one
of them magnificently LAME), and this is no exception.  Trey is
extraordinarily active, and there is a lot of spectacular jamming
before Page starts funking out on the Clavinet at 27 mins or so.
While Page funks out, Trey lets out some chords that effectively tease
"Can't You Hear Me Knockin'" again (if not the Suzy Greenberg jam
segment, to some extent).
 

At around 28 minutes, the jam effectively goest into the typical
Weekapaug "quiet mode," which many of you have seen me reference
before.  Fish is still maintaining the groove, but instead of wailing
loudly and going nuts, everyone kinda noodles in a relaxed manner
(Trey teases the Suzy Greenberg style of jam at around 28:50

outright.. he does this often in jams.. all of you have heard this).
At 29:30, the jam is magical.. not spacey, since Fish is maintaining
the groove on the ride cymbal (very jazzy!).  Wow!  At 30:30, the jam
is effectively very jazzy, but drops into a stop/start mode briefly
before Fish kicks in the beat solidly.  Trey is chording as if to
segue into something, but doesn't.  This jam builds, though,
steadily!  And then EXPLODES back into Weekapaug at 31:48 in a
spine-tingling manner (the Weekapaug theme-jam).  This finale is,
honestly, some of the best Weekapaug Groove I've heard.  At 33:48 the
jam enters the final lyrics segment.  Total time 34:43.
 

I know many of you enjoy watching me squirm before I "rate" one of
these Awesome Jams... agh.  I don't know.  If you are a fan of Phish
spacey stuff, you MUST check out this MikeS, because, as far as spacey
stuff goes, it was reasonably active and not that painful.  The Mike's
Song was 20 minutes, and had some good jamming in it, but nothing that
really grabbed **MY** attention (12/31/95 is profoundly better, in my
opinion).  And certainly nothing that wenteth into anything profound.
 

The Hydrogen was excellent, though, as was the Weekapaug.  And, well,
since 20 minutes for a Mike's Song isn't shabby, it would be quite
reasonable to have me drawn and quartered for even contemplating
giving this version anything lower than an A-/B+.  So, an A-/B+ it
is.  Imo, this version wasn't any better than 12/28/94, in general.
Also imo, these ratings, whenever an "A" grade is involved, should be
taken with the proverbial can of SPAM... If the MikeS had been more
coherent, this version would have easily received an "A" and made my
Top 5 hands down.  But, there was too much bullshit in it.  I like it
when they find melodic themes in their improvisation (see 12/30/93
Mike's Song).  But you know this already... (and the Weekapaug was
stellar, but hey, there are a lot of stellar Weekapaugs in '95, many
arguably better than this one was, like 12/31/95 for example).