From: Charlie Dirksen
12/6/86 Mood Ranch, Shelborne, VT (Rvwd 3/95) Really slow, bluesy beginning to this Mike's Song ("MikeS"), but it soon develops into a groove. Mike deliberately behaves like a FREAK for the opening lyrics segment (or is this Trey? this is a hissy tape.. anyway, whoever is singing is deliberately acting strangely). The jam segment is extremely fierce, with everyone really wailing away. It has a typical MikeS feel to it, but lots of really hot stuff from Fish on the skins (very playful.. he doesn't do stuff like this very often anymore.. it's too risky!). At the 6 min mark, the jam takes on an Enchanting Approach, which is very mystical, and which is led by Trey and Mike. This is a HOSE moment if ever there was one (I'm sure, though, that they hadn't had their famed HOSE DISCUSSION with Carlos by this time.. ;^). Just a sick groove at this point. Everyone is stylin' like there's no tomorrow. At the 7 and a half min mark, the jam sounds nothing like "Mike's Song." I'd have to give this version an above average B (it is not one of the most amazing versions, by any stretch, but an above-average version, I believe). At just after 8 mins, the jam slows way down, and Little Drummer Boy begins very slowly, kinda crEEping into the picture (I don't think it was planned!!), led by Trey. By the 9 min mark, everyone is playing Little Drummer Boy, but off-key and slowly (it's not like the sick Drummer Boy jam that we got on 12/28/94 !!). Whipping Post kicks in ferociously at the 12 min mark, which is where the weak Drummer Boy ends. BTW, this version of 'Post is NOT a vaccum version but the Real Thing, and it smokes. It ENDS 11 and one-half minutes LATER.. just fantastic. I wish they still did 'Post, because they could do it SOOOO WELLLL !! Very hissy tapes of this show are in circulation, but look for them anyway. This show is well worth having even with the hiss and mild crowd noise! Just before "Tush" at this show, some guy in the audience asks whether Phish will do Barry Manilow. Trey says sure.. "this is a Barry Manilow song.." And they crank into TUSH! The Bowie at this show has a mellow spacey jam in the center. Dog Gone Dog (aka Dog Log) speaks for itself. I mean, check out the setlist from the HFB: 12/6/86 The Mood Ranch, Shelborne, VT I: Mike'S > Little Drummer Boy > Whipping Post, She Caught the Katy, AC/DC Bag, Bowie > Fluff's Travels > Bowie, YEM, Dog Log, Tush, Sneakin' Sally, Prepschool Hippie Thanks to Mark Goldberg (cubed) for setting me up with this fun old show!