From cdirksen@earthlink.net Sat Sep 12 23:35:40 1998
Date: Tue, 07 Jul 1998 02:02:43 GMT
From: cdirksen@earthlink.net
To: dan@netspace.org
Newsgroups: rec.music.phish
Subject: 8/2/97 Gorge Tweezer

8/2/97  Gorge Amphitheater, George, Washington

The most amazing outdoor place that I've ever seen Phish play. Get
there this summer at all costs, imo.  Although Red Rocks has a good
view for the band, WE'VE got an AMAZING VIEW at the Gorge, and it's
much better than our view at Red Rocks (even at the top of the steps
imo).  So get to the Gorge before the ticketless vending wookie hordes
and their mangy dust-coughing emaciated pets get Phish banned from
there, too.

Since Tweezer segues out of the DWD, my timing is going to start from
the typical DWD opening notes that Mike plays. There's actually some
spacey shit before Mike begins DWD, akin to numerous other versions of
DWD, but I'm not timing that.  I really don't have anything much to
say about this DWD, except that it's fun.  I *LOVE* what they've done
with this song.  To think that, when Hoist came out, there were people
who failed to see the jamming potential that this tune held (and who
promptly left the fold, dreading the future and romanticizing the
past).  I love DWD's melody.. They can jam DWD like this at any show
they @^&*%#&$^ want to, imo.  Check out the Ball 8/16/96 DWD and the
11/12/94 Kent State DWD (with Have Mercy in it!) for two of my
personal faves.  If those versions don't persuade you to enjoy this
tune whenever it gets played, I don't know what version will.

Excellent playing from Trey about 6 minutes into this DWD (I remember
getting real excited by the fact that the 6/26/94 Gamehoist DWD was
aroudn 9 minutes long.. bwahahahahaha).  Trey's playing throughout
this DWD is awesome, frankly.  He definitely got some good shut-eye
since that 7/31/97 Weekapaug buzzkill.  Page, Mike and Fish are
similarly awesome in this DWD jam, naturally.  The DWD jam starts
cooling off, slowing down, though, around 9 minutes or so.. mellowing
out.  By 10 mins, the groove frankly begins to sound like it could
segue EASILY into Carini.  Mike and Page *severely* hint at it in this
very relaxed groove (11 mins), but I don't hear anything I would call
a true tease. This DWD jam continues in this mellow mood for a few
minutes.. doesn't really do that much, imo, unfortunately.  Just kinda
coasts. Trey isn't very active, and neither is anyone else,
particularly (Fish has some tasty fills aroudn 13 minutes into it,
though).

At 13:42 Trey appears to tease Carini a little bit.. and Fish and Mike
join in.  Then Trey starts playing Tweezer at 14:01.. the opening
lick.. faster.. and faster.. picking it up.  Still pretty slow.. too
slow at 14:41.. Trey is just repeating the opening lick.  What the..
oh well.  I thought it would get faster than this.  Tweezer is
**wicked** slow.  Easily the slowest version that I can think of off
the top of my head.  Trey also seems to start singing the lyrics
abruptly -- Page wasn't expecting them (and nor was I.. this is
@#*&%@# SLOW).  This opening segment is very slow, and very loose..
but there's some good vocals from Mike, and clavinet-work from Page
(at least I think this is the clav(!)).

Uncle Ebeneezer is all sorts of screwed up, around 18:21.. no
screaming.  Page takes his piano for strong, though.  Jam segment
kicks in at 18:55 (about 4:55 into the Tweezer.. it usually kicks in
around 4:30).  Still very slow.  Kinda quiets down.  Trey tools around
a bit in the opening, employing an Unusual effect for Tweezer.  His
soloing is very patient, but still melodious.. Nothin smokin..yet.

The first few minutes of this Tweezer just coast along, imo.  Nothing
terribly dramatic.  Trey's noodling is in the lower octaves.. and is
very mellifluous.  Given the slow tempo, this is definitely funkier
than usual I suppose, too.  But I don't find it especially
interesting.  It still seems rather aimless.. even if it does sound
fine.  Not bad for the first Tweezer of summer 1997, but this could be
a hell of a lot more inspired.  The jam does begin to pick up around
25 minutes, but it still isn't really doing much.. almost through the
motions, despite the great chords from Page, and solid accompaniment
from Mike and Fish.  Trey just isn't very aggressive in here.  He
starts noodling in the upper octaves, finally, but again, this jam
isn't going anywhere, it seems to me. (I still LIKE it.. don't get me
wrong.. I love this fucking band.. this jam just isn't going Anywhere)
At about 27 mins Trey starts chording along rhythmically for a few
measures, although not in quite as funky a fashion as versions of
Cities from summer 1997.

The jam doesn't really do much at all until about 28:35, when things
start to get Interesting.. Trey begins chording in an almost a
Slave-like fashion, and Fish kicks out a punchy rhythm... we're going
somewhere now! =^] (29:30)  Mike and Page join in.  Trey has found a
theme (which really only involves a few chords, repeated..)... a good
theme.  At 31 mins, Trey begins playing DWD, and *right away* Fish
picks up on it and kicks out a DWD rhythm! =^]  Niiiiice. Trey plays
the DWD theme only once (maybe twice), though, before he starts
chording repetitively, perhaps considering what to play next.. and
then at 32:05, he starts up Johnny B. Goode.  And by 32:22 the full
band is playing JBG. :)  It seems kind of silly to me to call this a a
real DWD sandwich, since there really isn't much DWD before JBG.  Only
like two measures, and then a transition/Jam into JBG (which ain't no
DWD jam).

Certainly a cool way to start the second set!!  But the jamming in the
Tweezer didn't really go anywhere, imo.  It still has a lot more
improvisational merit than the vast majority of early versions, so
I'm giving it the 'ole 7.0.

This isn't the first time that they played a Diseeeezer, of course.
Check out 11/27/96 Seattle if you haven't yet.  That second set is a
monster (and the Theme in the first set continues to move me more than
most versions of that tune), and that Tweezer is more intense than
this version, imo.

BTW, I didn't review the 2/16/97 Koln Tweezer, since I didn't think
it'd be worthwhile (it's like a 6.5 tops).  2/20/97 Milan is one of
only two 1997 shows that I still haven't heard, so if you think that
Tweezer is well above average, please review it yourself for the
benefit of the HPB and those folks who still read these things...

two cents
charlie

p.s.  For more Tweezer reviews, check out http://www.phish.net/hpb/tweezer.