From cdirksen@earthlink.net Sat Sep 12 23:35:40 1998
Date: Wed, 8 Jul 1998 21:59:12 -0700 (PDT)
From: Charles Dirksen 
To: dan@netspace.org
Subject: Edited 8/11/97 YEM review

**
8/11/97  Deer Creek Music Center, Noblesville, IN

Do you think this venue is overrated? I thought it was one of the
nicest venues that the Dead used to play, but then the Dead never
played Walnut Creek out East, which was also a pleasant shed... If
you've never been there, Deer Creek is nestled in Indiana cornfields.
Out in the Open.. It is almost like going to a show in the "country"
if you are from an east coast city.

YEM follows a boring My Soul.  Opening is a bit shaky.  Trey isn't 
entirely "on".  The pre-Nirvana section features a hell of a lot of 
audience applause, even though it is only typically spacey and 
enchanting, because Trey kept picking up the telephone on top of 
Page's piano, pretending to talk to someone.  This went on all 
throughout both Deer Creek shows, apparently. Nirvana at 4:20... the 
rest of the opening is fine.

"Boy" at 7:40 after an ok scream.. BMGS/WUDMTF segment average great.
Nothing of unusual merit to note.   Tramps jam at 9:50.  Mike signals
for the moves.  Page doesn't do anything really.. just sustains a
chord and distorts it (or something) for the first minute or more.
Not much is going on as a result.  Nice phaaaaat licks from Mike
around 11 minutes.  He locks into a groove with Fish, that has
overtones of Immigrant Song (they could segue into Immigrant Song if
they wanted to.. there's no tease!).  Page finally plays a few notes
for a few seconds on the clavinet it sounds like around 11:30, and the
crowd starts clapping along.  Jam segment basically begins around 12
minutes.

Trey starts groovily chording a la most summer 1997 versions of
Cities, and some Tweezers.  You know, those funky chords that simply
HAVE to get your feet moving, unless you have absolutely no soul at
all whatsoever.  Still, a very light funk groove (12:50) in here.
Nothing very awe-inspiring, imo.  Yet.  Just grooves along.. Rhythm
guitar from Trey, with modest tooling around from Page and Mike, who
are far more inspired than Trey.  Trey's just hanging back with the
chords.  At around 13:37 he funkily teases the "Oye Como Va" chords in
a different key. Mike is still phaaatly funking away.  He's probably
the star of this YEM so far.  Fish is just kicking out a dank groove...

Jam still hasn't really gone anywhere special (14:38), but Page plays
a little ditty on the Moog, before moving to the Hammond.  Trey begins
soloing in a more traditional fashion around 15 minutes, and teases a
tune I've heard him tease before in YEM, but I can't name the S.O.B.
Trey starts noodling around in the lower octaves with a juicy, wet,
drippy effect, similar to Mike's.. cool stuff, but definitely not the
stuff of a Monster YEM.  He does finally climb into the upper octaves
by 16:22, and he starts soloing up there very nicely.  Hard core Oye
Como chords from Page around 17:30..

The jam definitely picks up around 18 mins, and closes excellently!
Powerfully triumphant end to the jam segment!! =^] Great stuff from
everyone in here for damn sure.  FINALLY.  At 19:40 the jam just kinda
loses steam with sustain from Trey.. Page plays around a little bit.

It would ordinarily be bass and drums at this point (19:45), but
there's still a lot of spacey, funky shit going on in this YEM
(20:30).  I don't think it sounds all that great, though.  Mike rips
out some nice stuff...  Page and Trey hang in the mix.  It frankly
just sounds like screwing around at 21 minutes.. not improv that
works, imo.  It is definitely unusual for YEM, though.  (21:45)  It
just doesn't sound very good imo.  Will there even be a B&D I wonder?

Christ.. by 23 minutes, they are still just screwing around.  Trey has
started all sorts of digital delay loop stuff going.  Mike isn't even
doing much.  Fish has given up keeping a straight beat and is also
just tooling around.  Page too.  (!)  Do any of you think this stuff
is impressive?  Sounds like aimless crap to me.

At 23:58, though, Trey starts vocal jamming something (I can't make
out the words, if there even are any words.. sounds like all Trey is
repeating is "Baum Dim" or something).  Mike starts ooo'ing with Page
and possibly Fish (only Fish is playing by 24:57, and he soon stops
it).  I wonder, is this melodious vocal jamming (25:15) a tease of a
song?  Interesting ending to the YEM jam segment.  This is NOT a
typical YEM vocal jam under any circumstances. Fish is still lightly
drumming at 25:40 but he stops by 25:50.

Still a very harmonious vocal jam at 26 minutes.. not at all typical
for YEM, in other words.  Total time 27:17.  Character Zero begins a
couple seconds later.

A very weird YEM.  One of VERY few versions with no closing WUDMTF
lyric section, and no bass and drums section. And I think the only
version I've ever heard that has a vocal jam but no closing WUDMTF
lyrics.  I should give it an N/R because of its overall strangeness.
So I'll do that.  I wouldn't recommend checking it out.

two cents
charlie