11-14-98 YEM -- The Crown, Cincinnatti, OH
Date:    Sun, 21 Feb 1999 16:32:28 -080
From:    Charles Dirksen cdirksen@EARTHLINK.NET
Subject: 11/14/98 You Enjoy Myself, Cincy..

11/14/98 The Crown, Cincinnatti, OH

Several folks, including Bryan Gilstein, recommended that I review
this.  Thanks to Jason, xynophobe@aol.com, for the pleasant D>a!

Unusually beautiful "pre-Nirvana" segment.  Spacey, pleasant sounds
from everyone, as Fish whips the hi-hat.  Nice, but not as
awe-inspiring as some openings in past versions (mostly in 1995).
"Nirvana" at 4:27.  I still love this section, even after all these
years.  It was this composed section that first turned me on to
Phish.  I heard it on a really poor quality bootleg in late Spring
1989. Mike's solo section (5:13) sounds mournful, despondent, despite
being melodic.  The "pre-charge" section, in which Brad brings out the
trampolines (you can hear the roar from the crowd on the tapes,  
honoring the tramps), is quite standard-great (riveting!).  The first
shot at "The Note" occurs at 6:37ish, and Trey nails it, before he
lets loose some nice licks.  Second note is hit at 7:20 or so, and
Trey sustains it.  But it ain't perfect, and is a bit out of tune...

"Boy" at 7:53, after a good charge and scream.  The Wash Uffizi Drive
Me To Firenzi (WUDMTF) segment is funky and fine, as usual, with tasty
fills from Trey in particular!  I *love* Trey's and Page's fills in
here.  They are not usually this melodic in the spaces between WUDTMF
lyrics.  NIIIIIIIICE!  =^]

"Tramps Jam" at 10:09.  Mike's signals for the moves are very
present.  And the crowd makes a whole helluva lot of noise.  Page's
accompaniment is unusually strong, taboot!

At 11:10 Mike and Trey get off the tramps, and at 11:29, a
bewilderingly sweet groove -- led at first by Trey's beautifully
rhythmic chords -- develops.   Trey must have put these chords into a
loop, which goes on and on through the jam. It's like Phish has a
fifth member on rhythm guitar!!!  Very cool!

Trey starts mellifluously noodling over this PHHHHHHAAAAAAT, charming
groove, which features the ghost of Trey on rhythm guitar, Fish, Mike,
and Page, all funking along nicely.  Mike's bass line in here (13:42)
sounds frighteningly familiar -- I know I've heard him play this same
melodic theme in other versions of YEM, and in other jams, within the
last year in particular.  It sounds like that tune the lyrics of which
include "You've got the look."  The one from the '70's.  The Age of
Disco.  Anyway... Trey's soloing sounds very Santana/Oye-Como-Va-esque
in this jam, too!  What a GREAT jam!  Too bad more YEM's from the last
few years haven't been like THIS.  The loop'ed rhythmic guitar
disappears, though...

Around 15:30 the jam quiets down, and Trey very subtly teases what can
only be Moma Dance, imo, but only for a measure or two.  By 16, the
crowd claps along, spellbound by this mellow-yet-funky groove, marked
as it is by repetitive chords from Trey (that ascend the frets
repetitively and melodically), and by some nice work from Page and
Mike.  Trey starts chording along rhythmically with Fish around 17
mins, and Page gets a bit more active in the mix.  A fairly engaging,
somewhat spacey, groove develops.

Around 18 minutes, Trey starts vocal jamming, and very shortly,
everyone follows suit. No bass and drums. Sounds like there's a kazoo,
or something, in the vocal jam, for a little bit.  Typically crazy
vocal jam.  Total time 21:36.  Julius starts up about a second or so
after the vocal jam fades out.  Not quite a >.

This was a great YEM, to be sure.  Above-average.  But it ain't in the
Big Leagues, imo.  Easy B+.  If you were really impressed by this
version, I *urge* you to check out: 02/03/93, 02/07/93, 03/14/93, 
04/14/93, 05/02/93, 05/05/93, 08/25/93, 05/20/94, 06/11/94, 06/14/94,
06/18/94, 07/14/94, 10/23/94, 11/23/94, 06/16/95, 06/23/95, 06/26/95,
06/29/95, 10/21/95, 10/31/95, 11/10/95, 11/14/95, 11/18/95, 12/09/95,
12/31/95, 12/06/96, 02/21/97, 07/09/97, 07/23/97, 07/31/97, 11/13/97,
and 11/28/97 (all of which I enjoy more than this version of YEM).

two cents
charlie                     

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