The Well, Broken Into Pieces Evolve does have that same drum sound I didn't like much on the 2023 live recordings. Guess it is not a fluke of a rushed mix or something else going wrong during a show.
Home again from work due to rain so let's go on with 1997, shall we? 54 minute set at Glastonbury. Not expecting anything, but it's cool they got to play "Wilson" so close to Stonehenge. 6/27/97 Somerset, UK - Glastonbury Festival A rousing Wilson opens the show. Not much to say. Good version. The following Chalkdust is pretty demented. For an "in the box" rendition, Trey annihilates the hell out of it like it's a strangulatory version of Maze instead, Highly recommend this Chalkdust!!!! Wow!!! No, seriously, this Chalkdust is positively UNHINGED!!! MUST HEAR!!! Wow!!! Stash is surprisingly enjoyable. Incredibly dynamic version, they bring it down to silence and to raging peaks and all points in between. The excessive whistling by an audience member is icing on the cake, lol. Not the greatest version ever but it's perfectly fine and even slightly unhinged at points. Solid stuff. The obligatory "It's 1997 so we HAVE to play it" Dogs Stole Things is next. NEXT! Poor Heart picks us back up but Poor Heart is Poor Heart. And into a surely-great 11 minute Taste we go! This is a pretty terrific version. Love how relaxed and patient Trey begins his solo section. Great little Taste! Bouncing and C Zero lead us out. All in all, there is as little to talk about as you'd expect. I'd say the Chalkdust Torture is pretty essential listening, but nothing else really goes beyond "pretty good". A nice little festival set, nothing less, nothing more. Definitely the least interesting of the tour so far....
Oh yea, The Well! That's my favorite, how did I forget that?! And Broken Into Pieces is really great - surprised that was only played, twice, I think?
"Wilson" was one of the old songs they tried to shelve in '97, but they played it at that gig since they were "near Stonehenge."
Indeed! It's funny to hear such an "overplayed" song as Wilson and go "huh, haven't heard this for a while, actually!"
I quite like the studio version of Evolve. Fishman is very prominent, nice vocal blend between Trey and Page. Very nice! And the album cover is of the 9th cube. So maybe we're getting some closure with the narrative going on. Between the Gamehenge revival and Kasvot and Sci Fi Soldier. It's all one narrative supposedly. Or maybe they're just messing with us again.
Yesterday was 12.01.95 Tight and sick. DWD is 7 minutes but howdy is it ever jampacked. Theme from the bottom keeps being a highlight on these sets too. Very fast and long Stash. Mike's Song gets taken for a ride at 20 minutes. It's type 2 because it does depart the standard second jam, but it also never quite leaves it. Type 1.5 Weekpaug is played in a different key lol, hilarious off-key singing. Good stuff. Later on the Bowie intro we get a Catapult, which is the ultimate sign the band is having a good time. Bowie is solid to send us home. December 95 baby. It's like a rocket up your ass.
Hope the new album is more like Sigma Oasis which I really liked vs Big Boat which I really didn't like.
Yeah, I have high hopes if it was recorded live or semi live, which it seems like it was from all the barn photos. I've never heard Big Boat lol.
I actually did the studio "Evolve", but maybe because I went into it with low expectations. I like how prominent Fishman is and I really like the tone of Trey's guitar. What don't y'all like about it?
I like it. Not "killer first single" vibes, but it's Phish so it's not like singles matter. I'm curious to hear nicely polished tight versions of the new songs.
I know better than to get excited about a new studio album from Phish, but I like this version of Evolve. In fact, I’ve enjoyed the song since Trey’s initial solo version released during the pandemic and think it’s been a nice addition to recent sets. Of course it’s nothing groundbreaking but it’s catchy by Phish standards and even reminds me of some of Eno’s poppier stuff. I agree with the post above that hopes for something closer to Sigma Oasis than Big Boat. Please! Sigma Oasis was their best album in a long time while Big Boat was possibly their worst (ever).
It's ok. Could do without that thin, rattly snare Fishman seems to like now. The song is one of those pretty songs that Trey seems to like writing the last ten years or so. As I mentioned I'm hoping the album includes a few of the weirder recent songs @warewolf95 and I mentioned.
I love “Evolve”, but I’m bummed this new studio version has so much of Trey’s “high” singing, rather than the simple and beautiful melody the song originally had. I like the low voices harmonizing. I wouldn’t mind Trey going up at the end, but the vocal arrangement here really spoils the simple tune. And the strings are a *little* heavy-handed for my taste.
This run was fun. And this was my favorite show of the run. The vibe of the show was unreal. Spending the day at Chocolate World and then going to the show. I did the NYE run , which also was great. But this show was a better show to me.
12/31/95 was the first Phish show I heard and what made me a fan. You have no idea how jealous I am of you! WHERE IS EPITAPH?!
I agree with the critiques posted above. It’s a little too Broadway Trey for me, then throw in the violins, and meh. I don’t expect much out of studio pH either….and yeah, Big Boat was terrrrible. Oof.
Back to 2019 this morning. 6 28 19 Camden Set 1 The first half of set 1 is enjoyable but bland. Skip straight to Birds of a Feather. Very awkward version but it has some great moments of jamming. Not anything must hear but worth a mention. After that interesting but awkward Birds its into a nice sequence of Wolfman, Wombat and Timber! Wolfy is about 11 minutes and has a wonderful little jam to it that goes kinda dark befoe building to a rocking climax. As with Birds, it aint must hear and is slightly awkward, but its still a nice little piece. Wombat goes nowhere and Trey ripcords them right into Timber. Whiplash!!! Timber is decent but nothing special Drift to close - just what this set did NOT need! All in all, an enjoyable but kinda off set. The boys try hard but are fumbling over arrangements and lyrics the whole time. Hell, Birds is basically a train wreck in the back half. Fine set but not one of the best of the summer. Hey, they gotta have an off night some time, eh? Not a great one...
Ha. I had almost forgotten about Epitaph. Has anyone actually this one? Maybe next week we’ll get a Thread bustout (if you can call it that) and Epitaph debut!
A nice article in the Washington Post regarding the Sphere shows. https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/2024/04/11/phish-sphere-las-vegas-trey-anastasio/ On why they are not doing more than four shows like U2 (and though not mentioned - Dead & Co.):
