[Stream provided by www.phishtracks.com]

From the psychedelia  spacey, rocker era that mostly sums up the style of show I saw first with 12-28-96, to the funkadelic world that was the fall 97 tour. Often cited as the "Phish Destroys America" tour and said to be one of the best, if not the best, tour they ever put together by the band (this past summer tour is creeping). 

Thanks to Youtuber, Tyler Penn, we have a nice video with high quality audio to share along with this recap. Great view for checking out how Kuroda ran the light shows back then to boot.

Download Show (Link sourced from The Spreadsheet)

First Set: Punch You In the Eye > My Soul, Drowned, The Old Home Place, Gumbo > Also Sprach Zarathustra > You Enjoy Myself

PYITE is a classic opener and always sets a good tone for a show, especially in this funk era where the opening stanza receives some extra wah wah peddle love. I wasn't a big My Soul fan back then and still not today so nothing to really talk about here other then it does keep the energy level high. But the energy level wouldn't hit the high mark until Drowned. 

Having only been performed a few times after it's debut during the '95 Halloween show where they covered The Who's Quadrophenia front to back, they dusted this off for the first time this tour. Entering the jam with Trey's loops and Page's clav funking out the arena, there was definitely a strong groove brewing. This remains a roughly fast paced funk jam throughout with Trey and Page exchanging riffs until it all comes slowly to a hault after at least 10 minutes of pure funky goodness. And only Phish could pull off going from funk to country. Not that bluegrass is a rarity at Phish shows by any means but hearing Ginseng and then "The Old Home Place" (originally performed by The Dillards) at my first two shows was a treat. 

Gumbo leads us into the second round of jamming for the first set. This set could easily be a second set in today's day and age. Oh how I miss you, jammed out Gumbo. It's the 4 minute mark, as Trey's solo at the end continues to meander where you know if this is going to be an extended version or if it's going to simply peter out with Page. Thankfully back in the day the petering was far and few between. Instead of fast paced funk as with the Drowned jam, this Gumbo stretches into dark territory. A slow, menacing groove grows around the 6:40 mark and this would continue until we learn that this whole jam was mainly a setup for what was about to come...

2001, also known as Also Sprach Zarathustra, is a treat anytime you hear it, especially in a first set. Patience is a virtue  and one that they sure practice with this version. Spending the first 5 minutes to groove before the 2001 theme even makes an appearance, they were savoring every last minute of this groove. After they finish the first 2001 climax, a great crowd clapping section takes place in the second groove. Unfortunately it doesn't last very long as they pull into the second and final 2001 climax and as the chaos of the song comes to an end they hit the breaks and perfectly plop themselves into the opening appegrio of You Enjoy Myself.

I'll take a shortened 2001 if means getting in a first set ending YEM any day. Clocking in at a little over 20 minutes, this was a relatively standard version of YEM but even standards are sometimes hard to live up by when you're talking about one of the greatest rock instrumentals of all time. Yeah, I said it. 

Second Set: David Bowie -> Possum > Jam -> Prince Caspian > Frankenstein > Harry Hood

E: Crossroads

You can't have a Spectrum show without at least one Bowie being played. I haven't listened to the other versions (95, 96, 99, 03) in awhile but from what I can remember, none quite match the creativity that comes flowing out of this version. From the long, drawn out opening where they tease Take Me Out To The Ballgame, a Simpsons signal and stretching almost 30 minutes only to bleed perfectly into Possum. Not many Bowies get so deep in the jam that it never finds its climatic ending. While normally I might be upset at such an omission, the Possum that follows made it all better. 

Before getting to Possum, a little more about the Bowie jam. As the jam enters slowly into its groove, there isn't anything too exciting at first. All pretty standard Bowie licks being thrown out by each band member. It's not until around the 18 minute mark, around the time when the peak is suppose to come back into the fray, Trey holds back and settles the band into a sweet little melody, with Page following along with happy piano keys. Trey plays high up on his fret board, softly plucking away at this happy little melody that has developed. This goes on with Trey going back and forth from comping the riff to bouncing up and down his fret board with killer licks galore. Fishman, meanwhile, is chop, chopping away at the kit, giving us a nice bouncy rhythm to complement the happy jamming. Then at the 24 minute mark they pull the Bowie jam back into the mix and it seems like we may be heading for the finish line after all. But wait. What is this I hear? Why could it be the beginnings of the Possum build? Oh boy, here we go. The crowd is all amp'd at this move. Come on down Mr. Possum!!!! 

As if this song doesn't already have enough energy, the left over energy from the unfinished Bowie is like a shot of pure adrenaline being pumped into the soul of Possum. As much as fans grumble when they hear yet another Possum on tour these days, there's no denying the enjoyment one gets when you sing along, "OOOO, Possum, Possum, Possummmmmmm, your head is the road". The final run up to the climax in the jam before they reel it back into the chorus is one of the finer, more on point climaxes I've heard in a Possum. And as the song comes to a close, Trey keeps the ball rolling with some downright funky chords. 

Enter the Philly Funk Jam! This roughly 9 minute section of jamming was one heck of a gift to have heard live. It may have been 15 years ago but listening to it today brings me right back to that moment. While my first show in 96 may have turned me into a Phish fan, this experience right here, right now, is what made me a Phish Head. God. The start / stop jamming that goes on is just awesome. The kind of stuff that makes the hair on your arms stand up. After a few Trey start / stop action it's Page's turn with his funky clav. Then after a few Page stops, at around the 5 minute mark Trey rips off a rocking little lick that takes them out of the funk and into rock jam territory. And after a minute or so of getting his rocks off, Trey throws a delay loop out over the Spectrum crowd and then smoothly grooves the band bank into funkytown. And yes, more stop/start action at the 7 minute mark. This time a complete band stop with just the delay loop ringing out of the PA. This leads into a complete band slow down to an almost snail like pace, the perfect speed for the Prince of Caspian. 

An interesting move to pull out of this funk jam and into a melodic, floaty tune such as Prince Caspian. As much as I would have preferred they kept the funk going by playing something like Camel Walk or Boogie, somehow this fits. While there's nothing overtly special about this version, the standard jamming out of Caspian and all it's glory added a nice caper to the night so far. 

The next move, Frankenstein, is perhaps the most questionable of the night. Don't get me wrong, I love me some Frankenstein just as much as the next guy but sandwiched between Caspian and Hood just doesn't make a whole lot of sense. It has a strange flow to it and there's usually a reason why this song either ends a set or is in the encore. 

The Harry Hood that follows Frankenstein is a perfect way to send off the Philly crowd since by now most of us had lost about 10 pounds from dancing so hard for the first 50 minutes of the show. 

The Crossroads encore was special, even if at the time I thought it may as well be a regularly played cover for the band. Little did I know that it would be the last time I would ever hear it played. They basically shelved it ever since (played only twice more after this show). Just about any Clapton during his Cream era has Phish cover written all over it so there's no real surprise here that they nail the song, front to back. 

The Verdict - 8.5/10 

This show is all about the first 50 minutes of the second set. It's a thing of beauty and a must hear for any Phish fan. Also, for any Drowned fan, gives this early funky version a whirl.