From: Charlie Dirksen
I think the new CD is great!  The mix is far better than ALO, the disc
flows very well, and the versions are all sound.  Sure, Phish has
played better versions of all of these tunes (except perhaps Hello My
Baby).  The Wolfman's on the disc is easily the best version up until
3/1/97, imo (see 6/13/97, though, for a truly funked-up Wolfman's) .
Ditto on Cities and Hello My Baby, imo (see the Deer Creek '97 Jam out
of Cities for some spectacularly inspiring jamming, though).  The
Jesus Left Chicago is *great*, too, although I prefer the versions
with horns from the last few years.  The Taste is pleasant but pretty
standard (it is child's play when compared to the recent Gorge
Taste).

Anyway, if you don't own the CD yet, GET IT. In my opinion, people who
don't purchase the band's releases don't deserve to benefit from the
band's generous taping policy.

Timings are based on the CD..

3/1/97 Markthalle, Hamburg, Germany

Opening tight, but standard for recent versions.  What is known as the
"trampolines" or "tramps" segment (a long, long time ago, the
band used to jump on trampolines at this time, accompanied
occasionally by fog) begins at about the usual time, or 2:45 on the CD
(usually about 2 mins, 30 seconds into Mike's fwiw).  Trey starts
soloing rather quickly, but instead of soloing darkly and ominously,
off-key, as he used to regularly do, he solos melodiously in low
octaves, riding a groove around 4:15.  He's not "noodling" in here --
he solos purposively.  Solid accompaniment from Mike, Page and Fish
(nothing special, although it is nice to have such an amazing quality
'97 Mike'sGroove, eh).  Trey's soloing between 5 and 6 on the disc is
a bit de-centered and aimless, but the soloing and accompaniment
between 6 and 9 is powerful, inspired and beautiful!

At 9:11, Trey begins playing the closing "tramps" segment chords, and
the "post-tramps" segment kicks in at 9:30 with the Note that usually
signals a frolic into "Simple."  Instead, though, the band begins an
enchanting, mysterious, spacey, breeezy, Arabian Nights groove.   Page
and Trey accompany each other quite eerily in here.  At 11:30 Trey
begins speaking (not really singing) lyrics to "this is the end" (Doors
tune).  Trey lets out a scream out of Floyd's "Careful with that Axe,
Eugene," and a lyric or two, between 12-12:30.. then some more
screaming.  And some queer effects thrown in taboot (what the hell
kind of unidentified flying effect is this crap, anyway.. Trey used
this Ray Gun effect many times in the winter/spring '97 europe tour).

At about 13:10 Trey, Fish and Mike begin this plodding, rather
monotonous improvisational excursion, that lasts very briefly,
fortunately, and segues seamlessly into Lawn Boy at 13:53.  A very
pleasant Lawn Boy ensues..

Ahhh, a CD-DSBD of Weekapaug. =^]  Mike's opening bass soloing is
typically snappy, funky and quick, and isn't any longer or more
inspired than usual.  Trey lets loose some mock "This is the End"
(Doors) lyrics (e.g., "I want to borrow the car"), as does Fish, in this
drawn out opening segment of Weekapaug.  When Trey begins soloing,
Page leaps to the clavinet, soon following up with some strong piano
accompaniment.  Trey really doesn't do much at first, rhythmically
strumming along, accompaning Page for the most part.  Around 3:50 he
begins soloing in true Weekapaugian fashion, but doesn't go anywhere
profound.

At exactly 5:52, Trey leads a charge into the Stones' "Can't You Hear
Me Knockin'" (the closing jam of that tune), but at 6:28, the band
segues smoothly back into a glorious Weekapaug closing jam.  At 7:00,
though,  Trey heads back into "Can't You Hear Me Knockin'," which the
band proceeds to modestly jam out to close this Weekapaug. Total time
8:07 on the CD, which translates probably to around 7:30 minutes or so.

There are definitely better played versions of Phish jamming out
"Can't You Hear Me Knockin'" than this (one of the problems with the
CD is that you can hear flaws, and there are a few in this
Weekapaug).  There are also plenty of more inspiring versions of
Mike's Song and Weekapaug Groove out there, in my opinion.  But this
is nevertheless, all things considered, a strong, typically awesome
Mike's Groove, and Lawn Boy is strange (but appropriate) in this
Groove. I don't hesitate to give it a

B       Awesome.  Contains very intense, melodic
        jamming, with lots of energy and creativity
        (but not necessarily all the time). You may
        want to get a tape of it, and hear for yourself.
 
This is of course also to say that I'm not at all as spell-bound by
the jam segment of this Mike's Song as many of you are. Most versions
of Mike's Song from December '95 are much more engaging musically, imo.

Don't get me wrong, please:  I'm very happy with this CD. I think the
3/1/97 Hamburg show is the best all-around show of 1997 up through
March (including the Flynn show), and yes I've heard all of them.
With hindsight, of course, I think numerous '97 summer tour shows kick
its butt. But given that most of Fall 1996 was dull, and that it would
frankly have been difficult to get NINE TUNES from ONE FALL 1996 SHOW
onto a CD (imagine if the CD had been of 12/6 Vegas.. would have only
been able to fit the DWD and the MikesSimpleHarryPaug on there, if
that.. ;-), this Hamburg show was a good choice, imo.  I still would
have chosen Vegas, since that MikesSGroove is faaaaar superior to this
Hamburg version, as I hear it.  And that Vegas DWD.. oooouuuu..

two cents
charlie