I went to the livephish.com website to check out the video stuff they just released.
When I went to the show they have reviews part in the lower lefthand corner. This was the 2nd review and well I couldn’t agree more.
I laughed my ass off.
From Livephish.com 12-31-95 show:
klynch886 (12/31/2005 2:37:27 PM)
Reba…wow. Be sure you’re wearing a diaper when you listen to this one…its that good
I just got NYE 95 the other day, but what’s all this talk of a NYE 95 sticker everyone got? I didn’t get one of those, was it only the pre-orders?
A sticker?! I got one with the Island Tour releases cuz I ordered them all at once.
yea…kinda late on this thread because i just traded shows with a friend, but damn. The Weekaupaug is so good. I like when it goes into that reggae jam. i love trey’s guitar rift at one point of it. then page accompanies him with an equally amazing part. i can’t say enough about this show, but i will say that fish’s drumming in reba is teh shit, very far out…
man
yeah, i got one b/c i pre-ordered it.
I just picked it up. I am in the middle of Reba right now. Wow this is good stuff.
Sorry for chiming in so late on this thread, but I had no intention of buying this release. One of my kids gave it to me for my bday, and I just started listening to it this morning on the way into work.
It’s always nice to hear these shows from the soundboard systems, but whoever engineered these disks really loves Fishman. I definitely agree with relaxation3, Fish is way too up front for my taste. It’s almost distracting.
I’m only through the first three songs, and, although the music is tight (except for Trey in the composed sections of Reba - boy did Page outshine Trey there), it lacked a little ooomph, a little spirit. I know this isn’t a fair appraisal since I’m really not into the show very far, but I’ll keep an open mind while listening to the rest of the show. For sure I’ll laud those performances that blow me away when it happens.
Completed the first set and found it mostly lackluster, except for Page. More than anyone else, Page was hot during this set. I used to contend that if Page was playing well, then Phish was playing well. This set proves that theory wrong because Page was very strong, while Trey was a little off. Maybe that’s why in the first two sets there were so many Page-centered songs.
Anyone read something on Trey’s physical condition during this show? His voice was a little weak, so I’m wondering if he didn’t have a cold or something of that nature. I’ve often wondered how performers deal with “going on with the show” when they feel like crap. Must be tough.
fonefono…i also noticed trey sounding like he had a cold er was sick fer this show…his voiuce was raspy and wanst quite there…
its funny because i had never noticed this on the AUD er dvd copies i had of this show…
and also…mr fonefono…i suggest listening to the “mikes song” at the end of disc two…
I noticed this as well, especially when he tries to get out a good BOY during Yem and almost chokes on it.
Fonefono, I agree, Fish is really loud, but in most part’s I like it. For me, it seems like I can get into it more with the drums louder than they usually are. I don’t know, maybe it’s just me though…
I know there are some good performances in this show, and am really looking forward to the remaining two sets. I just wanted to reflect on each section I listen to on this release as they are fresh in my mind, and the ideas are flowing.
One can find hot song versions in almost any Phish show. I just don’t understand, given the average quality of the first set, why this show was chosen for this type of release. But who knows, give me time to listen to the remaining two sets carefully, and I may retract everything I’ve said thus far.
But just for argument sake, contrast this first set, say with 06-11-94 Red Rocks (Wilson, Chalk Dust Torture, You Enjoy Myself, Rift, Down With Disease, It’s Ice, Tela, Stash) This set is absolutely killer, and also recorded on 40 tracks, from what I’ve read. It could have been one complete side of A Live One all by itself, without any special editing.
But I hope everyone is keeping all of this jibberish in perspective. One of the reasons I enjoy hanging in the OKP is that I’ve found that as much as everyone enjoys the shit out of Phish here, no one really gets too anal about them. I don’t think anyone derives more pleasure from Phish than I do, that’s why I love to discuss this stuff ad nauseum. I see bantering about the music like playing a mental game of volleyball where ideas and opinions are battered around a bit. Spiking is allowed as part of the game, but in the end, no matter which concept predominates, everyone comes away still loving the game, anxious to hit the sand again tomorrow. This is, afterall, just for the fun of it.
Whoa whoa whoa…average quality of the first set…I do agree that the other 2 sets are sooooo fucking amazing, the first one could be viewed as average in comparison…but come on, lets be realistic here…we are talking about one of the top 3 most intense Reba jam’s ever…even with the botched composed section…one of my favorite Squirming Coil outro’s ever (listen to the interplay between Mike and Page). The PYITE, Sloth opener throws you right in the realms of Gamehenge and you get taken soo much further in there with the Forbin > Shine > Mockingbird, which isn’t the strongest version, but it is one of the tighter post-92 mockingbirds that I’ve heard.
I don’t know…to me, no set with a Forbin > Mockingbird can be viewed as average, but the Reba jam is one of the most intense things I’ve ever heard in my life…I would say, as far as SET 1’s go in 3 set shows, this is one of the best.
Just off the top of my head, but do you consider the 12/31/95 Reba better than 5/14/92 Port Chester or 2/20/93 Atlanta? And I know I’ve heard a number more versions that I can’t identify that absolutely bury 12/31/95.
With all due respect, the only thing that made this particular Forbins->Mockingbird special was the Trey rap in between. His guitar execution of Mockingbird was tenuous at best. He showed the same lack of dexterity in Mockingbird as he did in the Reba four songs before.
I don’t know. To me, the placement of a Phish “rarity” within a set has much less importance unless it is played well. Case in point, a mediocre version of Destiny Unbound showed up after 788 shows in the first set of 2/28/03, but it’s the absolutely killer version of the more commonly occurring Tweezer in set 2 that this show is being remembered for.
I would honestly consider the jam in this reba to be better than 2/20/93, but I haven’t heard the '92 show you mentioned. I do think the 5/16/95 jam might be better than this one, but they are two totally different styles of jams. This one is, as I said, probably the most intense I’ve ever heard…those last 2 minutes Trey stretches into 2 hours. I just don’t get how one could find any fault in that set, but that’s me.
Personally, I don’t consider the 12/31/95 “Reba” better than Halloween '94, or even some of the LP versions (9-14-00 and 11-27-98). It is above average, for sure, but it does not beat out every other version
I love this stuff.
You’ve got me doubting my sanity. I’m going to revisit the NYE Reba again and get more invoved with it. Maybe the sloppy playing from Trey in the composed part turned me off and I didn’t give the rest of it a fair chance. It happens.
I’ll let you know what I think.
any one else have issues uploading the disc 2? it plays fine on a stereo, but when i put it in a computer the pc just doesnt recognize it, and i’v tried many computers, macs and windows. this also happened with the relix sample cd that came in the mail w/ the feb-relix edition.
does this have anything to do with the burn/copyright stuff sony was doin that phish.net had a post about cuz it affected shine and 66 steps???
I’m sold.
The second set alone is reason enough to buy this show, and the second set is all about the Mike’s Song. Although the Drowned->Lizards was pretty damn nice, as was the Axilla. The Jim was also pretty good, but as Neck so clearly suggested, the Mike’s Song was killer.
As far as the first set goes, I did re-listen to it again, and although I’m not as adverse to the Reba as I was before, I just didn’t get off on it much. I’ll gladly accept it as my own warped perception of the music.
Am taking the day off from work to get some routine medical exams done, and have to go down to Toms River to see an optomologist. The drive will give me time with that Weekapaug in the third set which I’m anxious to hear.
I listened to this show front-to-back the other day.
1995 is not my favorite year of Phish, but Phish is my favorite year of 1995.
I love the “Jim” and “Drowned” from this show. Top-notch versions of each.
“whaaaaaat a nightmare!”