This was the first Phish song I ever heard and is what made me buy Billy Breaths thus getting me into the band. I was at a high school dance and the DJ was playing this shitty music. So a group of heads snuck over and put on this song when he was in the bathroom or something. Anyway come in from a smoke break and I remember being totally blown away. I will never forget it. This was also the song which closed the second set at my first show, so that was amazing. Anway needless to say this song has a special place in my heart.Like this better with the vocal reprise at the end!!
this is a good tune, the one I have…
it’s classic, it’s just rockin’. Solid song.
whoa, i just heard this and it is most definately a very unusual zero; just bad ass!
i need to re-read greg’s review of this show post-haste!
Let’s here it for the Hero!
THE Phish song that I just can’t stand. Everytime it pops up on a disc-NEXT! I wish this song would go on extended, extended, extended hiatus so that maybe when it makes a return it will actually be welcome. Annoying chorus, predictable solo.
I think it rocks, in much the same way as Loving Cup does
nothing to complain about
They should try closing a set with this sometime
Both shows I saw in 2000 had this as a set closer, but none of the four PH shows contained any CH action. Hmmm.
That is all.
1/2/03 Hampton Coliseum - Hampton, Virginia
Set 1 (1:31): Chalkdust Torture*, Bathtub Gin, It's Ice**, Back on the Train, Round Room***, The Horse > Silent in the Morning, Stash, Water in the Sky, Character Zero
Set 2 (1:12): 46 Days -> Simple# -> My Friend My Friend, Limb by Limb, Thunderhead##, Run Like an Antelope ###, Cavern
Encore (0:05): Mexican Cousin^
Notes: Show began at 7:44pm. Second set began at 9:55pm. Post-show music was "What's Going On." * - with digital delay loop jam about 12 minutes in; ** - prior to "It's Ice," Trey jokingly said: "Ladies and gentlemen, it's Tom Hanks!" (referring to the appearance of Page's brother Steve as "Tom Hanks" on New Year's Eve), and during the song a spotlight hit Fishman, who stood up and did a little dance; *** - first time played, and with many balloons in the audience; # - "Bebop/skyscrapers" verse flubbed; ## - first time played; ### - lyric was "bid you to have any spliff"; ^ - first time played.You couldn’t go 4 shows in a row without seeing it in the late 90’s. Got real repetative and it seemed to divide the crowd. One half lapping up trey’s bravado and the other cringing at Trey’s Bravado! And Hank Lovin Cup got annoying and divisive as well in those years for the same reasons.
^you guys didn’t know how good you had it
I think it’s a good song. I don’t get all excited when it starts up, but I never skip it either.
But I can see how it would get annoying if you saw it close a set at just about every show you went to.
One of my favorites.
3-01-03 is one of my favorites
My opinion of Character 0 still stays the same, however, just listened to 2-13-97 and well… it smokes; so maybe there is some hope out there.
Speaking about the core song, I would say this has to be close to the top of least favorites for me. Likely my least favorite rocker. It is high energy and an appropriate set closer, but just doesn’t do it for me. The song is too repetitive and the chorus is annoying.
If they jammed it out more often and with more diversity in the jam I wouldn’t mind it as much, but, as was mentioned above, it is usually pretty predictable and standard IMO.
Where is James these days. He had such great insight for such a whippersnapper.
I too dispised this song when it first burdened my enjoyment of Billy Breathes, but with each passing year since, I’ve come to enjoy the energy and jamming that goes on especially when chosen as a set closer.
This is “inside your head” music, that’s not especially significant if you’re only listening with half your attention. I’ve come to respect it as one of my favorite compositions from this time period mostly because of the sound that Trey and the boys build during the jam as he rises above and around the din to rock it out like few songs can.
I’m a renewed fan.
This song rocks. I’ll take it as a set closer/encore any day. I will attempt to shatter the arguments/complaints I always hear about this song below:
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The chorus is repetative - do you feel the same way about David Bowie? I get that the point of David Bowie is obviously not in the ‘chorus’, however if this is your complaint wouldn’t that mean you feel the same way about Bowie? By the way, one definition of chorus is: ‘a set of lyrics or lines that are repeated throughout the composition’.
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The jam is predictable - you might be ghey for Trey. The shit that Mike does during the jam is the reason that he is the most unique bassists I’ve ever heard and why I love him so much. Most of the time during Char Zero I’m totally focused on what he’s playing. The same can be said, but to a lesser extent, for Fish’s slow rolls.
If it’s a personal preference, I get that. But these two reasons I just don’t understand…it doesn’t make sense to me. I know I sound like a dick above, but I meant it in the most loving way possible 
You might be a dyke for Mike