How I Started My Day With Gin [062800]

Phish Songs
#1

Say what you want about Phish, Trey, Mike, or any one of them, the crew, the company, or even the fanbase, if you will. You’ll probably discover that most of what you’ve heard and what you believe, is probably true to some degree or another. But all of that crap is for people with all too much time on their hands, since the ultimate truth about Phish, is still always available by just slipping in that disk or tape, or clicking on a killer download. In this case by downloading this 17 minute, 37 second version of Bathtub Gin [062800, PNC ArtsCenter, NJ]:

http://s54.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2AQGI3PS83JVA2TGCMW6OM02EA

I just happened to come across this version of Bathtub Gin this morning. It was in a stack of shows I wanted to play for a close friend who visited with us for a couple of days last week. It’s from a local PNC show that I took Jaime, one of my son-in-laws, to. This was the second show I took him to, the first being a really lackluster one from the Philly Spectrum the Fall before. He’s more into heavy metal, so he was not generally fond of the music Phish played on top of that. But he does fiddle with an electric guitar when he finds the rare moments in his busy life, so he does appreciate the technical aspects of Trey’s talent, even if it doesn’t “blow his mind” emotionally.

This was the second show of three that I took him along with me, and it wasn’t until the fifth song in the first set of his second show, this version of Bathtub Gin that he understood what Phish was really about. Even in the toilet bowl accoustics of the PNC ArtsCenter (one of the worst sheds on the planet), and the bathroom hollow recording that captured the sound that night, this download is easily respresentative of that ultimate truth about Phish that overrules all other arguments.

This Gin is really just good old rock and roll wanking, but everybody in that venue, on and off the stage, was totally into the spirit of this moment. It is one of my single best individual song experiences of any concert I’ve attended. The audience was as much about this music as the band was, and the energy that flowed back and forth between both was totally unbelievable. Play the doanload, and you’ll easily hear it for yourself.

I can listen to just one song like this in the morning on the way to work, and it charges me with a happiness that lasts for the rest of the day. There are people who practice all kinds of strange yogic exercises for years just to achieve this level of experience. All I have to do is push play.

Enjoy,
bill

#2

^I’ve been saying this version of “Gin” is one of the greatest Phish JAMS of all-time!! Great selection!!!

In my opinion, this is one of the top 5 jams of 2000-2004 PHISH!

#3

Can’t believe it.

Got so charged over this Gin that I impulsively bought two third row balcony seats for Trey’s added show at the McCarter Theater in Princeton on the 14th. I didn’t even think about the pledge I had made to wait until next year to see 70VP after seeing them at the Hammerstein in May.

I’ve got no will power when it comes to Trey. Damn.

#4

Awesome, this show is on nugs.net. I am really looking forward to it now. All I have left to get from that site are the 99 and 00 shows

#5

Best GIN…ever.

#6

YUP. If someone can find another “Gin” that rivals it, I want to hear it. This “Gin” blows 7.29.98 out of the water!

#7

I’ll still always consider 11/7/96 to be the Gin…this is very arguably what got me SO into phish.

#8

This is a very very hot Gin. Thanks for posting it.

-Daniel

#9

We’ll see if this is really The Gin or not…
EDIT: This Gin is really good if you want to hear a Gin where it’s just high energy building from all members. It just keeps building somehow and never quite reaches an insane peak; no funk jamming or descent into space/ambience. Just an old school-ish Gin energy builder. It actually reminds me of some post-hiatus jams I’ve heard on formerly grooving/funky/loopy songs like Gotta Jibboo and Gin in which it’s a lot of great soloing from Trey leading the charge.
So basically, a really great Gin but I don’t think it’s definitive in the way that the SPAC Piper is The Piper.

#10

^
ok, i’ll give you that it’s not DEFINITIVE in the way the SPAC “Piper” or the Worcester “Jim” is, BUT i do disagree with you when you say it doesn’t reach an insane peak. of course it does! there is a definite point where ALL 4 members are clicking and energy is at it’s highest…i can’t see why you don’t notice it

#11

I also believe there are better Gins than this one, and agree with greg in his evaluation. This is a good ole rocking tune, powerful on many levels, but pretty straightforward and not very experimental. And even though they returned to the theme at the end, it was too blatant, almost forced.

One of my personal criteria for a good Gin it that it will bring the main them back at the end, but will do it in such a subtle way that you’re barely aware of it. Kind of like the “handoff” from the lead piano to the lead guitar in any good Foam jam. There are hundreds of nuanaces to Phish’s performances that make the difference between a good version and a great one, and we ould talk about them forever.

#12

I don’t think it’s necessary to return to the Gin theme for it to be a great version, but I do think this one is, as you said, pretty straightforward. It’s what I imagine most Gin’s sounded like before 97 and some post-hiatus versions.

#13

^
Yeah returning to the main theme is a plus but not a necessity in a great version…but damn! I can’t understand why people don’t think this is an above-average version! By far the best of 2000!

#14

I agree it is easily an “above average” version. Fishman was quoted as having said that the band played tightly the whole night of 6/28/00. They came back the following night and played a pretty wild and wooly show as well. Unfortunately much of this music didn’t transfer that well because of the crappy acoustics. The second set Sand of 6/29/00 was so unbelievable that night, but neither of the two recordings that I’ve heard of it do it any justice at all.

But going back to the Gin, there were many factors that made this a great concert performance, one of which I mentioned in the original post was the interaction between the band and the audience. I think it pretty much started with the line “…and we love to take a bath”. I don’t think anyone in the place, including the band was expecting the audience to shout the line out as loudly as we did. The crowd has been singing along with Gin for a long time, but this time, when that line came around, it brought everyone within miles right directly into the moment. It was very memorable, and you can continue to hear the audience excitation throughout the rest of the song as well. Everyone stayed with it, and had a great and wonderous ride.

The overewhelming ovation at the end of this Gin speaks to its value.

#15

Agreed. This is a great version… More of what I call a “muscle jam”-- in other words, the more traditional rock guitar workout common with early 90’s Phish. (Iactually prefer a more hypnotic, ambiet buildup for Gin)

But I disagree with those who dont hear a climax. Trey and band offer several “pay off” moments on this version, that push it over the edge. Beautiful!

#16

/\ well put.

#17

Holy Shit! Thanks for posting that. It is absolutly incredible. It is indeed a “muscle jam”, and this is exactly the best type of phish jam. Is the rest of this show this good?

Thanks for the hose! made my day.

#18

this is a really great gin, but my fav. has always been 8/9/98,

#19

This version has grown on me simply because it’s so atypical for a 00 jam.

#20

Eh…dunno about that. this jam bring the funk/rock straight to your face.