California Love jam/quotes

One of the great missed opportunities of the modern era, IMO - 7/8/16 is a very fine show, but there is no doubt in my mind that it was heading for true classic status after the superb Ghost > Light combo to kick off Set 2 until the power went out amid this number. What can you do.

This is, to my ears, easily the Wolfman's of the summer, and I'm not sure why more people aren't talking about it. While things start out funky, Trey adds some droning loops around the 8:15 mark, and the jam takes on a darker tone. The peak is sublimated by psychedelia, and a brief flirtation with type II leads into Blaze On. If we get a monster version in the near future, this is the progenitor.

Slower version than most. Once the band gets to the 4 min mark, things really slow down. At about 5 mins after almost coming to a stop tempo begins to build only to die back down. Super funky, not full start stop, but just grimy funk. A different version than most, and another gem from this overlooked show!

Not jam-chart worthy, but Page stands up an plays the clavinova just prior to the 10:00 mark, and then at 10:30 Trey sustains a note and loops it, bringing some of that Millennial ambient groove to this version. It might catch you off guard like it caught me off guard just now :-)

Ah, another great gem/jam from the red-hot September leg of the Fall '99 tour. In my opinion, the only other month that was as consistently great as September 1999 was December 1995. Both are great in their own separate ways, and can't be compared because they're both drastically different. For one, we wouldn't have gotten a Wolfman's Brother as big, celebratory, or climactic as this baby in '95.

It (the jam) starts out the same as any other post '96 Wolfman's. Very rhythmic, funky, fun, party jamming. Then, about 9 minutes in, the infamous siren loops that were used in almost all the big jam vehicles back then (Sand, Tweezer, etc.) Those sirens meant business, and I hear it. Suddenly, the jam gets serious.

Up next, it's the textures and layers in a section that I like to call "wall-of-sound jamming." The final minutes of the jam are Trey's loops (I hear 3 different loops), Page's clever melodic playing, and Mike's deep bass cuts with Fish holding a simple, but steady beat.

I even want to say I hear some sirens (either Trey or Page based) that sound reminiscent to the Sands of this period (specifically the 12/16/99 Sand). The only difference is that the same sound effects would be used to create and eerie and dark sound-scape, whereas in this Wolfman's Brother those sound effects create a blissful and subtle peak to the jam.

Real high-quality stuff here, folks. But if you're not a fan of what Phish was doing post "peak" years (1994-'97) then this one isn't for you. And that's OK (I just don't understand how any fan can NOT like '99-'00).

This Wolfman's is so so slow and clunky, a truly wonderful version!

A truly great Wolfman's; it's worth checking out!

**I meant Mike is quietly playing Life Boy from 19:30-20:10.

Mike is quietly playing Roggae from 19:30- 20:10.

When the Wolfman bared his teeth. Sounds like being stuck in a dense fog.

It certainly creeped out everyone in attendance. Perfect for halloween.

There are passages of this thing (I hesitate to even call it a jam) where I'm not even sure that they're playing something that can be properly described as music. This might be the most unsettling improv they've ever cooked up - fitting that it's a Halloween show - and when they reassemble into that neat blues shuffle before Piper starts up it's almost a relief more than anything else. This is the sort of thing that would not be out of place in the pitch-black cavern that was Summer 2003, so caveat emptor and all that.

My favorite version, flows thicken as the track progresses and slows down just to regain energy and continue.

A gorgeous, melodic Wolfman's; don't miss this one.

I can understand why people might like the death metal jam, as it's certainly something *different* from Phish's usual jamming style, but to me it's 15 minutes of repetitive "hey, doesn't this sound cool" sludge that could easily have ended after 3 or 4 minutes without wearing out its welcome nearly as much as it does here. It's a real shame, too, because the preceding 8-9 minutes of this jam is heart-stoppingly beautiful and *warm*, almost like an American Analog Set song or something. That's what we get here - half 8/1/98 Tweezer, half Motley Crue outtake. Ah, well.

1997 is a year many fans consider to be Phish's peak year, and with good reason, too. This was the year that Phish finished their biggest incarnation yet, with their foray into funk territory. Although I might argue that there really isn't a distinct sound during the Summer of 1997, I will say that the band interplay was wonderfully mastered throughout the whole year. This is why I love 1997 as much as I do; the cooperation amongst the band as a whole had never been higher. Before it was divided into individual solos by the band members, but now with their new sound, it is all one big vehicle with all four members participating and heading toward a single goal or idea.

This Wolfman's epitomizes that idea I think. Although I will admit upon first hearing, I didn't really find this Wolfman's that appealing. But for some reason or another, I kept going back to it, like something was drawing me in to the jam. And I can quite honestly say this jam ages well with time. Each relisten I can hear something I didn't before, even small things like a little fill Fish did that I didn't catch the first few times.

While this is not my favorite WB (that goes to 9/24/99), I can see the genius behind it. And though at times it does meander for a bit, the jam starts picking up right where it left off but in a bigger way. The eerie and dissonant space about halfway through is what I'm talking about. But Page cues up the piano and Trey catches on and then they're both on the same page (no pun intended).

Give this WB a listen. Actually give it a couple listens. There's much more than meets the ear with this one, and it cracks my top 5 favorite WB. Even for 1997 standards, this jam stands out.

One of the most important jams ever, as the funk renaissance the band ever so slowly hinted at after Halloween '96 finally reached its first flower here, with a song that had sort of gently hugged funk without ever actually embracing it until this show. The minimalist groove they lock into at the 10 minute mark pretty much points you to the legendary fall tour, when they figured out how to explore a jam while still locking into a groove you could wiggle your ass to. And, like the best of this magical year, it doesn't sound dated even in the slightest.

The Jamming Chart entry for the 4/17/94 Wolfman's is pre-emptive regarding the mini-jams of most versions prior to 3/1/97, but I still find my head bobbing to versions like this one.