Monday 06/22/2015 by phishnet

BEST OF 1997

When Phish announced the release of the (sonically astonishing) Amsterdam box set a couple of months ago, the news started a predictable debate at Phish.net HQ. If you took a poll, a plurality of Phish fans probably would crown 1997 as Phish’s greatest year. Phish themselves might even be said to agree, at least judging by how many 97 shows the band has deemed worthy of an official live release. The year’s overall greatness is indisputable. But in thinking about the boxset, we started asking each other, with so many titanic, colossal, monumental shows in 1997, were the much-loved Amsterdam shows even among the 20 best of the year? What are the best shows of 1997?

There was really only one way to satisfy ourselves. We dusted off Robert’s Rules of Order and proceeded to engage in a civil discussion on the merits. Opinions were shared, everyone was assured their perspective was just as valid as the next, and a list was compiled. We wrapped up the whole enterprise that night before coming to our senses and agreeing that it’s completely futile and stupid to attempt to measure the febrile creativity of Phish’s finest improvisations with something as crass as a numerical rank.

Sadly, it went nothing like that. Instead we spent two days arguing over the proper methodology and insulting each other before settling on the following ground rules:

  1. We would start off with the Phish.net users’ top 25 rated shows of the year.
  2. We would supplement that with whatever other shows anyone strongly felt deserved consideration (in this case 14 additional shows).
  3. Everyone agreed to relisten to all of the shows; we would rank on our opinions of the shows in 2015, not based on old preferences.
  4. Each voter would rank their personal Top 20 shows, assigning 20 points to the “best” show and 1 point to the 20th best.
  5. There would be no set criteria for how to rank. Each voter was free to use whatever criteria he wanted.
  6. Results would be aggregated and, voila, we have a Phish.net Top 20 shows of 1997 (though we should note that not all of the Phish.net team participated in these rankings).

And then the real fun started. Opinions were ridiculed. Aspersions were cast. Accusations were levied. Friendships were strained. People left the room and slammed the door, as much as that can be done in a group-text format. I wish I could say I was joking, or that we came out of it stronger. We almost certainly emerged weaker. But we did listen to a metric ton of fantastic music from one of Phish’s greatest years and we did manage to cobble together a list that we’re reasonably proud of and will be presenting over the course of the week. So all was not lost.

Before we do, though, a word on Why Your Favorite Show Isn’t on this List™. Please understand that these are all magnificent shows that we enjoy listening to. Their omission is not a criticism in the sense of a negative judgment against them. But if we were going to write descriptions of these shows, it seemed only fair to point out their flaws, if only to explain why we might have omitted them. Your list is different; we understand and respect that. [SP & DP]

Honorable Mention (in chronological order)

2/17/97 Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands (Phillip Zerbo)
First among the rest, coming in at #21 in our survey was the 2/17/97 gig from the Paradiso in Amsterdam. The recent official release of the Amsterdam box set made this decision all the more difficult, given the pristine sound that allowed this show to shine in the best possible light. 2/17’s first set boasts the Phish debut of Bob Marley and The Wailers’ “Soul Shakedown Party” and solid versions of Phish classics “Divided Sky” and “Bathtub Gin.” The meat of this show and the lead argument for a top 20 slot is a 40-minute second set sequence of “Down with Disease” into the debut of “Carini.” This combo resonates strongly to this day, but imagine if you were at the show and had no idea who the hell “Lucy” was, or why she had a lumpy head? Woah! The combination of power, patience, confidence and weirdness is in many ways a preview of the musical doors Phish would blast down in 1997. As great as that extended segment was… the balance of the show doesn’t offer a whole lot that you can’t readily find in any other 1997 show. The fact it was edged out for the top 20 (I had it at 18th, sigh) is unfortunate, but ultimately fair and, like all of the shows in the Miss Congeniality category, says more about the incredibly stiff competition rather than any flaws or weaknesses of the show itself.

3/1/97 Markethalle, Hamburg, Germany (Phillip Zerbo)
Spoiler alert! No shows from Phish’s winter jaunt through European clubs made our top 20. By no means does this reflect our views on the overall importance of that tour – one of the many factors that culminated in 1997’s perfect storm that was the fact that they had so many shows under their belt early in the year. The tour offered an environment selected specifically to allow them to recapture something that they were missing in the last few years as their popularity moved them onto the shed and hockey rink circuit in the US. Whatever they were looking for, it seems that they found IT! Among the most popular of those shows is from 3/1/97 Hamburg, Germany. Portions of this show were immortalized on the Slip, Stitch and Pass official release. The 17th rated 1997 show by fans, 3/1 slots at #34 in our list, and frankly even that may be charitable. It doesn’t matter… it’s overrated! It’s a nice show, with a first set that offers more than respectable versions of “Down with Disease,” “Wolfman’s Brother,” and “Reba.” The second set has good – but not great – takes on “Mike’s Song and” “Weekapaug,” along with solid versions of “Theme” and “Taste.” But “nice” and “good” and “solid” aren’t going to play with the big boys that would come later in the year. 1997 was a year where every tour got better, and each tour got a lift on the shoulders of its predecessor. These were the building blocks – the payoff was to come, but not yet.

7/21/97 Virginia Beach Amphitheater, Virginia Beach, VA (Dan Purcell)
U! S! A! U! S! A! The show whose first set really crystallized Phish’s 1997 cowfunk improv style. The show starts with “Ghost” like 1997 in general did, followed by a parade of other new songs, the band showing off the new repertoire it had rehearsed to razor sharpness in Europe. Even better is the insane “Bathtub Gin” where at one point five-eighths of the band is playing “Drowned.” But our voters consistently disfavored shows with disjointed second sets and no real tent-pole jam. Rather than a tent-pole jam, this show has a mid-set “Theme” (okay) followed by a cacophonous jam with LeRoi Moore sitting in on sax for some reason, to make extra noise one supposes. It punches back, closing very strongly, but it couldn’t quite recover to make the list.

8/13/97 Star Lake Amphitheater, Burgettstown, PA (Dan Purcell)
Of all the summer 1997 shows I had on tape, this was the one I played the most. It has great balance. A wonderful little one-off cover to start, done beautifully and then never again. An assertive and credible “Stash.” A “Gumbo” that reinvented “Gumbo” just as Dayton would to “Tube” later in the year. (I know people who would come to blows with you insisting that there is a “Franklin’s Tower” jam in the “Gumbo.”) And a first-set “Crosseyed” > “Wilson” which are you kidding me. But the second set is just good; the band is on, and playing well, and having fun, but it never really takes off the catalytic converter if you know what I mean. I was sad to see it miss the cut, but I didn’t put it in my top 20 either.

12/7/97 Ervin J. Nutter Center, Wright State University, Dayton, OH (Dan Purcell)
This is a wonderful show, a fun show, a show with a brilliant and playful spirit. It’s as good a first tape as you could make for a new Phish fan. It is great right out of the box; even in 1997, the year of the first set, shows usually took a little longer to get going. You know about the “Tube,” which is unimpeachable and standard-setting. But it doesn’t really have a second set. It has two first sets. This field is too strong for that kind of thing.

12/12/97 Pepsi Arena, Albany, NY (Steve Paolini)
This probably isn’t one of your favorite shows, but maybe it should be. What the second set lacks in glamour songs, it makes up for in fiery playing. “Saw It Again,” “Piper,” and even our dear friend “Prince Caspian” are not just outstanding versions of those songs, but outstanding Fall ‘97 jams. It’s also probably got the second-best encore of the entire year. It didn’t quite make our top 20, but don’t make the mistake of judging this book by its cover.

12/29/97 Madison Square Garden, New York, NY (Dan Purcell)
As one panelist commented, this show just keeps hitting singles – one solid base hit after another – but it lacks the extra-base pop that truly sets apart the best of this year. The second set is flashy on paper and we’re not really criticizing it, only to say that there are a handful of better versions of each these songs from this year, except for “Tube,” which is a worthy contender for Dayton’s championship belt. One interesting thing we noticed: many 1997 shows that were historically regarded as classics because they were part of an excellent multi-show run tended to suffer in these rankings. 12/29 was certainly one of these. Unable to get a boost from the superior show the following night, it couldn’t quite clamber onto the list.

Coming Tomorrow: Shows 20-16

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Comments

, comment by MiguelSanchez
MiguelSanchez I like Virginia Beach, but I'm not sure about better than 2/17. That 2nd set is an all time favorite of mine. Seems like a lack of love for 12/29 too. Haha, let the flood gates open on this debate!!
, comment by 12_29_97_4eva
12_29_97_4eva Allow me to praise you for this Herculean task and note my polite displeasure with the glaring omission of the greatest Phish show of all time from your list.
, comment by MiguelSanchez
MiguelSanchez @12_29_97_4eva said:
Allow me to praise you for this Herculean task and note my polite displeasure with the glaring omission of the greatest Phish show of all time from your list.
You do know they still have the top 20 to list, correct?
, comment by 12_29_97_4eva
12_29_97_4eva @MiguelSanchez said:
@12_29_97_4eva said:
Allow me to praise you for this Herculean task and note my polite displeasure with the glaring omission of the greatest Phish show of all time from your list.
You do know they still have the top 20 to list, correct?
Did you read through the entire article? They listed 7 shows that did not make the Top 20 list and provided their justification for leaving them off of it. 12/29/97 was among them.
, comment by nichobert
nichobert Glad to see 12/2 and 12/3 didn't slip into also-ran status.

Also glad to see 7/25/97 isn't here, but knowing how crazy people are it probably didn't even rise to the level of honorable mention. IMO best show of the (american) summer by a fairly significant amount.

Hope to see Phoenix do great and Gorge go totally missing.
, comment by User_3390_
User_3390_ I agree on these...but Virginia Beach...that hurts. I guess the special guest and antics that followed aren't for everyone. Truly "you had to be there" for it to be special.

But the first set is beautiful as stated above...and the second set Wolfmans-> Magilla is money...plus a dark long Bowie.

Looking forward to the many melts coming.
, comment by pistilstamen
pistilstamen @nichobert said:
Glad to see 12/2 and 12/3 didn't slip into also-ran status.

Also glad to see 7/25/97 isn't here, but knowing how crazy people are it probably didn't even rise to the level of honorable mention. IMO best show of the (american) summer by a fairly significant amount.
The only show (without an official title, e.g., The Great Went) that can contend with 7/25 is 8/9...so I am in complete agreement with you here.
, comment by MiguelSanchez
MiguelSanchez @12_29_97_4eva said:
@MiguelSanchez said:
@12_29_97_4eva said:
Allow me to praise you for this Herculean task and note my polite displeasure with the glaring omission of the greatest Phish show of all time from your list.
You do know they still have the top 20 to list, correct?
Did you read through the entire article? They listed 7 shows that did not make the Top 20 list and provided their justification for leaving them off of it. 12/29/97 was among them.
My bad. I need to make sure I've had 3+ cups of coffee before making dick'ish comments!!

That said, I'm in 100% agreement with you on this one. I'd take 12/29 over 12/30 all day. I'm guessing since it wasn't mentioned that 12/30 made the cut.

Once again, apologies. My bad.

On another note, I'd like to say I do agree about Dayton. It's a great show, but I don't think it's a top 20 '97 show. I expect you guys will catch some flack for that one though.
, comment by nichobert
nichobert They shouldn't, they are spot on about the 2nd set being pretty light.

A lot of great shows have one light set.. but sequencing matters.

Like one night i saw Keller Williams play a whole band set and then follow it up with a solo acoustic set.. I'm like dude.. you can't give us drums and then take away drums as the night goes on. Life doesn't work this way.
, comment by pikepredator
pikepredator I hadn't heard the 12/29 DWD in quite a while when it came on Pandora a few weeks back. I didn't check what it was but knew it had to be fall '97 and was surprised to be underwhelmed. I was remembering it as being much closer to the 11/22 Halley's than it really is.

first set is a lot of fun but it doesn't quite match up with many summer/fall '97 first sets.

nothing more from winter '97, but the spring europe tour has some contenders, not just 07/01 and 02 but at least 1 of Lyon/marseilles. I personally love lille but it's more goofy than awesome.

not sure about 07/22 or 23 - some great jams but outside of the mike's and ghost, they're not top-to-bottom. Ventura Bowie is huge, but otherwise that is an empty set. shoreline and Gorge are borderline too. 07/25 and 08/09 plus 08/10 and the Went should all be in.

will anything from 11/17-11/23 be left out?

does Worcester split votes? all are strong but none are complete, especially compared to Philly right after. 12/06 and 11 are locks . . . add 12/30 and I'm close to 20.

it's been a long time since I went on a '97 bender, this is a good of an excuse as any. starting with 07/10, I've only heard that show a few times. I usually default to the night before, for giggles.
, comment by nichobert
nichobert I feel like whenever I dive back into 1997 heavily the number of things that really stand out shrinks a little bit more.

The dark horse Europe show that i'd be excited seeing make it is 6/20 Prague.

That first set in particular is just amazing. I always mistakenly think that show is from Amsterdam
, comment by n00b100
n00b100 1997 is, by a rather wide margin, the pre-2000 year of Phish I listen to the most, so I'll be interested to see how this goes. A few thoughts:

1. Whether or not you think 12/7/97 II is "light", I really cannot get behind the notion that the show is "two first sets". For one thing, there are *precious few* first sets in Phish's history that matches 12/7/97 I. For another, if they played 12/7/97 II as a first set today (or in any other year, for that matter), peoples' heads would explode.

2. I think the 3/1/97 Wolfman's is getting short shrift, even as "more than respectable"; not only is it a very strong funk jam to my ears, but its historical significance is gigantic, just as much as something like the Bangor Tweezer or Murat Gin. The rest of the show I'm fine with not making the Top 20.

3. I like the shout-out to 12/12/97. Both Albany shows deserve more play.

4. 11/22/97 II is part of my favorite show of all time, and (with the possible exception of Halley's) you could say the exact same thing about that set as you did about 12/29/97 II. I'm not surprised that 12/30/97 would be held in higher esteem, but I am surprised that 20 shows are deemed superior to it (actually more, counting the other Honorable Mentions).

5. To piggyback on @nichobert's above point, the dark horse Europe show I'd want to see is 7/10/97.
, comment by ColForbin
ColForbin Great discussion here, looking forward to more of it in the rest of the series! One thing though: the honorable mentions are not in order of greatness, but chronological. And there were some very close calls.
, comment by PhishMarketStew
PhishMarketStew So far no .netters have my Billy Madison style kill list with these selections/omissions....Thanks for another great posting! So fun to ramp up the Phish talk right before tour!
Here's to hoping that 8-17 makes the Top 2!
, comment by PhishMarketStew
PhishMarketStew Side Note, have to agree with n00b100 about the Dayton show.
I almost never listen to the 2nd Set but I may have listened to the 1st Set more than anything ever, except 8/17's 2nd Set that is...
, comment by frantic0blivion
frantic0blivion so long as we're mentioning the winter tour, i really enjoy 2.26
, comment by phearless
phearless Im pullin for the most underrated show of 97 to make this list, 6/25/97! Such a hidden gem that gets no love whatsoever.
, comment by Ohfee
Ohfee Good ole LopeG
, comment by Gumbro
Gumbro 12/7 is superb, top to bottom, and yes, that includes the second set. If only Trey had played the correct chords in the final refrain of Guyute...
, comment by phunk77
phunk77 @frantic0blivion said:
so long as we're mentioning the winter tour, i really enjoy 2.26
Was hoping to get some love for my first show here in the comments at least.

I think looking back that people would have lost their shit if they had played this show in the States. So unique, and so many gems...
, comment by Choda
Choda If 11/26/97 isn't in the top 10. Death to .net.
, comment by SikeMo
SikeMo 1997 is actually my 4th favorite year of Phish (1995 being numero uno), and in my opinion, the most overrated. It's the second year into the end of great song writing, with notable exceptions in Ghost, Water, and Black Eyed Katy. It's also the year the Trey slop started to show up. I remember being very upset about this at the time :)

Having said that, I think this is a good list. I definitely agree with the assessment of 12/29. My only other comment is that the groove established in the 12/7 Psycho Killer is all time for me and that show is definitely worthy of a top 20 ranking.
, comment by Doctor_Smarty
Doctor_Smarty This is like Christmas eve
, comment by johnnyd
johnnyd @Doctor_Smarty said:
This is like Christmas eve
The calm before the storm...
, comment by Choda
Choda @pikepredator said:
I hadn't heard the 12/29 DWD in quite a while when it came on Pandora a few weeks back. I didn't check what it was but knew it had to be fall '97 and was surprised to be underwhelmed. I was remembering it as being much closer to the 11/22 Halley's than it really is.

first set is a lot of fun but it doesn't quite match up with many summer/fall '97 first sets.

nothing more from winter '97, but the spring europe tour has some contenders, not just 07/01 and 02 but at least 1 of Lyon/marseilles. I personally love lille but it's more goofy than awesome.

not sure about 07/22 or 23 - some great jams but outside of the mike's and ghost, they're not top-to-bottom. Ventura Bowie is huge, but otherwise that is an empty set. shoreline and Gorge are borderline too. 07/25 and 08/09 plus 08/10 and the Went should all be in.

will anything from 11/17-11/23 be left out?

does Worcester split votes? all are strong but none are complete, especially compared to Philly right after. 12/06 and 11 are locks . . . add 12/30 and I'm close to 20.

it's been a long time since I went on a '97 bender, this is a good of an excuse as any. starting with 07/10, I've only heard that show a few times. I usually default to the night before, for giggles.
We all have opinions on this tour but 11/28 is a complete show.
, comment by tunesmun
tunesmun THAT Worcester 11/28/97 Ghost!! feel that funk black eye k
, comment by poofer
poofer 1998 is better than 1997...

if only the hype train would derail....
, comment by nichobert
nichobert Meh i dunno. Fall 98 would be cool if it was as ambient as people made it out to be. Instead its got a bit much of the burgeoning Oxy Years endless shred
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