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What I do understand is that this Ghost is one of my favorite. The slow rolling, bliss jam is sooooo soothing and connected. Every instrument is oozing with ideas. It's such a joy to hear the musical conversation that only the best jams can produce. Then comes Under Pressure and Rock Star Trey takes over. All the while, the twinkling loop lingers underneath. And by the conclusion, the SUPER funk breaks it down to a spectacular segue into Crosseyed. If you haven't heard this version, you'll probably be tempted to just put it and the following track on repeat for the rest of your day.
or "Womboast".
I mean,why not?
My wife's two favorite Phish songs.
And she got 'em back to back this summer there!
I didn't quite get my Mound at Dayton,but I've heard it was Soundchecked (right after we got up to the glass to listen).
Ghost's song-proper starts out more ominous than most, transitioning from the synth-filled ambiance of Taste to the opening chords being chugged at about half-speed (even the first verse being slightly slower than normal). The beginning of the jam is commenced by Trey repeating a riff based on a variation of the Ghost theme and Page filling in the empty, subatomic spaces with glimmering notes from the grand piano (I am reminded of that 2-note piano lick from Nas' "N.Y. State of Mind" for some reason). The jam seems to switch back-and-forth between an uplifting sense of melody and a bass heavy, chaotic syncopation, much like how medically inaccurate films portrayed schizophrenia in the 1940s and '50s.
One of the most beautiful moments in the jam has to be around 12 minutes in, in which Trey is [teasing?] Weekapaug and Page is accompanying harmonically before hopping on the moog for some melodic interplay with Mike. One the other hand, parts of the Ghost sound replicated from its 1997 summer European counterparts, particularly around the 9-minute mark in which Mike leads the jam into its next section with a simple dirty bass line. Additionally, Trey is half in and half out, and Page is the leader for when Trey is out, making for a more balanced jam that channels multiple musical perspectives. Mike is the hero of the jam in its final few minutes, giving the jam a breath of new life as he confidently funks up the jam. The epic "->"Boogie On speaks for itself.
Overall, you won't find this Ghost in a top 10 of any list, but you will find me recommending it if you're looking for something a little different, and that manages to pack a punch. But really, you should be digging into the entire second set of this show.
This Ghost wastes no time heading into a soaring jam section that lasts for a little more than a half hour, but long-time fans will hardly even notice the time fly, because this jam flies. Though not as subtle as RCMH 2000 Ghost, yet not as in-your-face as 7/3/97, this Ghost is a good complement between the two. The jam is (relatively) straightforward through (with several distinct sections) up until the 20 minute mark, when Trey turns the guitar down and Page turns the keyboard effects up making for a very blissful atmosphere of white noise. Then comes the rocking guitar solo and Fish's hard-hitting cymbal crashes and the jam nears an end.
Overall, this Ghost is near perfection (though I still have a bias to the aforementioned RCMH 2000). I can only imagine how the crowd at IT must have been reacting with this Ghost. In a word, I would describe this Ghost as being "synchronizing" because the band was seriously in tune with each other and there is not one minute that is wasted.
I also want to say that there is this weird low-register guitar loop that replaces the usual siren loops that were used during much of '97-'99 during the intro of the song. It adds a certain "mystique" to the song. I like it.
All in all, don't skip this Ghost. And if you like this Ghost, definitely check out the Chalk Dust Torture from this same show. Both are labeled in the red font for a reason!