Permalink for Comment #1375958194 by kipmat

, comment by kipmat
kipmat (I wrote this at the time I compiled my ballot. I included post-result comments in italics)
1. 12/29/94 David Bowie
2. 7/29/98 Bathtub Gin
3. 11/14/95 Stash
My "no-brainers". An inductory class of Hall Of Fame Phish jams, that was lacking any of these three performances, would be IMO a farce, read-Icculus.

I got 2 out of 3 right. I suppose it makes sense that the Went Gin got more votes than Riverport, but I still can't believe the Orlando Stash didn't make tier 1.

4. 7/31/13 Tweezer
Of any Phish song, Tweezer probably has the greatest number of versions that are of a quality high enough to be seriously considered for this ballot. To refine my selection process, I considered which version would be the most important to the musical legacy of the band. 5/7/94 Bomb Factory was the only version that I considered to be of greater significance, but Tahoe Tweezer clearly captures the musical abilities of the band at that particular time, whereas IMO Phish quickly expanded upon, and surpassed, the breakthrough they achieved during the Bomb Factory Tweezer. (Perhaps @N00b100's arguments for the value of 3.0 jams have worn me down, but I feel very good about this pick.)

Is the Tahoe Tweezer the most important jam when considering the band's legacy? Perhaps, but I will still suprised to see it get the most votes.

5. 8/14/93 Run Like An Antelope
Along the same argumentative lines as the Tahoe Tweezer, I feel that this selection does the best job of capturing the band at this stage of their career. It seems to me that this performance obviates the need to include anything from earlier in their career; that it all had been leading up to this moment.

Not surprised that this version didn't get a mention, but I agree with @illbuyyouaewe - how was Antelope not represented at all? Looks like I have a new cause: Run Like An Antelope is underrated! :)

6. 12/9/95 You Enjoy Myself
A mid-90s YEM is a relatively "conservative" candidate; I could have selected probably a half-dozen other versions instead of this one. However, I feel this performance (Page stepping forward while Trey moved to the mini-percussion kit, and the silent jam, and the Shaft quotes, and the vocal jam) is so distinctive from anything else on my ballot that it warrants inclusion.

yep.

7. 8/13/96 Mike's Song
The 10/31/96 set is given a lot of credit for pushing the band towards the sound of 1997, but listen to this jam and you will hear that the change was already in motion. At the peak, the jamming is as full-throttle, pushing and aggressive as anything I considered from 2.0. And then, first Trey and the Fish lay back and allow Page and Mike to step forward and guide the jam. This is the sound of Phish putting clear effort into a performance that displays their mastery of the form and their ability to improvise together.

another possibly underrated jam. But since we're here, IMO including Mike's Song and Weekapaug Groove in a single vote is weak. Either the individual song warrants mention, or it doesn't. Having 12/31/95 listed in tier 2 is particularly bothersome since Mike's and Weekapaug weren't performed as a suite, or even in the same set! Both performances are worthy of inclusion on this list, but together?!

sorry, @therealburnham. I am very thankful that you put the effort into organizing the vote and compiling the results. If this is the most significant complaint you receive about the process, I hope you will consider this a job well done.
:)

8. 11/17/97 Ghost
Cue Confession Bear meme: I think the Fall 1997 tour has become a tad bit overrated, probably going back to the first hiatus. But like the first three picks, if I'm going to limit myself to one jam from 1997, it would be absurd to pick anything besides this first set monster. It could be argued that this performance was the improvisational peak of Phish 1.0, and that all the way through to the 2004 breakup, they were trying to recapture the elusive essence of this jam.

The most famous, most recognized jam of Phish 1.0? I might agree with that.

9. 6/14/00 Twist
This jam is truly heavyweight class. I recall defending the Big Cypress midnight-to-sunrise set in a past thread on this forum, and someone countering that 6/14/00 Fukuoka was a superior show, because it distilled the essence of those amazing moments in the Everglades into a standard-length show. It's a fair argument, and the two shows definitely share a similar vibe, but IMO it is only this Twist, and the succeeding jam that segues into Walk Away, that gets to the place the band was in during the early hours of January 1st, 2000.

Tier 2. Sorry, Island Tour fluffers, but this jam makes the 4/3/98 Roses wilt and fade.

10. 7/10/99 Chalk Dust Torture
To my ears, this performance is the defining "Phish millenial sound" jam. The band hit this groove many times over 1999-2000, but this fist-pumping peak is the grandest of them all. As with the Fukuoka Twist, the ability to play music such as this comes at a cost; even so, the results are marvelous.

Another Tier 2 result. Wait 'til next year?


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