From tjwade@tconl.com Sat Sep 12 23:35:41 1998
Date: Sun, 02 Aug 1998 01:14:56 -0700
From: Tim Wade 
To: Dan Hantman 
Subject: Re: Any more Reba reviews? =)

RebaReview #27
8/9/97 Alpine Valley
East Troy, WI, set I
Time: 15:15

THE DIRECTIONS (0:00): The crowd is certainly up for this Reba...Alpine
Valley is a beautiful place to see one.  No melted wax clapping,
though.  Directions sound pretty good...toward the end, though, I'm
picking up some talking on my copy...nothing too distracting,
though...mostly I'm just focused for

THE SIP (2:23): Stumble from Trey right off the bat, but he recovers
within a few seconds.  Things tighten up well, and it's a very steady
sip...things quiet down for the build...Cactus has a few things to say
about it tonight, really stirring everyone up for

THE SWALLOW (4:42): Again, Trey's timing is off right at the start...he
recovers pretty quickly...not the tightest of swallows, but not bad,
either...the sun is going down, I think it must be time for

THE CHILL (6:02): There's a weird, muted scratch from Trey, and then
Page brings in the synth.  Page is pretty...but GOD how I love Mike in
the mix!  Now the clapping has begun, and Mike lets loose with a sweet
lick.  Trey drops in for his entrance at 6:40.  He starts with some
noodling, but he quickly hits on a lick that goes with the Chill as well
as with the clapping.  They're in a groove already...it's Mike that is
catching my ear again, he's great...the clapping starts to die down, but
not totally...there is a scream, I don't know if it's a fan or if it's
maybe Fishman, but it perfectly precedes a shift that rolls out at
7:29.  Fishman moves to the ride, and Trey takes his noodling up to play
around...Mike is still thumpin'...Trey drifts around, down a bit, then
gets a little caught on a higher variation of that groove...catchy
groove...they take this down and there is a near shift...Trey starts to
explore a little bit, and Fishman adds a ding here and a stutter
there...Trey gets caught on another variation, this time higher and a
bit quicker...he lets this drift away into a shift at 8:12.  Trey finds
another lick and noodles...little stutter from Fish...Trey goes
tip-toing up and catches on that groove again, and Fishman really starts
to stutter...I think Page...yeah, Page is on Piano...they take this into
a shift, and Page comes through charging...Fishman breaks things up,
though, with some synchopation, and Trey starts to work it back down
again...Trey finds the groove again, and Fishman gets all four limbs
kickin' it...trouble-a-brewin'...Trey rides it into a pretty decent
shift at 9:27.  Page and Trey suddenly hook up, Trey sounding like he's
tapping Morse code...Fishman does a little tom roll, and you can tell
Page is feelin' it...Fish is pretty busy, too...another shift comes in
as Trey works back down low...Fishman gets more gentle, lots of ride,
and Mike hooks on to a couple of notes...woah!  Fish is all stutters and
dings, Mike's got those notes, Page and Trey are lost in it...what the
heck is that sound??  Trey??  Such a nice effect here...really great
Reba space!

Trey is eventually lifted up, supported by Fish, Mike, and Page...Trey
grabs on a note, suspending all of the pieces of the jam...they all
swell up and then drop into a shift at 10:45.  Trey quietly sustains and
quietly noodles as a deceptive gentleness takes hold...Trey is being
sneaky, dwelling on a lick here, a note there, keeping the tension
brewing...this is all good...there's a little shift where Trey strums a
swallow chord, then works on an echoing lick...Page is lost in the
groove, as am I...it's really good...there's that effect again...Trey
finds that Morse code again...synchopation, suspension, and that trippy
effect rising into the air...wow!  Trey chops and chrips for a sweet
shift at 12:02!  

Fishman signals his pleasure with a nice fill, but there is still a
_whole lot_ of tension...Trey's licks become concentrated and
powerful...another possible shift just increases the pressure...Trey is
throwing some sustained stuff in...this is more powerful stuff!  Trey
just keeps them dwelling on this...all I can do is shake my head...Trey
finally finds a lick to lead him upwards, and things
intensify...building to a release at 13:19!  Nice sound from Trey...he
licks on to another space where he revisits Morse at high velocity...he
shoots up again, sending Page and Fish into a frenzy...Trey drops down
and then hammers his way back up again for another release at 13:59! 
There's a big cheer, a big warning fill from Fishman, and Page totally
loses control...Trey wails for a moment up in the Rebasphere, then drops
down and starts hammering and dwelling like a madman...he works into a
heart-wrenching sustain...Page is at Reba's mercy...hell, everyone is! 
They all writhe in the cluches of the jam, the tension almost
unbearable...Trey hacks at that swallow chord, then starts to hammer
again, pushing up high...oh!!  The toms intercede at 15:15! 

THE WET WHISTLE: Not to be.  It's time for the Chairman to cheese things
up a little bit as Lawn Boy begins moments later.

***

First thing's first: THANKS to Bert Yagrich for these tapes...really
really crispy stuff, and the first ^�97 Reba I heard.  We love ya Bert!


Second thing's second: Alpine Valley is a really beautiful place.  It's
actually where I saw my second show, and the only live Reba I've seen
yet, in the summer of ^�96.  At the rate they're playing Rebas and I'm
seeing shows, it'll probably remain my only live Reba.  In any case, I
hope they continue to do shows in East Troy as well as continue to play
Rebas there (even though I had a terrible time there in ^�96.  Touring
alone can suck.)

But back to our gal...

This version reminds me in a lot of ways of the Clifford Ball.  It's
pretty smooth and unhurried, and while it doesn't make you go "Wow! 
Never expected to hear that!", it's done so beautifully that you have to
love it.  The Ball version is still, I think, more majestic, but this
version has got great tension and release as well as beauty.  I do wish
they would have taken it a bit farther (of course, I'm always yelling at
Fishman to let it keep going), but it's not as bad as, say, Red Rocks
^�96 or Denver ^�97.  A fine version overall, and...

Finest in the nation?  Certainly a contender.

A/A-