From: Charlie Dirksen
6/17/94 Eagles Auditorium, Milwaukee, WI (Rvwd 11/95) This is the famous OJ SET, which you should have heard by
now (GET IT NOW.. if you haven't heard it). The Poor Heart is just nuts (RUN OJ RUN). Fish is out of control. The opening
to this MikeS is standard, aside from a little bit more jamming from Trey than usual. Lots of Page and Mike before Trey comes
in, in the tramps segment, typical of most old versions, but not all of the more recent ones. Trey does a lot of the distorted
off-key crap, for which he is notorious in MikeS, but, frankly, this version actually sounds BETTER because of it (I think it
blends well with the general feeling of this jam, given what Mike and Page are doing). Around 4:30 or so, Fish starts babbling
some OJ stuff ("Will he make it.. the cops are on his trail.. OJ!!"), which of course amuses. The tramps jam is drawn out much
longer than "normal", and is very funky around the 5-6 min point. Trey starts rippin' licks left and right in this closing part of the
tramps jam. He even does some ARU-like vocal stuff, at one point, mimicking his guitar solos. The tramps segment ends
around 6:35, and an extremely typical post-tramps segment begins (NO SIMPLE TEASE, though, at all) ... chaotic,
intentionally sloppy, dissonant ... before Simple comes in. This pre-Simple jam isn't that interesting -- it is admittedly ominous
and raw, but not actually good to my ears (the pre-Simple 10/8/94 jam is somewhat pleasing, though equally eeeerie). Simple
comes in around 7:35, and is very VERY rough-sounding and slipshod, like the other early versions. It is very active with
significant off-time vocal action from everyone, not to mention an entire OJ verse to close it, but it is not even comparable to a
lot of the beautiful Fall '94 Simples. The closing OJ verse includes "What is a band without OJ.. OJ is grand!"). After this
admittedly exciting and enthusiastic OJ concluding verse, MikeS kicks solidly back in at 11:32 ish, with Ray Gun sounds from
Trey (presumably from Trey, I don't know who caused these sounds). This closing MikeS jam is ok, but not at all impressive, in
light of other versions. It is painfully average. H2 comes in at 13:22 with some Simple teases and 2 whole verses of Simple sung
lightly over the H2 drums and bass. Page and Trey REALLY start H2 around 14:40, after this simple fun. Tis a solid H2.
Weekapaug kicks in at 16:47, and Mike's opening bass jamming is VERRRY hot and original! An excellently snappy, funky
and INSPIRED opening from Mike! The Weekapaug jam is very melodic, even spiritually and soulfully so. The interplay
between Page and Trey is particularly fantastic around 19-20. This is a majestically soaring Weekapaug, like many before and
after it, but what puts this over the top of most is the overall jamming in the last few minutes. Trey goes into some unduly
harmonious territory, and though he doesn't wail until the last minute or so of the jam segment, the visions that his beautiful and
original jams conjure up are too glorious to be dismissed off-handedly, and are such that words could not reasonably illustrate
their grace. He almost teases NICU at 21:24 or so. This is a mind-bogglingly, drop-dead, magnifiscent Weekapaug, folks,
although it isn't long. ;^[ The final Weekapaug lyrics segment comes in at 22:33, and the ending is utterly and dishearteningly
straightforward. Ends at 23:29. Nevertheless, this was a highly original OJGroove, and I recommend it at reasonable cost. A-
rating. Harpua followed this, btw, and likely included the fastest KUNG ever and a Voodoo Child tease/jam.