12/1/95 Hershey Park Arena, Hershey, PA FWIW, there is ***NOT*** a China Cat Tease before Halley's. I have 900
hours of Dead and know a damn China Cat tease when I hear one. I'll grant that what Trey doodles on the 'doc before Halley's
WOULD BE China Cat, if it were played with the China Cat melody, in the China Cat key, and in the China Cat MANNER!
*@&$%^#$%!@# Seriously, though, I could agree that Trey's tuning-noodle was SIMILAR rhythmically to the main China
Cat riff, but this was as much a tease of China Cat as breaking wind is a tease of the "lassie" jam in the 12/29/94 Bowie. I was
very disappointed. I've listened to it many times, TRYING MY DAMNEDEST to even PRETEND that this is China Cat.. ...
but I'm not upset about it. Really. I wasn't looking forward to it. No siirrrreee. ;^[ I will grant that it is conceivable that TREY
toyed with us by almost teasing China Cat (Trey would be this cruel, and knows how to play China Cat). But the truth is: China
Cat was NOT played, teased, or quoted. I think it is reasonable to think it was hinted at or even approached, though. (and
there's no debate about this.. this is NOT a matter of opinion, but of truth/falsity.. imo.. ;^) But don't get excited about hearing it,
as I foolishly did. MikeS begins on the last note of Halley's. Kinda fudged in the very beginning, right as Fish enters. Opening is
otherwise standard. Tramps jam comes in at the usual time. Mike and Page aren't alone at the beginning of the tramps jam. Trey
chords darkly in here for a bit, and then starts sustaining.. not off-key, though. It is still a very peculiar jam.. from Trey. Not
exciting, really, based on the Mike's Songs reviewed of late. Trey is definitely more pleasant to listen to in here than in the
average MikeS of old (that often had him wailing away in an eerie off-key fashion), but this version is just.. obscure. Mike and
Page and Fish are completely laying the typical MikeS text out.. but Trey just doesn't really seem to find much of a groove, until
around 5:15, when he breaks out with a more tangible lick. About 40 seconds later, though, Trey seems to go back into this
semi-awry, semi-thematic groove.. very curious jamming in here. Trey is a genius. He appears to be finding a theme upon which
to jam, but the 'theme' seems to be intentionally played to avoid being construed as a theme. I know this doesn't make sense,
and even sounds ludicrous, but, well, have a listen for yourself. I can't describe this at all well. It is very interesting what Trey
does in here, but is not a jam that makes you dizzy with anticipation, imo. MikeS theme ending chords enter at 6:54, and then
the post-tramps mode kicks in twenty seconds later. It begins with Trey actively tooling around (very similar to 11/11/95's
post-tramps segment opening). This doesn't really plod along darkly as it ordinarily would. Around 8:20 or so, Trey seems to hit
on a theme that was really jammed out during the Mike's Song on New Years. He doesn't do much with it in here, but by 9:15,
this post-tramps jam is nonetheless funking along. Trey is still themeless.. just noodlin. Fish drops the groove back at 9:44, and
the jam gets a little spacey.. semi-quiet. Fish doesn't let go.. just quiets it down (silences the bass drum). Everyone is jamming
very quietly in here (10-11).. lightly.. noodling from Trey. Very similar in form to a Weekapaugian "quiet mode", only without
the Suzy greenberg-esque chords from Trey. Fish is firing away on the cymbals (he's playing them similar to Terrapin Flyer,
fwiw.. or, for that matter, Fog or Taste). Trey is non-stop noodle-jamming.. very quick and staccato'ed. SERIOUS HOSE
around 12:40 as the jam climbs out of the more relaxed frame.. Landlady tease from Page around 13 minutes! Trey is wailing
away (I really can't hear Mike at all in this mix, people, I'm sorry... it really is hard.. that's why no mention of Mike.. suffice it to
say that he ain't hitting anything the wrong way.. I'd probably hear THAT!). The Hose still hasn't been shut off around 14 mins..
they are all jamming away. To give you a frame of reference, the jamming in here is similar to the pre-'Real Me' hose action on
12/29/95. Similar also to the Tweezer on 11/30/95, but only SIMILAR (those jams are/were more intense than this). Trey
starts chording (rock star Trey) around 14:50 or so, as if to signal a change... he drops the 'doc around 15:15 and gets on the
percussion kit. Meanwhile, Page just intensely chords and noodles. Soloing nicely over the others' grooving. I can hear Mike a
little better, now that Trey's 'doc is silent, but not MUCH better... unless he snaps a note (he is Verrrry Loooow... MR Q ON
THE BASS)... Clavinet action from Page in here. This is a verrrrry cool jam, folks, which would excite me a hell of a lot more
had I not so recently been listening to the Albany YEM, 12/31/95 sets two and three, 11/30/95 Tweezer, and of course
12/29/95 Gin and 8/13/93 Gin.. This jamming is great, but just perhaps not as OUTRAGEOUS as some of the aforementioned
Hose.. Sounds like Trey is hitting weird effects on his 'doc at the same time that he plays the percussion kit.. At 19:30 or so,
Trey picks up the 'doc and starts chording as if to segue into Weekapaug, but doesn't actually tease the Weekapaug theme. He
keeps this up... until 20:26, when it sounded like he could just jump right in with Weekapaug.. but nope. Not yet. Trey starts
letting loose some nice licks, but then at 21:05 or so, for no real reason, he just opens up in Weekapaugian fashion, and then
soundly starts teasing Weekapaug at 21:27 or so. WHAT A SWEEEET SEGUE!! No Mike opening solo in here. The opening
lyrics to Weekapaug, the first verse, just sucks outright, and they actually laugh about it. They all came in singing in different
keys... which combined into the wrong one... Sounds terrible.. shitty. The opening jamming in here really isn't as fiery as it could
be, but all of you still need to hear this. Trey noodles away on a beautiful theme.. somewhat quietly.. this extraordinary noodling
belongs in the Teary-Eyed Jamming thread, imo. Just gorgeous in here. Leagues above average.. an awe-inspiring theme is
found!! What a contrast from the miserable opening! I just zoned out completely. Sorry. Mesmerizing. Amazing. Absolutely
incredible jamming in here, led by Trey. Some of the best Weekapaug jamming I've ever heard. There's basically an extremely
melodic build (akin to a Hood, I suppose, only with a Weekapaug spice..) that is fantastic, and which I recommend at all costs.
The jam completely quiets down around 27 minutes or so, and the audience starts clapping ... (Sparkle rhythm at this point!
And Trey sortof-teases it for about two seconds..) Trey noodles in time to the audience with the others.. Fish kicks in the
groove again.. and another build occurs, but it isn't that fantastic on tape. Indeed, Trey comes in (after building/climaxing)
horribly off key in here.. just sounds terrible. CHRIST! What a buzzkill!!! I was thinking A+ all the way, too. Damn!! At one
point, Trey sustains this viciously off key note (off key compared to what the others are doing.. what Weekapaug should be)...
sounds horrible. The death of Weekapaug. This whole ending jam is about a whole beat faster than normal (it sounds kinda silly
and out of control.. Trey and Fish just completely sped the whole god damn thing up). The final verse is effectively out of tune,
and it really sounds HIDEOUS. Which is incredibly ironic, given that this Weekapaug, before the final few minutes, was surely
one of the best ones I'd heard. Stunning. This ending was just COMPLETE SPAM. Those of you at the show probably think
differently, but don't tell me privately about it -- post publicly!!!! This ending was just NOT AMUSING. One of the worst
endings to Weekapaug I've **ever** heard.. BOOOOOOOO!!!!!! IT STANK!!!! Astoundingly spell-binding jamming in this
Mike's Song -> Jam -> Weekapaug, though (until the end). It would have received an A+ rating from me for sure had they
managed to get back into the proper Weekapaug key at the end and melodiously closed it. But, no. Although I can understand
that people at the show must have been extremely excited (it comes through on the tapes).. I... I... I just think on tape that this
ending sounds ** MAGNIFISCENTLY LAME**, especially given the beauty, the genius, and the glory that precedes it. The
MikeS and Weekapaug, UP UNTIL the final few minutes, are A/A+ versions.. just as good as 12/31/95, if not in many ways
BETTER! Well, as I said, this would have received an A+ from me.. buuut. I mean, I think this MikeS is definitely more exciting
(if you include the Jam, of course) than 12/30/93, for example, and the Weekapaug, until the last few minutes, is one of my
faves *ever*. The ending is JUST THIS BAD... I mean, just listen to Trey after the 27 min point. Just goes to hell... as if he
completely lost his musical train of thought. Or something. I can't give this version more than an A-/A, in all fairness to other
MikeSGrooves that are simply more well-rounded. "A" probably shouldn't be in this rating at all. Those of you who think, even
with this terrible ending, that this version should still get the A+ (and I admit, if it had ended w/the final verse/segment at the 27
min point, or at least something pleasing -- even AVERAGE, it would have been an A easy), listen to 12/30/93 again. That is
the only version that I've given a solid "A" to (to some of you, I'm sure, I've over-rated it). The hose on 12/30/93 is NOT
NEARLY as fearsome as it is on 12/31/95 or this version without question. But 12/30/93 has a fantastic ending, on top of being
exceptionally well-jammed. I think I will listen to it again, now. Well, I just listened to it. And if told at gunpoint to choose
between the 12/30/93 MikeS & Weekapaug and the 12/1/95 MikeS->Jam->Weekapaug, I'd say 12/30/93. (if told to choose
between 12/30/93 and 12/31/95, I'd gladly be shot.. ;) .. couldn't do it). Indeed, 12/30/93, upon re-listening to it, is the best
Weekapaug that I've heard next to 12/31/95. It is just one continuous jam.. no quiet section. Trey arguably "wails" more in the
12/30/93 version than 12/31/95... but, that's another MikeSFiles.. Suffice it to say that if you haven't heard 12/30/93's
Weekapaug, you are missing out in such a spectacularly huge way that, believe me, you'd prefer death to remaining ignorant
about the majesty of this version. But I digress.. two cents