YEM review - 8/1/99 Fuji Rock Festival, Naeba, Niigata, JAPAN

8/1/99 Fuji Rock Festival, Naeba, Niigata, JAPAN
 
YEM closes this incredibly fun set.  It's not very often that Phish
plays Tweezer, Mike'sGroove and YEM in the same set. (!)
 
YEM's opening segment is rather uneventful.  The spacey, enchanting
"pre-Snoopy" section of the opening segment, with its sustained
notes, is typically beautiful, and not that long.  Nothing unusual
transpires. The "Snoopy" section (named "Snoopy" after Ellis K. told
me that his friend pictures Snoopy dancing on Page's piano during
it) begins at 4:10, and Page's playing on the piano is wonderful as
always.  Mike's solo section at 4:53 is melodic, mellow and
thoughtful.  The "pre-charge" section is strong (I don't hear any
audience noise at all, so I can't tell if Brad brought out the
trampolines.. I imagine the tramps didn't make it to Japan, though,
eh?). "Charge" at 7:16, after a well-sustained Note from Trey, and
 
"BOY" at 7:33 after a decent scream from Trey.  BMGS/WUDMTF segment
is funkalicious, to be sure, but nothing crazy transpires. The
vocals are on the soft side;  they intentionally keep them quiet.
Tramps jam begins at 9:54, and Page is upfront and getting down on
the organ.  Based on Mike's signals for the trampolines moves and
what (little) I can hear of the audience, I guess they are on the
trampolines in here (10:45).  But they are off by around 10:50.
Page continues to passionately play on the organ, but Trey starts
noodling in the lower octaves of his 'doc hollowbody at 11:11, when
the jam segment basically begins.
 
Around 11:52 the groove is funky but not very upbeat.  Still trying
to build.  Around 12:15 Trey starts riffing in a "Manteca"-esque
manner, and I'd swear within a measure or two I hear Page tease a
few notes of the melody of "Year of the Cat" (probably accidently).
The jam eventually picks up into something more inspired, but still
"average-great" fare for YEM, at least as I hear it. Trey once again
teases "Manteca" around 14 minutes.  Very strong climax in this YEM
jam, to be sure, but par for the course, IMO.
 
Trey starts the closing WUDMTF lyrics at 15:38, and everyone but
Fish stops playing their instruments (Fish quits the drums once the
lyrics are finished and the vocal jam begins). The vocal jam begins
slow and harmonic, almost like they intentionally tried to make it
more palatable to the Japanese audience (didn't want to scare them
with Small Fury Creatures noises..;-).  In fact, the vocal jam
consists entirely of very slow harmonizing.  No insane vocal
surprises or noises.  A spectacularly dull vocal jam, and a very
blah close to a remarkably cool set.  Total time: 19:27. Still have
to give it a slightly above average rating given the final few
minutes of the jam segment, I think.  B/B+ rating.
 
two cents,
charlie


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