Hey There

a Ghost Story of summer past. This Ghost was my first live Ghost, played my
first time at the Gorge Amphitheater, and at my first Phish show attended
with my friend Marina....for those reasons it will always be one of my
favorites, despite the fact that it may not stand the test of time
musically. It is from what I've listened to so far a standard Ghost (funky
yet diverse) but it fairly lengthy, sustains several good grooves, and trey
made a subconscious attempt to cause Charlie Dirksen to vomit.....and I am
not talking Rift, Sample or Bouncin related nausea here....this is much more
sinister and calculated.....but what other response could there be when
faced with the threat of the "Gourd Dance"????

The Gorge Amphitheater George, WA 8/2/97 Set 1

Following a mellow Theme From the Bottom show opener and an equally mellow
Ginseng Sullivan which followed Theme, the Ghost was a very welcome (to me)
apparition.  It was the first of the new songs that I heard live....and the
one I wanted to hear the most. Needless to say I was ecstatic as soon as the
prologue began in its usual fashion (counted off) at (0:00).  The sage was
overwhelming as was the backdrop to the stage (unfortunately the view
doesn't carry over to audio).  The funk was on the loose from the outset and
everybody down front where I was was getting DOWN. No lyrical flubs in the
prologue. Trey seems to dominate the verse break this time. I caught a hint
of Superstition for a nanosecond but I am prone to fits of delusion. The
prologue comes to a close with the las shriek of Ghost! at around the
standard (3:00).

The Ghost Story is an immediate entry into the land of Disco Bus.  Think
mirror ball, think I'm your boogie man, bell bottoms, platforms, shake shake
shake....shake that booty. This is NOT the porno-funk this is not down and
dirty, but instead a clean respectable disco shuffle. The tempo picks up and
page starts to get down around the 5 minute mark. Mike's bass is doing that
metallic volcanic magma chamber thing that I just love.  Typical of several
of the Ghost jams I've listened to the pace of the boogie starts to pick up,
shifting gears the way an Antelope jam does, while sounding NOTHING like
Antelope of course, around (8:00) or so trey picks up on a theme I recognize
but have yet to place, this dissolves into what I hear to be a foreshadowing
of the Tweezer to come in the second set around (9:00) or so.  The jam moves
from fourth into automatic overdrive around the 10 minute mark with trey
starting to wail...at this point the whole thing just drops out of
course....take me to the edge of the Gorge but don't push me over...just
take a look at that drop....but don't fall yet. Around (11:15) or so I pick
up on an almost PYITE like scratch that breaks into some Olaphian techno
porn. This slides into another familiar and recurring theme from Trey about
(12:30).  (Charlie correct me if I'm wrong but I believe this is the Who
Knows? you referred to) This of course was payback for the threats of Naked
Gourd Dancing at the Shoreline show from Mr. Dirksen.  Who Knows being from
the Jimi Hendrix Band of Gypsies album which of course featured the great
Buddy Miles.  Now your thinking so what.....what does that have to do with
Naked Gourd Dancing.....well the thought of such a spectacle induces certain
feelings of discomfort in me.  Apparently word of these threats must have
made it to trey and he exacted his revenge.  Suddenly unexplainable feelings
of Nausea must have coursed through Charlie's stomach....why...why is this
happening?  I like this ...why am I feeling sick.  Charlie's subconscious
made the connection....who knows?....band of Gypsies...BUDDY
MILES....watchtower encore....flatulence....thanks to my new PHRIENDS
PHISH.....aaaaaghghghhghgh.....Alternatively of course it could be the
strange similarity to Rick Danko's Rock n Roll Hoochie Coo....but that is my
own personal hell.  The hoochie coo gives way to a dark dissonant growl
reminiscent of the 6/24/95 bowie which in turn melts into the COOLEST drum
outro from fishman I have ever heard....I don't know what it is....but it is
VERY COOL....the Ghost Story comes to a close at a respectable 18 minutes.
Certainly not the best but memorable none the less.

who you gonna call

Marty