LawnMemo

The Daily Ghost

The Daily Ghost #111 09/02/2012 Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO

(AUD Download @KernelForbin Remaster)

Background (Set: 2 of 2 – Song: 2 of 6 – Show Gap: 12)

Ghost could not have been set up any better.  A long 12 show gap for Ghost, and in the second set on the last night of the incredible Dick’s 2012 run.  After a MONSTER Sand to open the set, Mike greets us with an awesome segue.  The end of Sand segue, and all of Piper have been included.

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Composed Section (2:19-6:11)

Right where @KernelForbin cuts this it sounds like Trey wants to go into WTU?.  Instead, Mike overrides him and plays the return to Sand proper.  The return is oh so sweet.  Good things come when Mike chooses the path.  I am creating a movement…PFMC! (People For Mike’s Choice).

After the return things start to get spacey and funky at the 1:30 mark.  Things get murky and it sounds like chemicals breaking down particles to me.  Eating and eroding away at once was the song Sand.  Then Mike leads us on a patient journey toward Ghost.

Mike first plays the bass line to Ghost at 2:19.   It is extremely subtle but it becomes more powerful with each passing measure.  The enzyme breakdown jam continues around him.  Just an awesome segue and transition.

Even with the Ghost in full force by the 3 minute mark, Trey continues the acid rust.  So sweet.

The lyrics enter at 3:28 and Trey keeps that effect going.  I know many people cited this as their favorite segue of the year.  I can certainly see why.  (My favorite for the record was Sand->Nellie Kane from DCU).

The pace continues on from the transition and is not too fast or slow.  The solo section continues the chemical effect from Trey, as Page gets working on the clav.  Mike is continuing his Ghost bass lick, until he drops in. Trey gives a big twangy note and then solos when Mike comes in.  Awesome full band solo section.  Whoa, that just sounded weird.

The lead in continues with the Trey effect, and is nice and smooth.  The pause is all kinds of chemicals oozing from Trey’s guitar.  Enough erosion to create the Grand Canyon. Then the drop in…

This was almost perfect!  Just nail the drop!  No train wreck, but it is certainly miss timed.  I wanted that one.  Come on!

Still high marks for the awesome segue and Trey giving us those cool chemical effects.

Chilling Until a Mike Face Punch (6:12-8:06)

Trey starts soloing right at the beginning of this jam.  Mike is making himself more of a presence, and grounding this jam.  Trey backs off the gas at 6:40, and we are left to move downward.

Fish lays the path downward, and Trey changes to the evil eating tone.  Evil, dark, and clouded this jam has become.  Yoda’d.  Been way too long since I made a Star Wars reference.  We haven’t seen this tone from Trey in Ghost in quite a while, and I am very happy to see it return.  It is one of my favorites.

During the Dick’s run, I went to many other planets with the incredible jams that took place.  This Trey tone and breakdown jam, takes me deep into Jupiter’s Deep Dark Ocean.  Yes, there is an ocean on Jupiter in my brain.  Well Phish made me think that with jams like this.

As Trey moves around space, Mike just annihilates the bass.  He starts punching things in the face at the 7:40 mark.

Gordon is not F’ing around, and this gets awesome.  With Trey eating everything in site, Mike brings the hammer.

Mike Brings the Thunder, and then the Storm Comes (8:07-11:56)

I don’t know what to think of this.  Page switches to the piano at the 8:07.  This is evil, ass kicking, ambient, and beautiful all at the same time.  I want to dance, hide in a corner, prepare for a zombie attack, eat ice cream, take out more life insurance on myself, do the Electric Slide, and make out with a hot hippie chick all at the same time.  The band is locked and there is just sooooooo much going on.  I feel like this…

While I am trying to figure out what where this jam has taken my thoughts, it builds patiently.  It is one of those that sneaks up on you.  It is a complicated jam and one you really have to pay attention to in order to fully grasp how awesome the interplay is between the band.  Then, suddenly, BOOOOOOM.

After Page drops chords that make my ears feel like awesome sauce, Trey holds some notes at 9:41.  Page blasts the keys with what sounds like a crowbar.  My gosh, that man has power.  That little push brings this jam to the next level.  Full band rocking.  I feel like am listening to the giant boulder in Raiders of the Lost Ark coming at me, only with a jamming rocking soundtrack.  We are in full blast-off…

More insanity from Page at 10:00 mark, and this jam won’t quit.  An incredibly unique section between Trey and Page here.  They couldn’t be more locked into each other.  Trey starts experimenting at 10:30 as Page is on fire.  DAMN PAGE!!!!  I am coming out right now.  I have a serious man crush on Page McConnell.  Felt, good to get that off my chest.

This is one awesome peak here!  I don’t need Trey full out shredding for me to get exited.  This experimental stuff, with the great use of all 4 members, does it for me just as much.

At 10:40, Trey starts to repeat a sweet lick over and over.  This was something that really stuck out to me during the entire Dick ’12 run.  Trey seemed to find these incredible awesome licks and stick with them.  He didn’t rush away from them, but instead let them run their course.  He seemed to know the exact amount of time to hold it before moving on to a new idea.  Trey was a damn Jedi during this run.

Trey switches to a more traditional rocking tone at 11:08.  Things keep the high energy going and we get a monster dose of Fishman.

Dick Dance Party>Outro->Piper (11:57-16:49)

We switch it up as Fish builds things and Trey lays down a filthy uptempo lick.  We move in hyper speed groove.  So much awesome I can’t handle it.  I am smiling from ear to ear.  I will miss these moments every night reviewing Ghosts where I am just blown away by how awesome this band is.

This just rocks plain and simple.  People that don’t know anything about Phish often ask me… “How do you dance to that?”  Easy, put this on right here and look the F out.  I will show you what DANCING is!

This jam did a complete 180, and this is what I hope for in 2013.  The feeling that at any moment, during any song, things can go in a completely different direction.  There is nothing more fun that looking at your friend, dancing, and saying “What song was this?”  That is how I am feeling reviewing this section.

This jam makes me happy.  Happy for the upbeat tempo.  Happy for the incredible feeling of how locked in this band was.  Happy to have this to listen to forever.

Page starts to drift things out at the 14:18 mark, and things quickly fade into an abyss.  The band wallows around for a while in some ambiance before working towards a new track.  There is beauty and bliss to this outro as Trey and Page provide gorgeous melodies.

At 16:17 we hear something that sounds like a bird flying through a time warp.  At 16:49, from the blissful ambient outro, Trey starts the segue into Piper.  Great call.

Final Thoughts

Phish closes out the 2012 tour with another outstanding version of Ghost.  A lot of jams got the awesome treatment at Dick’s.  Another truly unique 2012 Ghost.  This one has a groove, ambient section, experimental peak, with a rocking blissful outro.  This is a version I really liked live, but after an intense breakdown for the review, I appreciate it even more.  The band was locked in during this run and was able to play some extremely complex stuff.  This Ghost is a great example of that.

Score 9.0