(AUD Download @KernelForbin Remaster)

Background (Set: 2 of 2 – Song: 5 of 8 – Show Gap: 5)

Ghost stays in the second set once again.  It is placed towards the end of the show and makes a return appearance in Vegas.  No segues before or after Ghost.

Composed Section (0:00-3:53)

Trey starts things off gently.  Mike does the same, and then begins to gather steam.  When he does, Fishman enters the picture and Ghost takes shape.  The pace is a bit slower than the previous 2.0 versions.

The solo section gets a big dose of the clav from Page.  Trey provides background and then Mike lays down some light funk.  This solo section is all about Page, he kills it.

The pause gets some big notes from Trey, and then a weird drop in.  It is partly nailed and partly lagging behind.  Mike doesn’t come in till much later.  The rest of the vocals are uninspired and include some miscues.  The drop into the jam is no picnic either.  Luckily the jam is much better.

That intro made me do this…

Easy Jamming (3:54-7:18)

Once the band catches up with each other, finally at around the 4:08 mark things start grooving.  Fishman brings the pace way down and another cool bluesy intro jam begins.

Not a ton going on.  Fishman lays the slow beat down and Trey plays some notes that ring out.  Mike puts down an easy bass line and Page moves to the piano.  Beginning at 4:11 Trey starts playing a sweet melody that Page starts to work around.  I dig this tone and playing from Trey.

In fact I dig this jam period.  Well balanced, and nothing forced.  Just four guys grooving.  Around the 5:10 mark, Fish starts to pick up the pace. Page heads for the organ, then some piano, then back to the organ, then back to the piano.  Page then stays on the piano as this minimalist jam continues.

The band is in no rush, and just floats within the space it has created.  Well, that is until Trey switches tones at 6:11 and finds the power of Thor.  Trey unleashed a massive murky power lick.  AWESOME stuff.  With Page on piano  moving against it, it makes it even cooler.

Page starts to adopt that lick on the piano, and when Trey switches tones again, Page keeps the lick going.  That was nice.  Love when they do stuff like that.  Trey begins to solo with more and more veracity.

This makes me want to Las Vegas Strip (7:19-11:04)

Fish subtly picks up the beat around 7:19.  Trey continues to do some heavy soloing, his guitar is doing some loud crying.  It is not gently weeping.

At 7:47, Fish kicks things up big time.  This jam is about to get moving, and nobody else in the band has any choice.  Page jumps on board right away and picks up the frequency of his notes.  He throws in some clav and then starts powering the keys.

Trey picks up the intensity of his soloing and Mike moves up and down the bass with ease.  A nice upbeat jam forms and it is time to clear some dancing space.  The groove from the first section was nice and long so that this upbeat section gets even more energy.

I like Trey’s playing, upbeat and energetic yet controlled.  The band is moving together beautifully.  When Fish rocks some fills at 8:25, the energy increases even more.  I am dancing up a storm now!

Fishman’s beat is making me feel like Thom Yorke!

Page play a series of chords around 8:45 mark, that I just love.  Those chords mixing with the longer notes from Trey is awesome.  Page throws more piano bombs at 9:25.  Seriously, what is he hitting those piano keys with…an anvil??? He is pounding the crap out of the keys.

I certainly love these full band slow build peaks.  Power from different members at different times.  Yet everything meshes so well.  It certainly helps to have Fishman laying down such an upbeat rhythm that everyone can work around.

Trey starts to hold some notes even longer at the 9:40 mark.  He then repeats a couple of notes at 10:05.  Fishman POWERS through him and this jam continues to bring the heat.  Page comes reining down fury on the keys at this point, while Mike is providing fantastic backup keeping things on target.

Trey starts to go off a bit in a different direction around the 11:00 mark, and Fishman reads him.  Fish changes up the beat at the 11:05 mark, after a fill.

Hitting the Jackpost (11:05-15:51)

As Fish changes up the beat, and Trey starts to go in a different direction, it sounds like things will move downward.  So often, after a fiery section like the previous one, the jam breaks down and fades out till the end.  A couple times like 11:40, it sounds to me like that will happen.  Some inspired play by Page might be a reason it does not.

Trey switches up his tone and finds one that is beautiful and uplifting at the 12:07 mark.  This brings in a blissful feeling, and a gorgeous upbeat jam breaks out.  Trey is nailing each note and I am floating away.  This rocks!

I feel like this Dog…

Not only did the jam not break down, it picks up in intensity.  At 12:48 Fishman brings even more power into this jam.  Trey continues to keep this jam climbing.  Awesome stuff from everyone.  Page and Mike are filling in every gap and keep me moving!!!!

At 13:30, as Fish starts to change things, Mike goes flying up his bass.  This just adds to the awesomeness of this jam.  Mike has become more and more in the forefront as this jam has taken shape.  The man is a genius.

They release some tension at 13:37, and this baby keeps rocking!!!  Page comes flying in with one of those kick ass chord runs at 13:46.  I love life.  I love Phish.  I love Beer.  I love you for reading The Daily Ghost.  I love Phish for writing and playing Ghost.  I also you love Tom Marshall.  I do not love Country Music.

At 14:05, Fish and Mike release more built up tension and Page obliterates what was left of his keyboard.  He closes this Ghost with pure fire.  Trey does some killer work as well but man does Page close the door on this baby.  That was HOT!

At 14:50, Trey starts to move away from the jam, and it begins to break down.  Man did things get hot for a bit there!!!  Things break down to almost nothing and then Page delivers some serious clav to bring us to the end.

Final Thoughts

Another outstanding Ghost offering.  The composed section is not pretty.  However, the jam….man the jam is great.  Some great minimalist grooving, and some great full band extended peak action.  A lot of great stuff going down in this Ghost.  It has a great groove and some fire.  Just misses having that incredible type II section to give it the highest score.  I also, have to deduct a bit for the not pleasant intro.  I love this jam though!

Score: 9.0