The Chameleon Posted July 18, 2006 Report Share Posted July 18, 2006 (edited) Just a question to those on the board: What years do you think were the best creatively and performance wise for Phish? My opinion is that 1997/1998 was the high water mark. I went on both summer tours and many show in between. The jams are amazing, the funk vibrant and fresh. When I listen to those shows the band seems so full of life. Not to mention the new material from "Story of the Ghost" was killer at that time andn they had just come back from Europe. 1997 was also the year the first glow stick war happened at Loring Air Force Base for the Great Went, I remeber that like it was yesterday. After that things were still awsome but something seemed to change a bit, things began to get a bit stale here and there. I hope one day to feel that excitement again. Here's hoping tonights Trey, Mike & the Duo show lights a fire. Penny for your thoughts..... P.S. I suggest you go to sugarmegs.org and listen to PH 08/09/97 Alpine Valley, to hear the magic. Edited July 18, 2006 by Guest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baj Posted July 18, 2006 Report Share Posted July 18, 2006 My opinion is that 1997/1998 was the high water mark. I went on both summer tours and many show in between. The jams are amazing, the funk vibrant and fresh. When I listen to those shows the band seems so full of life. Not to mention the new material from "Story of the Ghost" was killer at that time andn they had just come back from Europe. 1997 was also the year the first glow stick war happened at Loring Air Force Base for the Great Went, I remeber that liek it was yesterday.fter that things were still awsome but something seemed to change a bit, things began to get a bit stale here and there. I hope one day to feel that excitement again. Here's hoping tonights Trey, Mike & the Duo show lights a fire. I could not agree more...that was my first phish show and festival...it opened my eyes and changed my life forever! I did not miss a phish fest after that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chewie Posted July 18, 2006 Report Share Posted July 18, 2006 95 to 97 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phorbesie Posted July 18, 2006 Report Share Posted July 18, 2006 overall i'd probably say 1997. 98 and 99 had some killer points too though...atlanta, shoreline, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Chameleon Posted July 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 18, 2006 (edited) overall i'd probably say 1997. 98 and 99 had some killer points too though...atlanta, shoreline, etc. True '99 did have some killer show! You're right Shoreline with Phil was stellar and Big Cypruss was insane. After that it never quite seemed the same. Glad I was there. I'm sure you guys are too. Edited July 18, 2006 by Guest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero Posted July 18, 2006 Report Share Posted July 18, 2006 Come on kids it's '94. It's '94 or '97. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenenbaum Posted July 18, 2006 Report Share Posted July 18, 2006 from '83-98 were the goods!plus the Chalkdust jam from '99 E Center! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUITARZAN Posted July 18, 2006 Report Share Posted July 18, 2006 Wow, 2 posts in one day..okay here we go...1994 was when I would go and see phish say in Minneapolis and they would play for around 1000 people, and everyone there would shit there pants.so I vote 94 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blane Posted July 18, 2006 Report Share Posted July 18, 2006 1993-1997. Confirmed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ge-off Posted July 18, 2006 Report Share Posted July 18, 2006 from '83-98 were the goods!plus the Chalkdust jam from '99 E Center!and dont forget 2000... and oh yeah 2003-2004 come on kids..its all good if someone were to give you a live phish show.. regardless of year...are you gonna turn it down?WHEN THEY PLAY...DO WE NOT ROCK OUT!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Chameleon Posted July 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 18, 2006 (edited) from '83-98 were the goods!plus the Chalkdust jam from '99 E Center!and dont forget 2000... and oh yeah 2003-2004 come on kids..its all good if someone were to give you a live phish show.. regardless of year...are you gonna turn it down?WHEN THEY PLAY...DO WE NOT ROCK OUT!!!You are right that even bad Phish is still pretty good. But certainly were some golden years of mindblowing music and it seemed to end at 99 for sure. Some would say 98.Similar to the Dead, many would say that 1977 was thier best year, but no one that likes the Grateful Dead would not go to a show after that. I think seeing has most of us have seen many Phish shows, and spend much $$$, time, and effort to get to them over the years we have earned the right to be anlytical and to some extent critical of thier progress.Bottom line Phish is still one of the best there ever was. No debate there. Edited July 18, 2006 by Guest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ge-off Posted July 18, 2006 Report Share Posted July 18, 2006 (edited) from '83-98 were the goods!plus the Chalkdust jam from '99 E Center!and dont forget 2000... and oh yeah 2003-2004 come on kids..its all good if someone were to give you a live phish show.. regardless of year...are you gonna turn it down?WHEN THEY PLAY...DO WE NOT ROCK OUT!!!You are right that even bad Phish is still pretty good. But certainly were some golden years of mindblowing music...Bottom line Phish is still one of the best there ever was. No debate there.everybody has bad days.. im sure people think im crazy or a noobie or whatever you want to call me..however you wanna look at it.. all of us liked phish its a tie that binds.. its kinda like the sceen in 'half baked' where chappelle is smokin with willie nelson.. and they are talking about how much a dime bag cost back in the day.. pot spans generations man... just like phish...i got the munchies Edited July 18, 2006 by Guest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcO Posted July 18, 2006 Report Share Posted July 18, 2006 Well, I favour patient, fluid, extended jamming over machine-gun-perfect energy.So my favorites are 1995, 1997 and believe it or not, 2003.I'm not really interested in pre-'95 Phish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ge-off Posted July 18, 2006 Report Share Posted July 18, 2006 Well, I favour patient, fluid, extended jamming over machine-gun-perfect energy.So my favorites are 1995, 1997 and believe it or not, 2003.i agree with your fluid extended jams comment..much better question then the original.. it gets more into what we each like more about phish.. like jennifer dances! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Chameleon Posted July 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 18, 2006 Well' date=' I favour patient, fluid, extended jamming over machine-gun-perfect energy.So my favorites are 1995, 1997 and believe it or not, 2003.[/quote']i agree with your fluid extended jams comment..much better question then the original.. it gets more into what we each like more about phish.. like jennifer dances![color:purple]Ah ha! You like Jennifer Dances! This explains everything! HAAHAAaAll jokes bro' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jahdawg Posted July 18, 2006 Report Share Posted July 18, 2006 1997 - defiintely1993 - close second1991- close 3rdIMO, phish was beating a dead horse after Big Cypress... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcO Posted July 18, 2006 Report Share Posted July 18, 2006 Phish were an amazing band. It's become easy for me to forget that over the last couple of years but right from my first show in Niagara Falls in '95 to my last in SPAC '04, they delivered the goods more often than not.Big Cypress remians one of the highlights of my life. It was equally life-affirming as a good ole' rock 'n'roll concert , a personal aesthetic, and personal transformations. I went there with Brian Hamilton, my best pal, TimmyB, whom I was just getting to know but turned out to be a dear and close friend, and I spent a large part of my private time thinking about Ms. X, my soul-mate. We "officially" became a couple within 48 hours of my return from Florida and it's still going strong today. None of which has much to with Phish, but hey it was a fucking awesome show, from the soundcheck the first night to the sun coming up two days and a morning later. I just thank them for providing an alternate time-line to such wonderful memories! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancingbear Posted July 19, 2006 Report Share Posted July 19, 2006 (edited) i really like 95 and 96. the clifford ball is incredible. but hey, on different days i like different years. how about arrowhead ranch 91! or the bomb factory...i think 93?!and i dare anybody to listen to nassau 2003 (feb/28) and say phish wasnt the 'same' post-hiatus. Edited July 19, 2006 by Guest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Chameleon Posted July 19, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2006 i really like 95 and 96. the clifford ball is incredible. but hey, on different days i like different years. how about arrowhead ranch 91! or the bomb factory...i think 93?!and i dare anybody to listen to nassau 2003 (feb/28) and say phish wasnt the 'same' post-hiatus. Agreed that the Bomb factory was a crazy show. I was also at the 2003 Miami New Years run and there were some sets that were as goood as anything I've ever seen.But it's all about consistency and in '97/'98 it was hittin' every godamn day it seemed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AD Posted July 19, 2006 Report Share Posted July 19, 2006 97-98 were the best years for me, Cypress was the best show and everything after suffered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Chameleon Posted July 19, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2006 (edited) 97-98 were the best years for me, Cypress was the best show and everything after suffered.Agreed. I think Phish did too, that's why they stopped. Edited July 19, 2006 by Guest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted July 20, 2006 Report Share Posted July 20, 2006 (edited) 80's-94, 97/98. Edited July 20, 2006 by Guest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Funk Dawg Posted July 20, 2006 Report Share Posted July 20, 2006 My first show was in '98, but I had been following the live tapes of mostly '96-'97 so that I was being completely blow away by Phish's original sound and their light-hearted humour. After the Hummingbird show I feel like we are still being prvy to this special high caliber music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weezy Posted July 21, 2006 Report Share Posted July 21, 2006 2004-2006/hippie bait Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phishtaper Posted July 21, 2006 Report Share Posted July 21, 2006 95/96. wasnt the same after thatAfter the Hummingbird show I feel like we are still being prvy to this special high caliber music.agreed. trey and mike connected. was nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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