From: Victor Szalvay
Greetings Friends,
 
Here we go with another round of AIR!!  Just a bit of news, I now have all
of the past AIRs on the web for your review pleasure, the links work so go
for it!! here is the URL:
http://weber.u.washington.edu/~vlaszlo/AIR/AIR.html

OK, so today I wanted to crack open 12/4/95 Amherst... many people have
requested this one so I thought I would take a listen and see (or hear).
I have to say that I am impressed by this version.  Here is the vital info
you will need:

12/4/95  Mullins Center, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
1:      Julius, Gumbo, Divided Sky, Punch You in the Eye, Stash, My Mind's
Got a Mind of Its Own, Axilla II, The Horse-> Silent in the Morning, Hello
Ma Baby, While My Guitar Gently Weeps
2:      Timber Ho, Sparkle, Ya Mar, Run Like an Antelope, Billy Breathes,
Cars Trucks Buses, You Enjoy Myself, Sample in a Jar, Frankenstein
E:      Bouncing Around the Room, Rocky Top

Note the Yamar, Antelope, YEM and Frankenstein... all in one set!!! 

Yamar-- I like it!!!  don’t want to get into it, but I like it!

Antelope -- Intro: Comes shortly after end of Yamar, Mike is very
noticeable throughout and really adds a lot of melody.  The intro is
subtle, not foreshadowing the BOOM about to kick in, but that is one of
the many ironies of this song.  Good intro overall... we fall off the nice
little, flower covered road into a grim stampede of Antelopes as...

Opening theme: Very solid and powerful entry!!! Trey is setting the tempo
with some masterful licks, but there is nothing unusual with that!!  We
roll into the...

Trill!: 2:15

Key Change to Em:  (2:19) Really nice and easy at first.  Trey stretches
with some feedback as if yawning... but then Page is there to add the
chordings.  Everything is nice up until 3:20 nothing yet, no solos,
nothing.  Page and Trey are creating this very subtle dual melody that is
really intriguing.  Page seems to start the phrase and then Trey finishes
it out... really intricate.  Trey starts to open up around 5:20 and we see
the flower unfolding.  They seem to be holding out on the brain-melting
stuff just to pace themselves and create a nice, mature build.  We see
first signs of it around 6:20 and they pass over the natural climax which
is usually second gear, and I really like that move... it shows some
maturity and control over the musical endeavor.  Trey is now ripping it up
with a whirlwind type solo that is reminiscent of many Lopes.  Fish is in
there really smacking those drums upside the head!  Page is very subtle in
this jam which is unfortunate but it is still OK.  Another climax at 8:42,
but STILL it is passed over without gear shift and this is really getting
interesting!!!!  The controlled jam is totally in Trey’s hands, and what
makes this whole thing interesting is Will they flub this version at this
point? *or* will they show a tremendous amount of authority and keep the
audience at bay until a prime moment to strike!
It looks like the later as up we go into... 

Second Gear: (9:05) here!!! I would call this a shift... but a meager one
at that... either this version is just totally without focus or this will
be the most control version I’ve heard...  At 9:45 we see another raise
but can we call it a gear shift?  I don’t think so....  Just when I was
about to call this version a flop, I hear a wonderful thing!!  The jam is
about repressing the explosion, because Trey explodes, finally!!!!!! Trill
away, my friend 10:40!!  The jam is wild and spiraling in every direction
in your mind!  A tremendous display by the whole band as we sustain a
blissful and euphoric extended...

Third Gear: (11:06)  I love it when we see the extended gear shift!!!
Ahhh... I can’t even write this down, go!! Listen for yourselves.. it is
just fabulous.  And then, as if that weren’t enough... the blasting
release after and long, strenuous repression continues for what seems like
40 seconds!!! Incredible!!!  We build until there are no more building
blocks and burst at the seams into... 

Fourth Gear! 11:15!!!!  This one just keeps going, I can’t stand it
anymore... we utterly lose control and then fall down drunk...

Pre-Marco-Groove: 11:33 ...or stoned :-)  Pretty righteous groove
happening here... ahh... What a nice break, just to sit and be.  

Ry, Ry, Racco!!  12:13
 
Happen you to have any spike,
MARCO ESQUANDOLAS: (12:30)  Ay! AY! Ay! Ay!!  from Fish to follow!!)
MAN?

High Gear Theme: 12:45  Nice and confident transition! They know what they
are doing this month, and this is no exception.  I really like it.  A
wonderful session all around from everyone.

Trey:- Set the Gear shift:  13:10  Very standard, but what do you expect?
This is a great segment to be standard with, imo. 

End:  14:00 Wow!!  tremendous rendition from a tremendous band.  This is
the peak of their maturity, imo, and I can’t believe how well executed
this version comes off.  We were starring down the barrel of a flop, it
seemed at the beginning, but then a beautiful scenario of controlled
musical maturity emerges... ahhh... so great.  So, I don’t know, call this
one what you will, I think it not *the* best but pretty damn close!

Billy Breathes to follow: again a great display of the maturity of the
band at this point... they are obviously tired, so is the crowd, they slow
it down but keep it fresh (ie, no Horse > Silent, or something).
Beautiful!!!  

Till next time friends,

--Victor Szalvay, with, as always, the help of Captain William Prichard!