From dirkch00@dons.ac.usfca.edu Fri Jun 19 12:39:30 1998
Date: Wed, 27 May 1998 19:16:36 -0700 (PDT)
From: Charles Dirksen 
Subject: 11/29/96 Cow Palace YEM

11/29/96  Cow Palace, San Francisco, CA

Thanks to the notorious Rob Clay for the D>a.

YEM's opening is standard, naturally (wouldn't it be pleasantly odd if
one time they opened a YEM with Mound's rhythm and the melody line of
Dirt, then lept into the "Nirvana" segment?).  Pre-Nirvana section is
serene as usual.  Nirvana at 3:22. Wonderful.  Mike's solo section at
4:03, and, though melodious, it doesn't sound all that chipper.
Pre-Nirvana section.  Trey's first shot at The Note is flubbed worse
than you have ever heard it flubbed.  Just awful.  Recovery ain't that
pretty either.  Trey must have broke a string.  The rest of the
pre-charge sounds very rough as a result.  Second shot at the Note is
similarly dreadful.  Trey broke a string.  And then Page doesn't stop
on time before they begin the "Charge."

One of the worst openings to YEM that I've ever heard (including early 
versions).

"Boy" at 6:35 after a powerful, frustrating, agonizing scream from
Trey.  BMGS/WUDMTF pleasantly groovy, mellow... some clavinet work
from Page between "lyrics."  Trey plays some amusing notes in here,
too, seeming to mourn the poor opening segment.  At 8:40 the tramps
section begins with a mighty YAHOO from the crowd, and signals from
Mike for the moves on the trampolines.  At 9:35 the tramps routine
ends and Trey immediately chords along with the groove driven by Page
and Fish..

Jam segment begins at around 9:50 without much fanfare.  Trey's
soloing in this version (10:40) is frankly similar to much of his 1997
funky-groove-based soloing.  Not the typical Oye Como Va melodious
lead rock star soloing schtuff he used to regularly play in YEM.  Trey
has found a melody line that he repeats every few measures of this
version, though.  A really good one, in my opinion.  He'll play the
melody line a couple times, and then chord/noodle funkily along with
the phaaaaat rhythm kicked out by Mike, Fish and Page.  Definitely A
DANCER'S YEM (not a thinker's YEM..).  At 12:35 Trey nearly teases
Rock N Roll Hootchie Koo.  Ok here we go...

At 13:04 Trey starts soloing in a more typical YEM fashion.  Mike,
Fish and Page get progressively more and more quiet.  By 14 mins or so,
Fish and Mike very, very gently and softly accompany typically melodious
Trey-noodling.   Around 14:30 Trey appears to find a theme which he
begins to repeat over and over (somewhat catchy I guess) in a low
octave.  At 15:09 we get the first taste of Oye Como Va sorts of
chords from Trey, and the jam begins to slooowly climb.  Patiently.
Melodiously, too.  Trey plays some chords aroun 15:53 which, if sped
up considerably, would sound similar to Motley Crue's "Looks That
Kill" (which only has a few chords, anyway).  I'm serious.

Anyway, the jam patiently builds in intensity.  Around 16:37 I thought
Trey might start into "Spooky" but he doesn't go there, instead
leading into an Oye Como Va-like-riff at close to 17 mins.  Around
17:37 the jam noticeably rises another level in intensity, and soon,
by 18:30 or so, the closing measures of YEM's jam segment enter the
picture.. an EXCELLENT closing jam, with powerful, repetitive licks
from Trey and forceful accompaniment from Page on piano, Mike and
Fish!!!  Great stuff!!!  Sure as HELL makes up for the poor
beginning!!! WOW!  Great really Dark around 20 minutes.. becomes a
cacaphonious mess..

Bass and Drums segment begins around 20:40 out the frightening, fading
remnants of the jam segment (which, btw, lasted around ten minutes,
i.e., an unusually long time).  Mike's melodious soloing is
thoughtfully accompanied by Fish..  Trey gets on the mini kit around
21:30.  Mike's jamming in here is quite cool, but seems a bit
directionless.  He still rips out some tasty licks..

Closing WUDTMF lyrics at 23 minutes.  They are said really quickly, and
the vocal jam begins a few seconds earlier than usual at around
23:14.  No comment on the VJ.. Total time 27:38.

This is an especially tricky YEM to rate.  The opening segment sucked, 
but the Jam Segment was around ten minutes long, which is very 
unusual.  And the jam built in intensity over this ten minutes like a 
good Hood or Slave (until the last minute or so, when the jam just 
sorta fizzled out and dissolved).  Given the Curious Beauty and 
unusual nature of this version, I refuse to rate it, and give it an 
"N/R".

two cents
charlie