Subject: Drinking 11/3/89 Gin, in the Tree House
Date: Sat, 8 Feb 1997 02:26:03 -0500 (EST)
From: benjy eisen
BathtubGinFiles #9 11/3/89 Tree House Cafe; Portland,
ME
GinStats: Set I Time: 5:41 The ending drum-roll of Fly
Famous Mockingbird rolls right into Bathtub Gin. After 0:15 (where Page
normally comes in), there's a split-second pause before Trey repeats the
intro. (This is not a false-start...he's merely extending it.) Fish adds
an especially nice cowbell-and-cymbal romp. LOOK! Fish wants to be a Cowgirl!
HaHaHa! :) Page jumps in at a late 0:25 'till a subsequently late 0:56
First just by putting his feet in the tub, before retreating to the Rhapsody
in Blue quotes...but then he decides to let it Sliiide all up and in way
only at impending down a that hints his insanity... Lyrics Segment Begins:
0:56 Page Fill 1: 1:27->1:43 Wow! Page is a twisted demented dirty old-man
who interjects choppy chording that makes me want to twist my body into
ways never intended... Twitch-inducing! Fill 2: 2:15->2:23 A li'l more
smooth, Rhapsody oriented playing from Page who's now trying to put us
back together again. But all the King's horses, and all the Kings men...fuck
it, we're dealing with the Jester! FAUCET: 2:38. A bit shakey at first,
but instead of trying to play it off like that, Trey for once just tries
harder, and by the third take we have one of the cleanest, close-to-perfect
run-throughs of the Classic Faucet Lick that I can recall hearing in quite
some time! SINGING W/The Faucet: 3:18 Flawless!!!!!!! I really mean that!
This is the closest I've heard to studio-worthy perfection in this part...if
this were a studio, they *might* overdub one or two MILLIseconds of it...it's
really that clean. WATER From The Faucet: 4:31 by typically extending the
last note of the CFL, playing around with it, but not really straying from
it. In the 4:40's Trey starts quietly singing along with his 'doc, both
melodiously in the lower-end of things, but harmonically it's a Faucet
Theme. As is typical for this era, before it really has a chance to get
"out there" Mike comes in with his "Bathtub Gin" refrains starting at 4:59.
Trey continues regardless, marginally jamming the CFL. **(By the way the
difference between the Classic Faucet Lick and the Classic Faucet Theme
is that CFL implies a virtual note-for-note whereas CFT describes a jam
"derived" from those notes.)** It's not too long at all before he gives
in, conceding with Mike and then joining him for the final "Bathtub GIN!"
which brings this to a halt at the 5:41 END. The set goes on to better
things, such as a Clod->Bundle Of Joy->YEM. As for this Bathtub Gin however:
We barely were able to get wet, let alone wash our backs. But alas, such
was typical for this tune at this time. One of the reasons I'm reviewing
it to begin with, is because it has a fascinating history, starting off
as a tune that's about as jammed as a Character Zero or a Theme... (with
just slightly more variation...but only slightly.) and look at it now...80,
90, 100 Proof GINS that can be DEADLY. On 11/3/89 though Rating: 61
Proof It would have actually been maybe a whole 10 points lower than
that, had it not been for its incredibly smooth CFL and subsequent Singing
with... I must add however that this tape (Tree House Cafe, 11/3/89) was
the very first Phish show that I ever had. It was this and Carleton College
Set I, I believe. Needless to say, at the time I enjoyed this Gin immensely...which
only goes to show that a 61 Proof is still 61 Proof...for people who have
built up a tolerance, by say, drinking 12/5/95, 12/29/95, 8/13/93, etc.
it might be a quick bottoms-up, but a novice will still catch a buzz...
Walk with light my friends, Benjy