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!