JEMP

Phish follow up their archival Chicago ‘94 release with another venue-specific pairing of shows from the county fairgrounds in Ventura, Calif. Neither of these previously overlooked shows were high on the fanboy wish-list meter – or even radar – which makes them perfect for the plucking. It’s a gift to collectors: a summer 1997 vintage and a summer 1998 reserve, both of which prove worthy of the box-set treatment.

The highlights here are obvious: “David Bowie” > “Cities” > “David Bowie” takes the easy gold, while a 22-minute “Bathtub Gin” is also an instant breadwinner. But perhaps the package’s biggest reward comes in the revelations that occur when you bundle two shows from two consecutive years together. There’s the overt, such as the two radically different arrangements of “Water in the Sky.” Then, there are the hidden treasures: Listen to both versions of “Prince Caspian.” Despite fan resistance, by 1997, the song had become a legitimate showpiece, complete with a “constructed jam” segment. But it’s the shred-friendly, 12-minute version from the 1998 show where the song truly takes flight (Exhibits A and B).

Also of note are the two sound checks. Pay close enough attention and you can hear some of the reggae-centric themes of the 1997 sound check infiltrate that night’s jams. (Subtly, of course.) Meanwhile, the 1998 sound check stands on its own, as the band spoofs Shocking Blue’s “Venus” (made popular in the 1980s by Bananarama) in an affectedly apathetic tone. Like the shows themselves, it’s pretty damn classic.