One of the all-time most cherished and unusual Phish shows
The Delite Rancher | Phoenix, Arizona | 12/01/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I've had an audience version of 2/20/93 as a cherished part of my tape collection since the mid 90s. The Pharmer's Almanac rated it as Phan Pick #3 and I couldn't agree more. Since 2/20/93 (Saturday night) has long been one of those mystical and exalted sparklers, it's a good place for a review to begin. The second set is especially spectacular in an unusual way. Many of the band's songs reference other Phish songs. In addition to 'Mike's Song' featuring a 'Tweezer' bass line, it contains a nod to 'Fluffhead.' It is one of those epic shows that boasts a 'Tweezer' that lasts the duration of the set. Except instead of a straight up 'Tweezer,' it became a monster jam that segued in and out of mini-versions of 'My Mind's Got A Mind Of Its Own,' 'Vibration Of Life,' 'Have Mercy' and many others. The most memorable tune of the thread occurred when Gene Simmons impersonator Jay Von Lehe came out to sing a minute long version of the KISS song 'Rock And Roll All Night.' While the second night is the blockbuster that easily could have been a Live Phish release by itself, the previous and following nights are also a blast. The Friday night show features one of those 'David Bowies' that played 'Moby Dick' bookends. It was Jon Fishman's birthday and unbeknownst to listeners is that he is at one point presented with a Public Enemy style clock. Jimmy Herring (Aquarium Rescue Unit, Phil and Phriends, etc.) plays for a few tunes, but his musical impact is minimal. The first night is a wonderful show that tends to get overshadowed by the next evening's blockbuster. The last two discs of "At the Roxy" feature the Sunday night performance. The last night is wonderful by most standards, but a typical show for the period. The oddity for the evening was the inclusion of local boy Jeff Mosier (Aquarium Rescue Unit, Blueground Undergrass). Joining the band for the debut of 'Pig in a Pen,' he plays banjo on a few tunes. The weekend gave a final nod to Zeppelin with a memorable bluegrass infused rendition of 'Good Times Bad Times.' It seems that the band connected with Mosier, because he toured with Phish the following year and became the band's Bluegrass mentor. On all eight discs, the sound quality is superb. Those who ordered "At the Roxy" from the Phish web page also received a bonus disc of the previous year's performance from Atlanta's Variety Playhouse. As memory serves me, it's the only official release that features an explanation of the secret language. While short, 3/28/92 is a good show that is now marketed as the Roxy prequel. As the story goes, the band couldn't do a full second set since the club was flooded. Before packing up, Phish promised to return to Atlanta with something special. Indeed, the following year's string of Roxy shows proved to be an epic and cherished chapter of Phishlore. Get "At the Roxy" and enjoy a beloved piece of Phishistory."
Wonderful shows, poor package.
Luca Mazzocchi | Bergamo, Italy | 12/25/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Hello, this is my first review on Amazon.com. I live in Italy but i'm in love with Phish since the mid of the '90s and this was my Xmas gift and I'm very happy to hear those shows in a brilliant sound. 1993 is a great period for the band and those gigs are great!! The only disappoint thing, for me, it's the package: 8 paper sleeves with only a 2 page "booklet" and it was a VERY expensive bought for me (about 60 Euros). Well, ok, they are 8 discs but the packaging is 2$ expensive for the band. Uhm. Anyway, great great great great shows !"
Disappointing
Mark D. Berg | Brentwood, CA | 11/22/2008
(3 out of 5 stars)
"I am a huge Phish fan. Seen dozens of shows, have most of the Live series.
This package does not do it for me. The sound quality is mediocre. The packaging is annoying. I do not believe the first show is good at all. The last two are much better, and it's Phish, which is why I can come up with three stars. With all the good Phish offerings out there I would say to leave this one alone."
Track Listings (8) - Disc #1