Customer Reviews

Live Phish Vol. 16: 10/31/98, Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

so many people seem to write with such expert conviction on what is a good phish show and what isn't, the bottom line is that it's all what you like. the long history of the band and their willingness to follow creative impulse inherently spans so many different musical approaches it's nearly impossible for everyone to like everything. now i'm not one of those people who went to 50 shows or spent half of my life on tour but i've seen more than a couple, listened to more than my fair share of recordings and just about all of the official live releases to date, and i listen to a hell of a lot more than just phish and other bands they're typically grouped into a genre with. this one is good. the 'loaded' set, in my opinion, is fantastic - not necisarily earth shattering but i'd like to ask the naysayers out there this: what else do you want? it's tight, the band is obviously having fun, and it's pretty rockin'. not every single version of every song is going to blow your mind every single time - that's live music for you. the rest of the show is solid too, and the filler, as one other reviewer says, would not be included if it wasn't great. definitely buy this one if you're a fan of both phish and the velvet underground, and don't hesitate if you're just a phish fan, this is a damn good show and a damn good set. not 5 stars, that distinction is reserved for a select few shows/albums, but definitely recomended.

Don't Listen to the people who say this show is mind-blowing, there's a lot better Phish shows out there. Its just a solid show.

The first set is the best part of Live 16 for me. Just look at the setlist. Punch You in the Eye, Birds of a Feather, Sneakin Sally Through the Alley, Chalkdust Torture, Mike's Song, and Weekapaug Groove were all done well.

I was a little dissapointed with Disc 2, but keep in mind, Im not that big of a velvet underground fan. They just didnt seem on for a lot of their jams. The 14 minute Rock & Roll was a huge letdown. There was still some good ones like Head Held High, and Lonesome Cowboy Bill.

Set 3 wasnt Phish at its finest either. I didnt really like this version of Wolfman's Brother, I dont mind the length of it at all, it just didnt have enough happening. The highlight of this set for me is Piper, everything else was just alright.

I dont really feel like commenting on the filler; its a filler, there not going to put something bad in the filler.

Altogether i guess i would call this an average phish show. Gets 4 stars compared to music in general and 3 stars compared to other phish.

I am a new Phish fan, and this is the first time I've ever heard them live. Sets 1 and 4 are probably my favorites, especially the guitar on Sneakin' Sally. Set 3 is slower with the 30+ minute Wolfman's Brother, but it never gets boring. At first I was skeptical about set 2 since it's a cover of an entire album, but it turned out to be just as good as the other sets. I would recommend this to a new fan-- it definitely got me hooked on the live series.

This is an good Live Phish release, a highlight in the series. The Loaded cover on disc two is great, especially Sweet Jane and Rock and Roll. Now disc highlights:

DISC ONE:

Roggae- This is my favorite track on disc one. The jamming is exceptional one this one.

Birds of a Feather- Great guitar playing by Trey here.

Chalk Dust Torture- Always a good song done live, and this version has some good Jerry-like soloing at the end. Not as good as A Live One's though.

DISC 2:

Sweet Jane: The song starts out like Lou Reed's version but has a nice jam tacked onto it after the first few verses are sung.

Rock and Roll: Treys guitar leads the musical interplay here, but all musicans play well.

DISC 3:

Wolfmans Brother: Very long, and a good ambient sounding jam in the middle which lasts around 20 minutes. Better aided by THC, but still a great track.

Piper: Directly after Wolfmans Brother, good track.

DISC 4:

Run Like an Antelope: It's always good to see this song on any live Phish release and this one is no exeption.

Tweezer: Although not as long as some, that is a good thing, because the jamming here is kept at a listenable lenth. A good version of Tweezer.

Prince Caspian: This is my favorite track on this disc. I like how the lyrics are sung and the jam that follows.

Halloween '98 was a real treat, anyone who says otherwise has had a little too much you know what. The four disks add up to be like 4 hours, and 56 minutes. That is by far the most music you'll get on a live phish...even more than Hampton Comes Alive (both shows, i do believe). The first three disks are all from the Halloween night and all are great in their own right.

The first disk is filled with several rocking tunes including my favorite Axilla, Good Sneakin' Sally, and very tight Mikes Groove. The second disk is the Loaded set. Phish does a good job covering it for the most part. Some backing vocals are missing and rawness is tainted, but the jamming makes up for that. I especially like Rock & Roll, New Age, and all of the last four songs. Trey is hot the whole set and so is Jon.

The third disk is probably the least accessable. You get a 30 minute Wolfman's that contains a heck of a lot of ambiant jamming. I personally love it. The Piper is okay, not spectacular. The Ghost is very short but very tight. The encore's are both really crowd pleasing as well, great Tweeprize and Sleeping Monkey.

The forth disk is from the night before, the Antelope the first set, the rest is the second. I love this disk perhaps the most. The Antelope is the best I have ever heard. The rest is all very well played and extremely laid back with a killer Manteca>Tweezer and very cool NICU jam. The Driver is very nice and the Free Bird is a must hear. It sorta loses its magic after many listens but it still is incredible.

Overall, this is a great buy with you only paying like 6 bucks an hour of music. The costume set is second only to the Talking Heads. And finally, the filler is awesome so whatever people say, this is a great collection.

I am new fan and have only been enjoying their music for the last year. I have not finished the complete set but have listened to the "Costume" set a couple of times and I am very very impressed. I have been a fan of the original "Loaded for over 20 years and this is a gorgeous cover - especially Rock and Roll, Sweet Nuthin and Train comin round the bend - buy it for this set alone

I don't really see why people have a problem with this show. I think it's great. The setlist is pretty flawless, and the velvet underground album is a great addition to the "musical costumes" phish have "worn" over the years. The filler from from the night before makes this a must-own.

This album is fantastic! This is one of my favorite CD's! - I listen to it all the time. The guitar work on Birds of a Feather and on the jam after Tweezer is reminiscent of John McLaughlin and Mahavishnu Orchestra. It seems that Trey can keep up with the best of them. This performance really shows off the depth of talent that these musicians have. If you are new to Phish I would definitely recommend this one, and it is a must have for all true Phans.

I never thought I'd say this, but some of these Velvet classics sound better than the originals. Being a long time VU and Lou Reed fan, I just had to buy this set. I felt like I was hearing the Loaded songs for the first time. I listened to all four CDs and I am now a Phish Phan!!

I am a long time phish fan and have listened to almost all of their stuff, and by far this is one of their best live albums. Its packed with classics Axilla, Punch you in the Eye, and birds of a feather and mikes song plus 3 cds more! This even comes with a special filler with a 15 minute tweezer. Its a great CD and if your new to Phish or if your a long time fan and dont have this in your collection... buy it... its worth your money. New phish listeners this live cd shows off their amazing talent and has all the esentials.