, attached to 1998-10-31

Review by Midcoaster

Midcoaster I can't get enough of this show. Actually, I can say that about most 1998 ambient jams, but I've always been a huge Velvet Underground fan, too. This would have been THE Halloween of all for me to see. I mean, there's not a one of them that I would "look in the mouth," if you know what I mean. This one, however, is special.

@waxbanks is the scholar of all this ooey-gooey stuff a la 97/98, and if you haven't read his book A Tiny Space to Move and Breathe, run right out and grab it. He does a better job describing the evolution of these sounds than anyone. That said, I'm surprised that no one ever really mentions how Trey leans on a certain progression from Traffic's "Low Spark" after the roughly 25:30-minute mark. It's subtle, and it could be that I'm just hearing jammy Venn diagramming, but I do hear it. Perhaps it's more the Phil Lesh Quintet-style "Low Spark" than the original, but it's there and provides Trey structure.

The "Howling Wolf," as I like to call it, is a masterpiece of ooey-gooey psychedelic ambience, and I love how it turns up in mixes like Curt Lyon's "Clouds" or "Sunken Caves." It really is something special. But to add in VU (exceptionally well played) and a tremendous first set, and it's tailor made (for me). I even think the weird (some say epic fail) end of Ghost adds to the mystery of this most moody of the Halloweens.


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