BathtubGinFiles #26

4/25/92 Evergreen College; Olympia, WA
   GinStats: Set II   Total Time: 7:20

The infamous 4/92 west coast shows saw such things as squirt gun
breaks, Evil King Wilson effects, lively attempts at Lively Up
Yourself, David Bowie->Catapult->David Bowie->Catapult->David Bowie,
brothers literally jumping into a 'tub, a sold-out surprise show at
the Fox Theater in Boulder, shows with Widespread Panic opening, etc.
etc.  4/25/92 Evergreen certainly has it's share of April '92 worthy
moments, including the Oye Como Va jam in Maze, the Chariots of Fire
vocal jam, and of course, a Bathtub Gin complete with typical 4/92
jamming.

Gin starts immediately after the last note of Maze and it's all Trey
doing his strut-and-strum until about 10 seconds into it when Fishman and
Mike chime in.  WARNING: Mike is feeling the funk already, folks, which
means "Watch out! Flash Gordon is about to arrive..."

Page jumps in at 0:26 unobtrusively and undermixed slightly,
 displaying his typically swinging opening-riff chops.  As always, he
 surfs here, but here he surfs lightly as if he's saying "as if."

Lyrics Segment: 0:53  Singing to the trubadors...but WAIT!! WAIT!!
 WHAT THE HELL??  MIKE (I ASSUME) IS SINGING ALONG IN A LOW, EVIL
 GROWL!!  Could this actually be the same effect Trey used for the "Evil
 King Wilson"?  They both sound alarmingly like...whatever this is,
 this is one damn StRanGe shot o' gin! Whathefuck?!?

Page Fill 1: 1:25->1:42   Choppy Rhapsodic jamming from an unstable Page
     who hesitates where he usually displays aberdashly confidence.
     Not that this is bad - it's not.  This "Fill 1" is more akin to
     most "Fill 2's" where the Rhapsody In Blue teases come in.  Here,
     it's in the first fill.
     Fill 2: 2:15->2:24      With classical cliche trills, but nothing
     too exciting...quick.  Not much of a shadow of Rhapsody in Blue,
     but certainly an allusion to classical playing.

FAUCET: 2:40  Slightly botched as always, but only noticeably and
 hence, only to Gin conniseurs...other than that, it sounds fine, as is
 to be expected.

SINGING W/THE FAUCET: 3:21 You can hear Trey wants the water flowing
 already, but he's showing restrain...he's dying to bust out though,
 you can just feel it.  The second time through this, there's no doubt
 about it....now they're just getting sILLy, illyS, llySi, silly..

WATER FROM THE FAUCET: I'm gonna call it at 4:38, but it actually
  already started a little earlier witht the singing section.  5:00ish
  Trey is all ready to let the evil side show through, and he does
  with red-and-black vigilance.  But then, as if to say, "Fooled you!" he
  quickly returns for a 5:15 CFL, some 'doc yodels, yodeling and rolling
  around, followed by yet another return to the CFL, this seems to go on
  like this, back and forth between Satanic Verses and Classic Faucet
  Lick/Themes.

  Then at 5:59 a change in tempo leads to a quick area of
  tension, released with a return to the normal CFT jamming, WOW this is
  breathtaking!   A quick build around 6:35 leads to another unleashing
  of the CFL, and then right before 7:00 they do this again...damn, is
  it me or is it getting hot in here?  Mike starts the...

"BATHTUB GIN" REFRAIN: around 7:00, a little earlier I think. The rest
  of the band jams away regardless at breakneck ferocity but certainly
  not carelessness.  The refraining leads inevitably to the final sung,
  "Bathtub Gin" when, as always, it

ENDS.  This time at 7:20, abruptly, on-target and together, although they
  never had a "wrap-up" or a "wind-down" - energy was scintillating
  from the stage up until the last second.  A quick pause for breath and
  then YEM starts up.

Wow!

Rating:
89 Proof

Sure, time wise this Gin was not the monster we think of when we think
of, say, 8/93 or 11/96 Gins, but the jamming within these seven
minutes is exquisite, seamless and pure refreshment! Opening is
standard, Page's solos are a little below average but not unpleasant
or anything like that, vocal section is perhaps the most unique I've
ever heard it, and the Water From The Faucet flows refreshingly.

Everclear is a brand-name grain alcohol.
Evergreen is now a brand-name Bathtub Gin.
Both of them are potent.  So be careful with 'em, kids...
 

Unlike driving though, be my guest to drink gin and

Walk with light at the same time, my friends,
(the two are complimentary to each other)

Wine and cheese,
Benjy