https://forum.phish.net/forum/permalink/1377902421

Those who have dedicated time to listening through the various eras of Phish inevitably discern which years are their favorites. Some may love a particular month of Phish so much that they recommend shows from that month at every opportunity; they may even use a calendar page from that month as their .net avatar. For me, that favorite era is the second half of the Fall ’94 tour. If I had the opportunity to travel back in time and attend all the shows in any 30-day period of Phish tour, it would be 11/12/94 through 12/10/94.

Throughout 1994, playing a heavy touring schedule brought a refinement of the band's individual and collective musical abilities; while on the tour bus, the band was immersing their ears in Free Jazz recordings that inspired some of the most sparse and experimental performances of their career. The fact that double CD A Live One was primarily culled from this tour speaks volumes, as well as the show ratings and lists of recommended jams from this period. So what is about the show on 11/18 that makes it stand out, especially over the following 8 shows?

Well, there's a first set Page suite of Silent In The Morning, It's Ice, and Tela, then Fishman asserts himself with the snare drum during a SOAMelt that rolls over the listener in waves of sound falling like torrential rain in a tropical storm. The bluegrass segment that follows warms everyone by the fire, and Fishman brings it home with a shout and a mandolin solo. The second set is short, but the jams make me want to get in a car and drive on a highway. There's a wild Llama, a heavy-metal Bathtub Gin, a Tweezer that takes the MLB highway to the Great Divide, and a Possum where all the wrong notes seem like right ones. The Good Reverend Mosier is brought back out for a bluegrass classic and a Runaway Jim that sends everyone down the road feeling glad, glad, glad!