http://drygoods.phish.com/Product.aspx?cp=773_61389&pc=PH165COMBO
All new 6-CD box set featuring two complete live shows, recorded July 30, 1997 and July 20, 1998 at Ventura County Fairgrounds in Ventura, California, a general admission dirt racetrack between the Pacific Coast Highway and Surfers Point Park. Bits of the each show's Soundchecks are included at the end of both shows.
The new box set was fully remixed from the band's multitrack masters and mastered for release. July 30, 1997 was Phish's first Ventura stop since Trey learned to surf nearby in 1993. The show featured a number of must-hear performances including a bass-driven, syncopated "Wolfman's Brother" > "Chalk Dust Torture", a deep and spacey "Stash" and "Character Zero" in Set I. A "Free" > "David Bowie" > "Cities" > "David Bowie" combination dominated the show's second half with some of the summer's biggest jams.
On July 20, 1998 Phish again encountered Ventura's breezy oceanside. Ventura '98 was characterized by some new songs and some bustouts. The first set included a "Bathtub Gin" opener, a new arrangement of "Water In The Sky", the swinging funk of "The Moma Dance" and a "Split Open And Melt" Set I closer. Set II exploded with a bass-and-drums-fueled "Drowned" > "Makisupa Policeman" pairing that utilized Page's synth stylings to seamlessly blend rock and reggae. "Maze" led to a perfectly placed "Sea And Sand".
Everyone who pre-orders "Ventura" from Phish Dry Goods will receive "Buenaventura", a bonus CD featuring ten tracks handpicked from Phish's March 21, 1993 Ventura Theatre show, while supplies last.
Disc 1
1. NICU
2. Wolfman’s Brother
3. Chalk Dust Torture
4. Water In The Sky
5. Stash
6. Weigh
7. Piper
8. Cars Trucks Buses
9. Character Zero
Disc 2
1. Punch You In The Eye
2. Free
3. David Bowie
4. Cities
5. David Bowie
Disc 3
1. Bouncing Around The Room
2. Uncle Pen
3. Prince Caspian
4. Fire
5. My Soul
6. Ventura ’97 Soundcheck Jam
Disc 4
1. Bathtub Gin
2. Dirt
3. Poor Heart
4. Lawn Boy
5. My Sweet One
6. Birds Of A Feather
7. Theme From The Bottom
8. Water In The Sky
9. The Moma Dance
10. Split Open And Melt
Disc 5
1. Drowned
2. Makisupa Policeman
3. Maze
4. Sea And Sand
5. Prince Caspian
6. Harry Hood
Disc 6
1. Sexual Healing
2. Hold Your Head Up
3. Halley’s Comet
4. Ventura ’98 Soundcheck Jam
The site of the Ventura County Fairgrounds shows was a general
admission dirt racetrack between the Pacific Coast Highway and
Surfers Point Park; with palm trees and mountains behind the
stage and a view of the Pacific Ocean from the bleachers.
July 30, 1997 was Phish’s first Ventura stop since Trey
learned to surf nearby in 1993, and both the 1997 and 1998
Ventura Fairgrounds setlists were laced with coastal themes
referencing the scenic locale. Ventura ‘97 featured a number
of must-hear performances including a bass-driven, syncopated
Wolfman’s Brother > Chalk Dust Torture, a deep and spacey
Stash and a gnarly Character Zero in set I. Peak
improvisation of the highest order defined set II with a Free
> David Bowie > Cities > David Bowie combination that
dominated the show’s second half with some of the summer’s
biggest jams. Add in Weigh (played just twice that summer),
the first West Coast Piper and a blazing cover of Jimi
Hendrix’s Fire and the result was a steaming cauldron of
patient funk and cacophonous shredding that defined summer
1997 Phish.
On July 20, 1998 Phish again encountered Ventura’s breezy
oceanside. Ventura ’98 was characterized by some new songs,
some bustouts and some wicked jams played with a democratic
group-mind that conjured a stellar Bathtub Gin opener, a new
arrangement of Water In The Sky, the swinging funk of The Moma
Dance and a hairy Split Open And Melt set I closer. Set II
exploded with a crucial bass-and-drums-fueled Drowned >
Makisupa Policeman pairing that utilized Page’s synth stylings
to seamlessly blend rock and reggae. A concentrated Maze led
to a perfectly placed, self-referential Sea And Sand - played
for the first time since 12/31/95 and only the third time
ever. An inspired Prince Caspian carved the way into the Harry
Hood set II closer. The encore was the Phish debut of Sexual
Healing as Trey played drums and Fish, to the crowd’s delight,
sang Marvin Gaye’s tale of capsizing in rising waves of love.
A funky, experimental Halley’s Comet capped the show as the
band left the stage one-by-one to waves of digital delay that
swept the beachside fairgrounds.
The Ventura box set captures the feel of two magical nights of
Phish - recorded by Paul Languedoc to multitrack tape, mixed
by Jon Altschiller and mastered by Fred Kevorkian. Jams from
the soundchecks were included at the end of both shows for a
glimpse behind the scenes. This collection is a summer
soundtrack that just gets better with every listen.
Enjoy!
--kevin shapiro (Phish's archivist)