Subject:11/11/88 Stone Church YEM
   Date: Sat, 4 Apr 1998 09:07:30 -0800 (PST)
   From:   Charlie Dirksen 

11/11/88 Stone Church, Newmarket, NH

Missing the first 45 or so seconds of this Mike's Song.  My copy cuts 
into the "Me No Are No Nice Guy" lyrics.  Low gen copy though, so 
quality isn't that bad (thanks Keith).  My timings will be rough for 
the most part.

Unlike many older versions, Trey rips out soloing at the beginning of 
the "tramps" section.  There's not the usual 40 second or so wait, and 
the subsequent off-key, bizarre, erie soloing from Trey, in other 
words.  Trey's soloing is still pretty rote, until a couple minutes 
in, when he starts steadily climbing his 'doc in a frightening 
fashion.  His guitar doesn't sound quite on key for this tune though, 
and, like all these old shows, it doesn't really blend with Page's 
keyboard all that well.  Trey's soloing picks up in intensity, but 
doesn't become more skillful as I hear it.  Closing Mike's Song 
chords around 6 minutes in.  Performed fine.

Hydrogen sounds ok for an old version, but again, Trey's guitar just
doesn't sound quite right. Trey gets a little improvisational in the
Hydrogen for a second, and it sounds a bit rough as a result..

Weekapaug kicks in around 8:40ish.  It is a good 'ole Weekapaug, but
certainly no highly impressive lead soloing from Trey. He gets a bit
more active about 13 minutes in, but this is par for Weekapaug.  Even
older versions.  Closing chords come in around 13:45, and that's all
folks.  Total time approximately 15 minutes.

I wasn't planning to review this old version (I usually only -- 
nowadays -- review pre-1997 versions of Mikes, YEM and Tweezer if 
someone tells me to and/or if they kick ass).  But I read Jeff 
Salvatore's comments in Volume IV of the Pharmers Almanac (which 
appear under the setlist of this show) and thought that I had better 
listen to it again more carefully.

And well, Jeff, unless the opening is over 15 minutes long before the 
"Me No Are No Nice Guy" lyrics come in, which would set a Mike'sGroove 
record for Longest Opening, this version is nowhere close to "a 
half-hour long."  Thanks for getting me excited about a rather blah 
old version. (!) Serves me right, I guess.  But you're right about the 
show as a whole.  Bold As Love is definitely worth checking out (and 
hey Andy/Lock, that's Russ Remington on tenor sax for the encores, not 
Carl; Carl played earlier;  also, that "Jazz tune" is I think called 
Mr. PC and is a Coltrane cover, although I'm not 100% sure).

two cents
charlie