Jimi Hendrix’s Band of Gypsys: Perfect for Phish Halloween 2013

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I have been doing a lot of listening and analyzing lately. I’ve spent time combing over Phish’s recent summer tour. I’ve compared all of the previous Halloween shows, from The Beatles ’94 to Little Feat 2010. I’ve tried to pull out any teases or clues as to what they could possibly play this year in Atlantic City.

Even with all of the rumors swirling around — Graceland, Chocolate & Cheese, Hunky Dory — I still just have no idea what Phish is going to play.

Personally, I would really like to hear them play Band of Gypsys, the live album released by the band Jimi Hendrix put together after he disbanded the Jimi Hendrix Experience. I think it’s perfect for 2013 Phish. Hendrix himself called it a “jam” album. The entire LP is fused together by complex guitar and bass melodies that weave in and out of each other in psychedelic harmony. It’s raw, dark, mind-bending Rock & Roll at its finest. Incredible drumming by Buddy Miles and passionate bass playing by Billy Cox. Tons of raw energy. Seems like an album the whole band could really get behind.

The official LP track listing lends itself well to a Phish Halloween set. The songs are all of reasonable length and the deep compositional sections all give way to potentially incredible jam launching pads. With a total running time of 45 minutes and 48 seconds, Phish could break-out some really intense improvisational work throughout the entire album. This could be legendary.

Jimi Hendrix’s Band of Gypsys, Official LP Track Listing:

1. Who Knows 9:39
2. Machine Gun 12:41
3. Changes 5:14
4. Power to Love 6:58
5. Message to Love 5:26
6. We Gotta Live Together 5:50

Previous Phish Musical Costumes:

1994: The Beatles, The White Album
1995: The Who, Quadrophenia
1996: Talking Heads, Remain In Light
1998: The Velvet Underground, Loaded
1998: Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon (unofficial)
2009: The Rolling Stones, Exile On Main St.
2010: Little Feat, Waiting For Columbus
2013: Jimi Hendrix, Band of Gypsys?

A guy can dream.

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