Hear Phish Work ‘Possum’ Into Powerhouse Funk Jam In Preview Of ‘The Spectrum ‘97’ Box Set

Phish‘s Fall Tour 1997 was among the best in the band’s history and one of the many high points of the trek came on December 2 and 3 with a two-night stand in Philadelphia featured on the forthcoming The Spectrum '97 box set. The quartet unveiled the outrageous “Possum” > “Philly ’97 Jam” > “Prince Caspian” from the 3rd in advance of the six-CD collection’s release on March 15.

“Possum,” one of the band’s earliest originals, was penned by original member Jeff Holdsworth before he left Phish in 1986. Over 500 versions have been played live since the first known version on September 27, 1985. While “Possum” isn’t known for birthing improvisation, an exception came at The Spectrum on December 3, 1997. The final notes of the song gave way to a spectacular funk jam that displayed the “cow funk” style prominent in the era.

JamBase paid tribute to the legendary excursion with the Remembering Phish Fall Tour 1997 series of retrospective essays. Michael Cirrito detailed the 30-minute sequence from the final set of the run in his look back at the December 3 concert, writing:

“Possum” is flawlessly executed with all gusto of this era. After an extended tension and release climax it morphs into an unidentified funk jam that is among the top five moments I witnessed that fall. I recall at the time people calling this jam “Green Eyed Mary,” though the name never stuck. In some ways, the space the band finds here is a reprise of where they were in the heart of “Drowned” in set one. But this is not as straight forward as a “Tube” reprise. Is it a fully composed song? A proto song? Or just a band with telekinetic improv skills who can create music on the spot that sounds like they’ve been it playing it for years? Whatever the case, this jam is an eight-minute demonstration of Phish at their cow funk superpower peak. Eventually, the groove slows and gives way to “Prince Caspian.” Well-executed with lightning fast soloing and a rhythmic jam closing climax, “Caspian” delivers.

The Spectrum ’97 box set is comprised of official audio from both shows as well as bonus soundcheck tracks. Jon Altschiller freshly mixed and Fred Kevorkian mastered the original multitrack recordings taped by former Phish sound engineer Paul Languedoc. Phish previously shared a pairing of “Ghost” and “Divided Sky” played on December 2, 1997 and the “Gumbo” delivered on December 3, 1997 from The Spectrum ’97.

Pre-orders for The Spectrum ’97 are currently underway via Dry Goods. Stream the “Possum” > “Philly ’97 Jam” > “Prince Caspian” laid down on December 3, 1997, below:

Phish performed the second show of Phish: Riviera Maya 2024 in Mexico last night. The event continues tonight and wraps up on Saturday. Watch livestreams of both concerts via LivePhish.com.