Stream This | Phish Amsterdam Box Set

1997 was a year of great change for Phish. The band introduced over a dozen new songs to their repertoire with such instant classics as “Ghost,” “Limb By Limb” and “Vultures” among them. Jamming-wise, Phish explored more spacey and funky motifs than they had in prior years and also became more inventive with their segues. All of the elements that make 1997 one of the best years in Phish history can be heard on the quartet’s just released box set Amsterdam which features three complete shows from that year performed at Paradiso in…you guessed it -Amsterdam.

Phish Amsterdam contains 49 songs spanning over eight hours. Sonically, it stands among the best sounding Phish releases yet. Among the highlights from the Vermonters’ performances on February 17, 1997 as well as July 1 and 2, 1997 are lengthy takes on “Ghost,” “Stash” and “Mike’s Song” plus an inventive “Down With Disease” sequence and the “back on the worm” antics from the summer shows.

The new box set is currently available through most music retailers as well as subscription services including Spotify. Listen:

Tracklist

Disc 1
1. Soul Shakedown Party > (4:49)
2. Divided Sky (13:32)
3. Wilson > (4:44)
4. My Soul (5:13)
5. Guyute (10:13)
6. Timber (Jerry) > (7:05)
7. Billy Breathes (6:56)
8. Llama (4:02)
9. Bathtub Gin > (13:03)
10. Golgi Apparatus (4:57)

Disc 2
1. The Squirming Coil > (10:17)
2. Down With Disease > (18:18)
3. Carini > (21:26)
4. Taste > (6:34)
5. Down With Disease > (1:24)
6. Suzy Greenberg > (6:19)
7. Prince Caspian (8:17)

Disc 3
1. Sleeping Monkey > (5:56)
2. Rocky Top (3:01)
3. Ghost (22:26)
4. Horn (4:06) 5. Ya Mar (10:00)

Disc 4
1. Limb By Limb > (12:43)
2. Ain’t Love Funny (4:44)
3. Saw It Again (7:08)
4. Dirt (4:29)
5. Reba (17:21)
6. Dogs Stole Things (5:25)

Disc 5
1. Fish Keyboard Jam > (3:18)
2. Timber (Jerry) > (8:16)
3. Bathtub Gin > (14:32)
4. Cities (24:37)
5. Loving Cup > (6:07)
6. Slave To The Traffic Light (12:29)
7. When The Circus Comes (5:27)

Disc 6
1. Mike’s Song > (10:15)
2. Simple > (12:03)
3. Maze (13:49)
4. Strange Design (3:21)
5. Ginseng Sullivan (3:25)
6. Vultures (6:18)
7. Water In The Sky > (2:47)
8. Weekapaug Groove (13:39)

Disc 7
1. Stash > (30:47)
2. Llama > (5:39)
3. Wormtown Jam > (7:15)
4. Wading In The Velvet Sea (8:15)

Disc 8
1. Free (12:45)
2. David Bowie (16:11)

Setlists (via Phish.net)

February 17, 1997 Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Set One: Soul Shakedown Party[1], Divided Sky, Wilson > My Soul, Guyute, Timber (Jerry) > Billy Breathes, Llama, Bathtub Gin > Golgi Apparatus

Set Two: The Squirming Coil -> Down with Disease -> Carini[2] -> Taste -> Down with Disease > Suzy Greenberg > Prince Caspian

Encore: Sleeping Monkey > Rocky Top

[1] Phish debut.
[2] Debut.


July 1, 1997 Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Set One: Ghost[1], Horn, Ya Mar[1], Limb By Limb -> Ain’t Love Funny, Saw It Again[1], Dirt, Reba, Dogs Stole Things

Set Two: Jam[2] -> Timber (Jerry) > Bathtub Gin -> Cities -> Jam[1], Loving Cup > Slave to the Traffic Light

Encore: When the Circus Comes

[1] “Worm” banter.
[2] The second set began with a Fish piano solo that evolved into a jam, as the rest of the band eventually joined the stage and Fish moved to his drum kit.

 
July 2, 1997 Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Set One: Mike’s Song > Simple -> Maze, Strange Design, Ginseng Sullivan, Vultures, Water in the Sky > Weekapaug Groove

Set Two: Stash -> Llama -> Wormtown Jam[1] -> Wading in the Velvet Sea

Encore: Free

Encore Two: David Bowie

[1] Narration sung to the tune of Swingtown. Trey warned fans about the “killer worms” that inhabit the canals of Amsterdam.