Live Trax Vol. 20

In my opinion, this is easily one of the best Live Trax released to date. There’s a tentativeness to parts of the show, but at the same time, explosive energy throughout. I find it fascinating. The setlist is great, and also unusual, even by 1993 standards. With the exception of SATELLITE and a bit of ANTS, Dave’s voice isn’t Kermit-like; it’s almost as if he’s singing from 1995 and 1996 when everything else about the show is from 1993. Is Warren’s appearance at this show the greatest guest spot in the band’s history? I think there’s a really good argument to be made as TRUE, NANCIES, and BLUE WATER all have a claim to being the best-ever performances of those songs. BLUE WATER in particular is a kind of musical exploration and masterpiece that, quite frankly, the band hasn’t delivered many times since. It is, in my opinion, a top-5 live performance across their history. As an aside, the Almanac says this show was the first time Warren guested, but Dave clearly says at the start of WATCHTOWER they’ve played it with him before. Other highlights include SEEK UP (what’s the deal with these lyrics about pancakes?); TRIPPING, which has the craziest drumming I may have ever heard from Carter; and BEST to close, my favorite song and a damn good performance. It was 1993 and they were using stage monitors, so there are bits of feedback scattered throughout the recording that I guess they couldn’t or chose not to remove during mixing. That’s hardly a knock on this release, but it takes that much nitpicking to find something not 100% positive to say about it. It’s stellar and a treat to listen to over and over again.