1. Charlie, coming from a dude who geeked out on your recaps, etc. for hours back when I had to walk a mile to the public library to use the internet for an hour a day...you don't need to make excuses for your opinions. You've earned respect in this community whether people agree with you or not.

2. It must take a wealth of insecurities for a cat to come on here and belittle your writing abilities while he keeps picking at the same nits ad nauseum. For the record, you both swing uber-contrarian, and we get the picture. Hope you're not thinking you're CONVINCING anyone of anything.

3. I respectfully disagree with the notion that Phish is not demonstrably better this year than in 2010. Last fall was largely straightforward, rock-out material a la Little Feat with a few improvisational highlights. Trey was much sloppier, less creative and less prone to laying down textural motifs or approachable melodic themes for Mike and Page to take part in. Page was timid and generally stuck to tried and true pathways, rarely taking the lead or pushing interesting counterpoints. Mike was awesome as always.

This year, they're listening to each other much more consistently. Page has awoken from a slumber. They are taking chances, pushing and pulling each other and moving as one mind much better and much more often (aside from the obvious mid-tour type-2 lull) than ever before in 3.0. I'd argue that the best jams of this tour rank with the best of any tour. Would not say the same about 2010.

Yes, Trey is still abandoning jams too soon. Yes, Fishman still often has blinders on and has to be dragged kicking and screaming from the prescribed jam structure. Maybe I just like the full-band boundary pushing more, but to say that there was as much OF it last fall is absurd (yes, I'll give you 1/1/11). There was more of it last summer than last fall, but not as sweet. Gone now is the utter reliance on the rock out> noodle> ambience formula, remember that? There's an increased willingness to stretch out on tunes that were painfully static and scripted the past two years (COME ON, AC/DC and Free and Antelope!!).

That's what I hear, and what I experienced at the four shows I hit this year so far is big-time increased tightness, swagger and communication, an obvious progression over two and a half years. At their best this year, as good as in any previous era. Not so in '09 or '10.