1968: While this tune usually disintegrates into the chaotic improv that this band performs so well, its majestic beginning brings a sense of calm and brief tranquillity into these usually cacophonous shows. As on "Absolutely Free", these performances begin with the peaceful and slow opening chords, which unhurriedly carry us to the ridiculously over sung lyrics. We get a verse or two of singing, before the madness typically sets in, and we are once again off into instrumental la-la land. During the 4/20 Fillmore East show, this vocals abandon us to a repetitive "Charles Ives" type jam, over which Frank, on guitar, squeezes out a twisted version of the "Duke of Prunes" theme, before the music veers off into unforeseen directions.
1972: Essentially performed as on "Orchestral Favorites", allowing for obvious differences in instrumentation. Instead of Frank's dramatic and effectively drawn out guitar solo, this tour provides us with a rather mellow oboe solo, followed by a more lyrical, flowing FZ guitar solo. This version is great, majestically arranged and almost perfect sounding with the horns.
1975-76: This song, performed as an instrumental, is used as the background for the opening introductions for many of the shows early in the tour. It is listed as a song on its own for the tour opening 9/27 show, which I have not heard, and thus I cannot say whether the song in its entirety is actually performed (to which Jon Naurin responds, "It's used as a background for the introductions on 9/27, but before the intros, FZ plays the melody on guitar, and afterwards, Nappy sings a few lines. ") So there you go.
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