''The Clifford Ball'' is a seven-DVD box set released on March 3, 2009 by the rock band
Phish
Phish is an American rock band formed in Burlington, Vermont, in 1983. The band is known for musical improvisation, extended jams, blending of genres, and a dedicated fan base. The band consists of guitarist Trey Anastasio, bassist Mike Gordon ...
. It was performed on August 16 and August 17, 1996 at
Plattsburgh Air Force Base
Plattsburgh Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force Strategic Air Command (SAC) base covering 3,447 acres (13.7 km²) in the extreme northeast corner of New York, located on the western shore of Lake Champlain opposite Burlingto ...
in
Plattsburgh, NY
Plattsburgh ( moh, Tsi ietsénhtha) is a city in, and the seat of, Clinton County, New York, United States, situated on the north-western shore of Lake Champlain. The population was 19,841 at the 2020 census. The population of the surroundin ...
, chronicling the first of ten
Phish festivals. The collection received a nomination for the
in 2009.
Additional footage in this set includes documentaries, the soundcheck from August 15, and footage of the early morning performance of "The Flatbed Jam".
Phish issued the entirety of ''The Clifford Ball'' on a 12 LP box set on March 4, 2022. The Flatbad Jam was also made available on a separate LP. The same day as the box set's release, the official audio recordings of the festival were also made available for digital purchase and streaming on the band's LivePhish website.
The event was named after aviator
Clifford Ball. The band reportedly learned of Ball from a plaque in a Pittsburgh airport which described him as a "Beacon of light in the world of flight". Phish had previously used the name "The Clifford Ball" as the recording location of the tracks that appeared on their 1995 live album ''
A Live One'', as they were unable to secure the recording rights from every venue on the album at the time of its release.
Track listing
Disc one (August 16, 1996 – Set one)
# "
Chalk Dust Torture"
( Anastasio, Marshall) – 7:05
# "Bathtub Gin"
(Anastasio, Goodman) – 10:30
# "Ya Mar"
(Ferguson) – 8:51
# "AC/DC Bag"
(Anastasio) – 9:11
# "Esther"
(Anastasio) – 9:07
# "The Divided Sky"
(Anastasio) – 16:35
# "Halley's Comet"
(Wright) – 7:01
# "David Bowie"
(Anastasio) – 14:52
Disc two (August 16, 1996 – Set two)
# "Split Open and Melt"
(Anastasio) – 13:46
# "Sparkle"
(Anastasio, Marshall) – 3:48
# "Free"
(Anastasio, Marshall) – 8:48
# "The Squirming Coil"
(Anastasio, Marshall) – 10:30
# "Waste"
(Anastasio, Marshall) – 4:59
# "Talk"
(Anastasio, Marshall) – 3:41
# "Train Song"
( Gordon, Linitz
Illintsi (, ) is a town in Vinnytsia Oblast, Ukraine. It served as the administrative center of Illintsi Raion, until 2020 one of the ''raions'' (districts) of the oblast. Population:
Not far from the town the Ilyinets crater is located.
Hist ...
) – 3:14
# "Strange Design"
(Anastasio, Marshall) – 3:47
# "
Hello My Baby"
(Emerson, Howard, Singer) – 1:48
# "
Mike's Song"
(Gordon) – 16:00
# "Simple"
(Gordon) – 6:03
# "Contact"
(Gordon) – 6:09
# "Weekapaug Groove"
(Anastasio, Fishman, Gordon, McConnell) – 10:02
Disc three (August 16, 1996 – Set three)
# "Makisupa Policeman"
(Anastasio, Marshall) – 8:17
# "
2001
The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...
"
( Deodato) – 6:13
# "
Down with Disease"
(Anastasio, Marshall) – 15:34
# "NICU"
(Anastasio, Marshall) – 5:17
# "
Life on Mars?
"Life on Mars?" is a song by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, first released on his 1971 album ''Hunky Dory''. In 1968, Bowie was commissioned to write English lyrics for the Claude François French song " Comme d'habitude". After his l ...
"
( Bowie) – 3:23
# "
Harry Hood"
(Anastasio, Fishman, Gordon, Long, McConnell) – 19:58
# "
Amazing Grace"
(Traditional) – 2:34
Disc four (August 17, 1996 – Set one)
# "The Old Home Place"
(Jayne, Webb) – 3:37
# "Punch You in the Eye"
(Anastasio) – 8:11
# "Reba"
(Anastasio) – 16:19
# "Cars Trucks Buses"
(McConnell) – 3:41
# "The Lizards"
(Anastasio) – 10:35
# "Sample in a Jar"
(Anastasio, Marshall) – 4:59
# "Taste"
(Anastasio, Fishman, Gordon, Marshall, McConnell) – 7:02
# "Fee"
(Anastasio) – 5:52
# "Maze"
(Anastasio, Marshall) – 12:50
# "Suzy Greenberg"
( Pollak) – 7:06
Disc five (August 17, 1996 – Set two)
# "The Curtain"
(Anastasio, Daubert
In United States federal law, the ''Daubert'' standard is a rule of evidence regarding the admissibility of expert witness testimony. A party may raise a ''Daubert'' motion, a special motion ''in limine'' raised before or during trial, to exclude ...
) – 7:39
# "Runaway Jim"
(Abrahams, Anastasio) – 12:26
# "It's Ice"
(Anastasio, Marshall) – 9:03
# "Brother"
(Anastasio, Fishman, Gordon, McConnell) – 6:19
# "Fluffhead"
(Anastasio, Pollak) – 14:42
# "Run Like an Antelope"
(Anastasio, Pollak) – 10:09
# "Golgi Apparatus"
(Anastasio, Marshall, Szuter, Woolf) – 4:44
# "Slave to the Traffic Light"
(Abrahams, Anastasio, Pollak) – 13:03
Disc six (August 17, 1996 – Set three)
# "Wilson" –
(Anastasio, Marshall, Woolf) – 6:14
# "
Frankenstein"
( Winter) – 4:49
# "Scent of a Mule"
(Gordon) – 15:22
# "Tweezer"
(Anastasio, Fishman, Gordon, McConnell) – 11:56
# "
A Day in the Life"
( Lennon, McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...
) – 5:35
# "Possum"
(Holdsworth
Holdsworth was a bicycle manufacturer in London, England. It was created by William Frank Holdsworth, known as "Sandy", and the brand is now owned by Planet X Limited based in Rotherham, Yorkshire.
History
Sandy Holdsworth took over Ashlo ...
) – 13:23
# "Tweezer Reprise"
(Anastasio, Fishman, Gordon, McConnell) – 4:46
# "
Harpua"
(Anastasio, Fishman) – 8:53
Disc seven
# "The Clifford Ball: A Beacon of Light"
# "The Flatbed Jam"
(Anastasio, Fishman, Gordon, McConnell) – 39:22
# "Soundcheck"
(Anastasio, Fishman, Gordon, McConnell) – 52:56
# "An Interview with Jim Pollock"
# "
Chris Kuroda
Phish is an American rock band formed in Burlington, Vermont, in 1983. The band is known for musical improvisation, extended jams, blending of genres, and a dedicated fan base. The band consists of guitarist Trey Anastasio, bassist Mike Gordon, ...
Split-Screen"
# "Phish: On Jamming"
# "Phish: The LG"
Album release
The Clifford Ball was later released in album form on LP and streaming on March 4, 2022.
Track listing
''August 16, 1996 – Set one:''
;Side A
# "
Chalk Dust Torture"
( Anastasio, Marshall) – 7:05
# "Bathtub Gin"
(Anastasio, Goodman) – 10:30
;Side B
# "Ya Mar"
(Ferguson) – 8:51
# "AC/DC Bag"
(Anastasio) – 9:11
;Side C
# "Esther"
(Anastasio) – 9:07
# "The Divided Sky"
(Anastasio) – 16:35
;Side D
# "Halley's Comet"
(Wright) – 7:01
# "David Bowie"
(Anastasio) – 14:52
''August 16, 1996 – Set two:''
;Side E
# "Split Open and Melt"
(Anastasio) – 13:46
;Side F
# "Sparkle"
(Anastasio, Marshall) – 3:48
# "Free"
(Anastasio, Marshall) – 8:48
# "The Squirming Coil"
(Anastasio, Marshall) – 10:30
;Side G
# "Waste"
(Anastasio, Marshall) – 4:59
# "Talk"
(Anastasio, Marshall) – 3:41
# "Train Song"
( Gordon, Linitz
Illintsi (, ) is a town in Vinnytsia Oblast, Ukraine. It served as the administrative center of Illintsi Raion, until 2020 one of the ''raions'' (districts) of the oblast. Population:
Not far from the town the Ilyinets crater is located.
Hist ...
) – 3:14
# "Strange Design"
(Anastasio, Marshall) – 3:47
# "
Hello My Baby"
(Emerson, Howard, Singer) – 1:48
;Side H
# "
Mike's Song"
(Gordon) – 16:00
# "Simple"
(Gordon) – 6:03
;Side I
# "Contact"
(Gordon) – 6:09
# "Weekapaug Groove"
(Anastasio, Fishman, Gordon, McConnell) – 10:02
''August 16, 1996 – Set three:''
;Side J
# "Makisupa Policeman"
(Anastasio, Marshall) – 8:17
# "
2001
The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...
"
( Deodato) – 6:13
;Side K
# "
Down with Disease"
(Anastasio, Marshall) – 15:34
# "NICU"
(Anastasio, Marshall) – 5:17
;Side L
# "
Life on Mars?
"Life on Mars?" is a song by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, first released on his 1971 album ''Hunky Dory''. In 1968, Bowie was commissioned to write English lyrics for the Claude François French song " Comme d'habitude". After his l ...
"
( Bowie) – 3:23
# "
Harry Hood"
(Anastasio, Fishman, Gordon, Long, McConnell) – 19:58
# "
Amazing Grace"
(Traditional) – 2:34
''August 17, 1996 – Set one:''
;Side M
# "The Old Home Place"
(Jayne, Webb) – 3:37
# "Punch You in the Eye"
(Anastasio) – 8:11
;Side N
# "Reba"
(Anastasio) – 16:19
# "Cars Trucks Buses"
(McConnell) – 3:41
;Side O
# "The Lizards"
(Anastasio) – 10:35
# "Sample in a Jar"
(Anastasio, Marshall) – 4:59
# "Taste"
(Anastasio, Fishman, Gordon, Marshall, McConnell) – 7:02
;Side P
# "Fee"
(Anastasio) – 5:52
# "Maze"
(Anastasio, Marshall) – 12:50
# "Suzy Greenberg"
( Pollak) – 7:06
''August 17, 1996 – Set two:''
;Side Q
# "The Curtain"
(Anastasio, Daubert
In United States federal law, the ''Daubert'' standard is a rule of evidence regarding the admissibility of expert witness testimony. A party may raise a ''Daubert'' motion, a special motion ''in limine'' raised before or during trial, to exclude ...
) – 7:39
# "Runaway Jim"
(Abrahams, Anastasio) – 12:26
;Side R
# "It's Ice"
(Anastasio, Marshall) – 9:03
# "Brother"
(Anastasio, Fishman, Gordon, McConnell) – 6:19
;Side S
# "Fluffhead"
(Anastasio, Pollak) – 14:42
# "Run Like an Antelope"
(Anastasio, Pollak) – 10:09
;Side T
# "Golgi Apparatus"
(Anastasio, Marshall, Szuter, Woolf) – 4:44
# "Slave to the Traffic Light"
(Abrahams, Anastasio, Pollak) – 13:03
''August 17, 1996 – Set three:''
;Side U
# "Wilson" –
(Anastasio, Marshall, Woolf) – 6:14
# "
Frankenstein"
( Winter) – 4:49
;Side V
# "Scent of a Mule"
(Gordon) – 15:22
;Side W
# "Tweezer"
(Anastasio, Fishman, Gordon, McConnell) – 11:56
# "
A Day in the Life"
( Lennon, McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...
) – 5:35
;Side X
# "Possum"
(Holdsworth
Holdsworth was a bicycle manufacturer in London, England. It was created by William Frank Holdsworth, known as "Sandy", and the brand is now owned by Planet X Limited based in Rotherham, Yorkshire.
History
Sandy Holdsworth took over Ashlo ...
) – 13:23
# "Tweezer Reprise"
(Anastasio, Fishman, Gordon, McConnell) – 4:46
# "
Harpua"
(Anastasio, Fishman) – 8:53
Personnel
Phish
Phish is an American rock band formed in Burlington, Vermont, in 1983. The band is known for musical improvisation, extended jams, blending of genres, and a dedicated fan base. The band consists of guitarist Trey Anastasio, bassist Mike Gordon ...
*
Trey Anastasio – guitars, lead vocals, acapella vocals on "Hello My Baby" and "Amazing Grace", narration on "Harpua"
*
Page McConnell – keyboards, backing vocals, lead vocals on "Strange Design", "Life on Mars?", "It's Ice" and "A Day in the Life", acapella vocals on "Hello My Baby" and "Amazing Grace"
*
Mike Gordon – bass, backing vocals, lead vocals on "Ya Mar", "Train Song", "Mike's Song", "Contact", "The Old Home Place" and "Scent of a Mule", acapella vocals on "Hello My Baby" and "Amazing Grace"
*
Jon Fishman – drums, backing vocals, acapella vocals on "Hello My Baby" and "Amazing Grace"
Special guests
:
Ben Cohen and
Jerry Greenfield of
Ben & Jerry's – vocals on "Brother"
Video Director
:Martin Pitts
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clifford Ball
Phish video albums
2009 compilation albums
2009 live albums
Live video albums
Phish live albums