1997 saw Phish introduce a host of new songs into their ever-expanding repertoire, "Ghost" being one of them. The tune would undergo some changes before appearing on their next studio album in 1998, but these '97 versions are a perfect summary of all that was great in the world of Phish that year, particularly on their fall romp around the country, one that is on the shortlist of "best tours" from the Vermonters. What an exciting time to be a phan. It seemed like any song could get stretched out past the 20-minute point, first sets could include as few as five songs, all getting the jam treatment, and the band was fully refreshed by a slew of new material and the reinvention of their sound. 

The November 17 concert in Denver holds a special place not only in phans' hearts, but Phish's as well. Trey Anastasio has explained that after this show, they often listened to it on their tour bus, in a way influencing themselves. It came as a bit of shock that they would do this in the first place. Previously, they intentionally avoided listening to themselves in order to stay fresh. But even this jam was too good for them to ignore. 

It's standard '97 "Ghost" until they blast off at about the 6:30 mark. From then (especially beginning around 8:28) through 13:30, the jamming is some of the most unique and inspired of their career, patiently building, going from space to beauty and eventually rocking funk until it concludes over 21 minutes after it began, most of it unrecognizable from the actual song itself.