interesting how all you need to place the year of this clip is a single note of mike's bass. but then, it's hard to imagine trey laying back and letting things mutate this way at any other time in their career -- he steps back into full participation instead of saying 'ok i'm in the background.' this is a gorgeous jam!

i'm not sure how to rank years anymore (thank heavens), but i'd certainly stack the best of 2012 up against anything post-1997.

it's so nice to hear them orbiting a lively planet, for gravity to pull them toward melodic expression and polyvalence rather than the gas giant of the late 90s or the fearful sludge of '2.0.'