For me, the concept of the halloween costume was cool, and I always looked forward to finding out what they would do, but things benefitted more when individual covers would show up in regular shows. The album sets were generally mediocre performances. The new years runs (up through 95), the tours leading up to halloween (through 98, excluding 96), and the random small venue shows between 96 and the hiatus were the peaks of my experience. My favorite show ever I never found a good recording of, from Boone, NC in fall of 94.
I was WAY too into phish for a long time. I mostly look back and remember what I liked, but don't really listen to it, because that only hurts the memories