Link: Phish
The Inside Pulse:
I have a few caveats to take care of. I saw Phish live once and that was well before New Years Eve 1995. I own one Phish album. I have acquaintances, not friends, who love Phish and (I thought long and hard about adding this one) I wasn’t on anything when I listened to the disks or wrote this review. All of that might make me the perfect person to write this review, but Phish die hards might want to go to another source for a more knowing evaluation. Now on to the review. First things first.
For fans of Phish and other jam-bands: if I am the first one to tell you this disk exists, you are TOO HIGH. Put down whatever you are doing and go get this album even if you have a certified second generation, full sets with no breaks bootleg. It’s worth it and then some. The sound is fantastic and you’ll want the full spectrum of audio since some of the details are doubtlessly lost even going from CD to cassette.
For everyone else: this is a solid album from a legitimate leader of the jam band movement at a creative peak. It’s a great way to get to know Phish or the genre in general.
You will be forgiving several things that jam-band fans have already accepted — including weakish vocals, long stretches where only very subtle things are happening and lyrics that mean little if anything. Also, the band rarely rocks. It isn’t about any of that. It’s about exploring rhythms and melodies and maybe throwing in some jokey surreal metaphysics. There’s nothing wrong with that.
It’s a question of pace. Do you live minute to minute or day to day? This is best for long drives, lounging around, background for studying or an hour-plus commute. It will not sink in if you can only listen in three and a half minute chunks or need the immediate gratification of a hook. This album will likely extend the band’s audience though, and that’s something few post-mortem CD issues do — especially ones that contain almost no hits.
Positives:
– The mix and sound in general is fantastic. Phish’s sound lends itself to live recording, but it helps to have someone who knows what they’re doing at the board.
– The band is super-connected. The constant touring shows and I have no doubt this was a show for the ages, regardless of what kind of music you like.
– With nine songs over ten minutes and two over twenty, you would expect things to get significantly bogged down. Fairly, the two songs over twenty are way too long, but the others seem to go along pleasurably.
Negatives:
– The lyrics and banter are bordering on unforgivable. I had to tune them out as much as possible. Once or twice I thought they had stumbled onto some decent lyrics until I recognized both songs as Who covers.
– The track listed as “Gamehendge Time Phactory” is simply the noise that accompanied a skit where the band creates the time needed to create a 1996. It is not interesting or enjoyable.
– After a couple listens I was skipping the lengthy ends of some (five to seven) songs. That could be my own limits of attention span, but it’s equally likely that some of the songs just don’t go anywhere.
Cross-breed:
Barenaked Ladies with Pat Metheny.
Reason to buy:
You like or are intrigued by Phish.
