aglasshouse Raw Phish vs. Cooked Phish

Phish's "White Tape" is the first recording effort they did way back in 1986, and marked for a great series of albums by the band. Of course it did, but is it worth it to buy? Well...yes, I would say so. This was of course back when they still hadn't replaced Grateful Dead as the new hip jam-band of the eighties. Instead, they were a bunch of young men who decided to have some fun and make a neat little record. Thus, they weren't as much devling into the experimental side of rock as much as they would later on albums like A Picture of Nectar and Rift. But aye, do not fret yea phellow Phish-head, these younger versions of the amazing musicians you know today are still there, but maybe not as chiseled musically.

Seeing as this was a very low-budget project for Phish at the time, the production is nothing short of mediocre. I mean, a college-studio recorded cassette shouldn't be expected to have the quality of a top notch platinum release. The entire album retains a gritty, non-filtered quality which, as a whole, gives the band a rawer intensity that you see rarely on their later albums, where they prefer to lay back and just jam to whatever the feel like.

It's really interesting to listen to these jams that I know so well from listening to live Phish material on this album in it's original form. A song that really comes to mind is 'AC/DC Bag', a song that lead singer and guitarist Trey Anastasio wrote back in college. To quote from Phish.net: "The lyrics to this groove-rock tune speak of a certain Mr. Palmer, who is most decidedly "concerned with the thousand- dollar question." He is about to be hanged by the AC/DC Bag (the name of Wilson's plug-in, robotized, bag-headed executioner) under orders from Wilson himself." One of the most recognized song perhaps from the album, and is most likely the most played song from it on Phish's live track list repertoire. Usually extended three-times over length wise, Phish does really make the most of 'Bag' when they do play it. It's quite the spectacular jazz-influenced track that holds much water in my mind. 'Divided Sky' is another one of my favorites, yet it's painfully short and I wish that it could have been extended to a minimum of three minutes. The rest of the album is good, but I would say that the other tracks are pretty forgettable.

So, if you are interested in Phish's history or comeuppance, I suggest that you give this a try. Although, I would not go so far as to say it is an excellent addition to a prog-minded fellow.

aglasshouse Phish were onto something early in the new millennium- an epiphany if you will. Whilst their well and highly acclaimed 90's albums featured highly eclectic songwriting with zany and nonsensical lyrics, they were able to claim success with a slower, more cooled-down version of their rock. This latter statement is of course in reference to Farmhouse, the 2000's album featuring pop-rock songs that were slightly bogged down by the sappiness of that darned "mainstream" taste. The album was slightly panned by critic for lacking the acid-fueled pseudo depth from Junta or Lawn Boy, but it attracted more every-men to join the Phish circuit. A follow-up album was quickly set up and on track.

Hark! The palindrome year of 2002 rolled around in the form of the spherical Round Room. Like Farmhouse there was many of the same typical rock songs for your casual ears, but something was different this time a"round". The album featured many new epics that are much more intricate than what would be expected. These songs are structured very similarly- with a slow, almost minimalist first half and a raucous second half-, yet are unique in all of their own ways. It's hard to place a finger on it but it's almost as if these songs, mainly 'Pebbles and Marbles', 'Seven Below', 'Walls of the Cave', and 'Waves', feature more depth and meaning than those of any prior Phish album. A controversial opinion maybe, but just a listen to the aforementioned 'Walls of the Cave', with it's creative rhythm patterns set up by drummer god Jon Fishman, and beautiful yet simplistic lyrical abilities of Anastasio and Page McConnell, it is hard for me to deny it to myself. Of course, the shorter songs are good too; like I said they are indeed callbacks to Farmhouse, ranging from slow ballads to jazz-funking, puffed up powerhouses. A noteworthy mention is the track 'Mock Song', which as a fan of the band I felt was a fun poke at their past work, mainly the meaninglessness of their lyrics and such.

Round Room is something that eases you in. It doesn't take multiple listens to enjoy- just let go of any prior notions and sink in. By that time that path of enjoyment has already paved subconsciously for you. And the neatest thing of all: you did it all yourself.

aglasshouse People who like and follow the band Phish seem to forget this one, something that I'll admit I've done on several occasions. A mid-90's album that sort of rehashes and mellows down the art-rock style they developed on Rift, Hoist is an album that inspired a similar playing style of a blend of soft rock epics, shorter more eclectic pieces hailing to their earlier days, and blanket rock-and-roll. This particular style is one of my personal favorites of the band, and in my opinion led to some fantastic songwriting that was able to remain simple yet still have that edge of complexity (see Billy Breathes). Highlights of Hoist include the hard rocking 'Down With Disease', incorporating some funkiness spewed by Gordon, the mellow epic 'Lifeboy', and 'Sample in a Jar'. Perhaps my favorite track is the eclectic closer 'Demand', which subtly shifts moods several times throughout, from boisterous to more avant-garde to extremely climactic-so much so that the song ends with a literal crash and the sound of mourning a Capella. It is slightly worth noting that there is a lyrical reference in the song to 'Squirming Coil', a track on the 1990 Lawn Boy album.

Hoist has an overall sense of clunkiness and doesn't have the best flow if you listen to it in one go. As for individual tracks, there are some definite keepers that I found catchy and extremely memorable They would of course be added to the vast Phish live repertoire. Mediocre? A bit. But I still suggest that it deserves at least a try, no matter if you are a 'phan' or a prog-enthusiast or simply a fan of rock.

aglasshouse The Siket Disc is the one and only instrumental album recorded by the American band Phish. It was released via mail order to Phish fans in 1999, but wasn't in stores until 2000. The album is a very quaint little piece of obscure music, and features some pretty good material.

As aforementioned, the album consists of only instrumentals, so Anastasio's vocals are not involved in any way. However, this does lend a pro to the album where it allows him to show off his guitar skills with more prowess. The styles of the tracks revolve mostly around lounge music, with some hints of progressive rock; the entire album is extremely laid-back, and does not over-exert itself to a great extent. The album opens up with 'My Left Toe', which recycles a continuous two notes which makes for a very irritating melody and an unpleasant experience for me. However, it does lead into possibly my favorite track on the album, 'My Name is Slick'. This song subtly combines funk and lounge-jazz which makes it very fun to come back to when you're working or just want to relax. The first side ends with 'What's The Use', a Floydian-inspired epic which use blunt, 60's psychedelic humdrum with deep and echoing guitar chords to make for an interesting space rock tune. 'Quadrophonic Toppling' and 'Albert' are both short but sweet guitar/bass led songs. The former features a very hypnotic bass line by Mike Gordon, even with it featuring only a few different notes. 'The Happy Whip and Dung Song' is perhaps the most vibrant the album gets, featuring the slow muddle seen on 'What's the Use' but more chaotic guitar playing.

This album was slightly hard to critique, due to it being so minimalist in nature. A factor that has made it not too popular, but in my opinion adds very well to a certain aesthetic that it gives off. It is indeed very different from other Phish albums, but for a hard to explain reason it is one of my favorites. Mostly I believe it is from the slow and very simple style that has the instruments being lightly played instead of extremely intricately, and still being able to be fun and enthralling. I would suggest that you listen to it before you obtain it, because it is really a "different-cup-of-tea" kind of experience.

3.5/5 rounded to 4.

aglasshouse I first saw this album's cover and was slightly unsettled by its unfortunate cosmetic it was sporting. This factor is most likely the main reason it took me a substantial amount of time to listen to it, and only then it was because my friend very graciously gave it to me as a gift. To me this really says something, because to me an album's physical presentation may be just as if not more important financially than the actual content of the album. But, unbeknownst to me, Billy had something in store for me, and it wasn't disappointing as he lead me to believe.

Phish was already gathering steam from their getting signed on in '89 and the release of their first album in the same year. The albums that were released from that year till '96 were, as their dedicated fan-base of "Phish-heads" proclaims, some of their best material. Amongst these were the aforementioned debut, Lawn Boy (1990), Picture of Nectar (1992), and Rift (1993). Others like Crimes of The Mind (a collaboration with The Dude of Life) (1994) and Hoist (1994) were less impressive but still added a few songs to the band's repertoire to be extenuated into long, superfluous jams played in their vastly increasing number of live shows.

1996 came around, two years after their last album, titled Billy Breathes. This was a year before what can be undoubtedly described as one of if not the best year of Phish's career, where Phish as a whole made around 10 million dollars from their performances played seemingly every day. Billy Breathes was the last album to add to the collection of songs that would be played, and it really deserves it.

Billy Breathes contains perhaps the most heartfelt and diverse music Phish has ever performed. It blends perfectly aspects of classic american rock, jazz, acoustic, ambient, and of course the ever-present Phish tomfoolery. There are a few short but sweet acoustic guitar-led songs that utilize beautiful ambient soundscapes, such as 'Bliss' and 'Swept Away'. The shorter songs also do a very good job at piecing together into a larger song if they're placed side by side in the tracklist. Progressive rock litters the album, and although not thorough, it is noticeable. 'Theme From the Bottom' is a very nice piece, and an early ode to Picture of Nectar with it's lyrics and composition. The title track is very similar to it as well, though has more folk than past Phish did.

Before I spoil anything more I suggest that you buy Billy Breathes. It is one of Phish's best works if not THE best. If Phish isn't your taste, I'd still suggest this any day for it's creative ability to draw you in with talent alone.