Phish Albums (22)
What The Critics Say
After listening to Joy, one has to wonder whether hardcore Phish-heads, who've stuck with the band through thick and thin and bought literally millions of concert tickets, will be impressed by the band's 11th studio album. It is the group's first studio outing in five years -- a reunion album. You can ask, but Phish fans almost always prefer their live shows and albums to the studio dates (echoing of course, the first legendary jam band, the Grateful Dead). The answer? Maybe. Joy was produced by Steve Lillywhite, who also helmed 1996's Billy Breathes. He's familiar enough with Phish to be able to get inside their sound, and to try to challenge their preconceptions without tinkering too much with the process of creation. Apparently, he's also a slave driver. The reason? The labyrinthine track "Time Turns Elastic," which clocks in at over 13 minutes, took 278 takes! The tune, easily the best thing here, is far more a constructed prog rock opus than jam journey. The band -- guitaristTrey Anastasio, keyboardist Page McConnell, drummer Jon Fishman, and bassist Mike Gordon -- recorded live in the studio, so it took some time. The track was originally constructed as a full orchestral suite (and indeed will be performed with the New York Philharmonic at selected concerts). The reason the track works so well is that despite its many twists and turns musically, it keeps its various song forms, even as they flow into one another. Anastasio wrote it with poet/lyricist Tom Marshall. Gordon contributes a rather weighty reggae-jazz tune in "Sugar Shack" -- some might say it's heavy-handed, but the tune itself is simple and catchy, so it works. "Backwards Down the Number Line," which opens the set, is one of the more straightforward things Anastasio has written with Marshall, and reflects on gratitude despite the messes and sorrows in his life -- much of the album is about his long struggle with dope and his sister Kristy passing away from cancer (check "Stealing Time from the Faulty Plan"). "Ocelot" could have been a Grateful Dead track; it contains all the legendary band's tropes, from vocal harmonies to a strolling country shuffle song structure to Anastasio aping Jerry Garcia's guitar tone on the solo. At the end of the tune Phish add a lyrical and melodic nod to the Beatles' "Dear Prudence." There is a straight-ahead rockin' boogie number in "Kill Devil Falls," an interesting take on recovery. The title track, also written by Anastasio and Marshall, is simply beautiful. It begins as a shimmering ballad, sparsely arranged, and becomes a straightforward rock song, but being Phish, there are a few left turns in the mix. Joy sounds like Phish are thrilled to have a second chance and feel no pressure to do anything but make music on their own terms -- it is issued independently on the band's own JEMP imprint. They sound more focused than on any of their ten previous studio offerings. Certainly, what's here is not for everybody, but this jumpy, well-constructed little set may even get Phish fans excited. As reunion sets go, this one is a winner. [A pair of deluxe editions of Joy have also been released. One is called Joy Box and includes a 180-gram LP version along with the CD; a Super Deluxe Joy Box includes a DVD, a hardbound book, and a complete second album called Party Time in the bundle. These are only available from the band's website.] ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
During the time Live in Brooklyn was recorded, Vermont's fantastic four had decided to call it quits, again, after two decades playing together with a small "breakup" lodged in between. So there was more than a little melancholy surrounding what was to be the band's absolute, unquestionable, no-looking-back, there-will-never-be-a-summer-tour-ever-again final tour. Even lead singer/guitarist Trey Anastasio, during a lengthy interview with Guitar World, claimed that it would take a lot to get the group back together and move forward, simply because he doesn't want to turn into one of those nostalgic jam bands. Whatever the case may be, the group has since offered several archive releases to pacify the hordes of fans wanting to relive the magic, Live in Brooklyn among those releases. For anyone who followed the group throughout the tour (either online or in person), they already know Phish offered up some of their most expansive and energetic sets of the past ten years and the Brooklyn shows (featuring guest cameos not included in this three-CD set) were no exception. No member of the group is resting on his laurels, as the band plays with renewed energy and confidence and even brings out some of their oldest, rarely performed material (check the amazing version of "The Curtain With") for the long goodbye. So until that much speculated reunion and Phish 3.0 comes along, this will have to appease the die-hard fanatics looking for high-quality recordings. It does the job and does it well. ~ Rob Theakston, All Music Guide
'Live at Madison Square Garden New Year's Eve 1995'
Release Date 12/20/2005
Tracks 27
Label Rhino
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
With their breakup in 2004 and the subsequent releases of recordings from lead frontman Trey Anastasio, Phish and Rhino thought it a good idea to capitalize on the holiday market of 2005 by reaching back deep into the rich and plentiful archive of live recordings amassed over decades of touring, and present to the legions of fanatics what many consider one of their finest live performances. For their traditional New Year's Eve shows the quartet always brought something special to the table for their fans and 1995 was no exception, bringing a quality three-set session of fan favorites, extended jams, and quirky covers -- what are what make them such a distinct entity in the neo-jam band world. Many of the three disc's tracks are laced with songs from Anastasio's fabled "Gamehendge" song cycle and appear only on other live Phish recordings. Here these songs and many others are explored and jammed through in fine form, and the band is definitely at the peak of their creativity and running on all cylinders. The recording is crystal clear and mixed to near perfection, as one element never really jumps out on top of another, as so many live recordings have a proclivity to do. Inarguably one of the finest commercial live recordings issued by the band, and potentially a nice introduction to their catalog for those just getting their feet into the proverbial waters. ~ Rob Theakston, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
What's important to remember is that Phish is the kind of band whose hallmark moments don't happen in the studio, but on-stage where they feel most at home. That said, Undermind continues in the longstanding tradition of almost but not quite capturing the full band on all cylinders. It's the difference between watching an animal in its native habitat and in a caged environment: not quite as exciting, but still a curiosity to respect and observe with interest. Like previous endeavors, the band wastes no time settling into familiar territory, favoring simple song structures and sketches over lengthy instrumental passages (a trait they've deliberately focused upon since Hoist nearly a decade ago). However, Undermind lacks the stylistic diversity that graced many of their earlier albums, opting for a more cohesive sound and tone throughout. Gone are the uptempo, peppy jams and forays into diverse musical waters, replaced here by a band whose members seem to be running on fumes at some points and a full tank of fuel on others. As always, the musicianship remains top-notch, a testament to the high standards of quality Phish have consistently maintained over the past two decades. There are moments of typical Phish brilliance (e.g., opening and closing with an [unintentional?] homage to legendary Beach Boys collaborator Van Dyke Parks). Lyrics of surrealist imagery that border on haunting run rampant at times, and the album's closing moment ("Grind") serves as an uncomfortable swan song comparable to McCartney's happy accident at the end of Abbey Road. And while it wasn't publicly confirmed that Undermind was to be their last album (the bandmembers announced mere weeks before its release that this was to be their last record), shades of the band's winter could be subtly interpreted by various song lyrics (especially on "Undermind" and "Crowd Control"). And while the album is still more focused and a much-needed improvement over 2002's Round Room and their finest since Billy Breathes, Undermind is essentially the sound of four musicians growing tired of the limits they've imposed on one another after decades of albums and touring. However, if this is to be the band's curtain call, fans will find solace in a long line of live CDs for years to come. ~ Rob Theakston, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Live Phish, Vol. 08 -- recorded between 1998's "Story of the Ghost" and 2000's Farmhouse -- documents some of Phish's most mature and focused improvisation, as well as their dynamics. Almost entirely gone is the band's early sense of humor. In its place comes a peaceable, occasionally unremarkable, dignity. In three separate jams, almost methodically, the band moves from a big-energy song into an evolved improvisation before bringing the music down gently into a quiet ballad. In the first set, a long "Chalk Dust Torture" wends its way into "Roggae." In the second set, the longtime jam showcase "Tweezer" segues into the previously unreleased "Mountains in the Mist." Later, "Birds of a Feather" melts into a cover of Los Lobos' "When the Circus Comes." The center around which this music rotates is bassist Mike Gordon, who -- beginning around the time the live Slip, Stich, and Pass was recorded, in 1997 -- contributed gorgeous, cleanly defined upper-register basslines. These lines give the band a center to organize around. The band had worked hard at playing ballads for several years, starting in 1996 (documented on Live Phish, Vol. 12 and Billy Breathes), and this performance shows the fruits of their labors. Unfortunately, the band doesn't fare as well on the mid-tempo numbers. The first set features a plodding cover of jazz organist Jimmy Smith's "Back at the Chicken Shack," as well as an uninspired version of their own "Water in the Sky." The band's interests are clearly shown as they tackle "Fluffhead," one of guitarist Trey Anastasio's earliest and toughest compositions. The band moves through the sections with some ease, and even brings the song to a rousing finale, but does so without the exuberance evident in their earlier renditions of the tune (such as on Live Phish, Vol. 09 and Live Phish, Vol. 10). ~ Jesse Jarnow, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Phish reunited unexpectedly late in the summer of 2002. It was a bit of a shock, since their announced hiatus of 2000 seemed at least semi-permanent, yet this didn't have the vibe of a cash-in, even if their respective solo projects of the early 2000s didn't make many waves. The impromptu reunion felt spontaneous, as if the band simply felt like playing again. Certainly, the resulting album, Round Room, feels ramshackle, laid-back, and haphazard. Released mere months after its recording, it doesn't so much sound haphazard as it does unfinished, as if you're eavesdropping on a band rehearsal or even a writing session. Apart from the lovely, understated Farmhouse, Phish albums always meander, so it's nothing new that the focus is fuzzy on Round Room. What's weird is that there's very little shape to the songs. Often, only a bare sketch of a song is discernible, and even those are never played as if that sketch is final. Which all makes for kind of a murky listen and certainly not the cash-in crossover that a publicized reunion of a cult favorite could have been. Unfortunately, it's not particularly interesting, either, since it lacks the spirit of their live improvisations or, say, the layered ambitions of Trey Anastasio's excellent solo album of 2002. It is intermittently fascinating, particularly because this is as unvarnished as any album by a major artist, but instead of revealing a new side of Phish, it just sounds incomplete. Although this is kind of a disappointment, it's also kind of admirable because the band isn't afraid to work out the kinks in public, and it has enough intriguing ideas scattered throughout to suggest that now that this is out of their system, they have a better album ahead of them. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Recorded near the end of their long fall 1995 touring season, the first release in the first batch of releases from Phish's extensive live archives features the group near the peak of their geeky period, ready to begin their ascent into the arena rockers they became for the last three years of their career. Capped by a note-perfect rendition of Edgar Winter's "Frankenstein," the ten-song first set/first disc provides a typical glimpse into Phish's eclectic songbook, veering from the Spin Doctors-on-speed rage of "Llama" to the polyrhythmic jazz abstraction of "Foam" to the faux reggae of the previously unreleased "Makisupa Policeman" to the sweet lullaby of "Tela" (an excerpt from guitarist Trey Anastasio's unissued art rock opus The Man Who Stepped into Yesterday). It is not until the second disc that the band angles into serious improvisation with a nearly unbroken sequence of songs and jams. Recorded a year after their first live album, A Live One (1995), one can hear traces of the dissonant explorations highlighted on that set, albeit in significantly tightened-up form, including a focused segue from "Tweezer" into blues singer Josh White's chunky "Timber." The highlights of the set come with the improvisations on "Halley's Comet" and "NICU," two songs not usually infused with jams. Here, the band wreaks intentional havoc on the tunes' tempos, speeding up and slowing together with a near psychic precision (especially as they move into the ska-live rhythm of "NICU"). Though it is not the finest document of their work, Live Phish, Vol. 1 does well with the artfully wild inventiveness that marked the quartet's early years. ~ Jesse Jarnow, All Music Guide
