Current Events: Phish for non-phans, a reunion playlist

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Lawn Boy (1990)
This album—sonically, far superior to its predecessor Junta—has an excellent version of one of Phish’s best live songs, the mostly instrumental guitar showcase “Run Like An Antelope.” Of all the band’s studio albums, Lawn Boy gets closest to capturing the marathon jams of Phish’s shows. Plus, the title track gets hilariously pseudo-Sinatra.

Newbies: “Run Like an Antelope,” “Lawn Boy”
Heads: “Reba,” “The Squirming Coil”

(Note: I couldn't find a stream of the album version, so I've included this live version, which is fairly close.)

Junta (1988)
Phish’s first album is filled with songs that became live staples for the band over the years, but the independent, low-budget recording and lackluster renditions make it unessential. Still, it’s worth a listen after you hear the rest of the band’s material (hence the reverse chronology of this playlist)—if only as a document of this immensely talented group of musicians just beginning to gel.

Newbies: “Golgi Apparatus” “Contact”
Heads: “You Enjoy Myself,” “Fluffhead” > “Fluff’s Travels”

(Note: Couldn't find a stream of the album version for this, either, so I've included a solid live version, date unknown.)

OK, HERE'S A RECAP:

Newbie Mix

1. Dirt
2. Farmhouse
3. Sleep
4. Birds of a Feather
5. Wading in the Velvet Sea
6. Roggae
7. Brian and Robert
8. Free
9. Waste
10. Character Zero
11. Lifeboy
12. Julius
13. If I Could
14. Sample in a Jar
15. Fast enough For You
16. My Friend, My Friend
17. Silent in the Morning
18. Chalkdust Torture
19. Poor Heart
20. Lawn Boy
21. Run Like an Antelope
22. Contact
23. Golgi Apparatus

Head Mix

1. First Tube
2. Piper
3. Guyute
4. Limb By Limb
5. Prince Caspian
6. Taste
7. Scent of a Mule
8. Demand
9. Sparkle
10. The Wedge
11. Maze
12. Llama
13. Stash
14. The Squirming Coil
15. Reba
16. You Enjoy Myself
17. Fluffhead >
18. Fluff’s Travels

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5 Comments

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By Jay Sweet on October 7, 2008

Well done Mister LaBate, well done; however I would like to counter balance your musings with two simple additions:

1) Tom Marshall was for the times a remarkable wizard of wit and irony. Simply put his mind does not operate on normal wave lengths and that is what ultimately fueled the band's "absurdist sense of humor and unflagging refusal to take itself seriously". To date I have never met anyone else with such an uncanny ability to capture the weird world of the seemingly mundane with such original vision; he's like Seinfeld on acid.

2) While Undermind was clearly uninspired, there is an absolute hidden gem lurking in there. Page's "Army of One" is arguably one of the best songs ever recorded by the band.

By Steve LaBate on October 7, 2008

Perhaps you're right—I might've been a little harsh on Marshall - it's true that he contributed a lot to the sense of humor. There is no set of lyrics more wonderfully ridiculous than "Run Like an Antelope." And, back in the day, I always loved seeing the "deeper-meaning contingent" at Phish shows arguing furiously about just what, exactly, Trey meant when he sang lines like, "Your hands and feet are mangoes, you're gonna be a genius anyway." Sure thing, Scooby... why don't you and Butterfly ponder that a little longer, bra. Who knows? There might be a dissertation in it. May I suggest... mango references : Phish : : Campbell's soup cans : Andy Warhol.

By Maya on October 8, 2008

Once upon a time, I was a phan too... I didn't know they were getting back together for a reunion. Should be interesting. I believe that Story of the Ghost was the last of their great albums. It all went downhill after that, unfortunately.

By john on October 8, 2008

Decent article for the uninitiated, but I almost stopped reading after I read, the lyrics penned by collaborator Tom Marshall mostly sucked. The author obviously has no appreciation for finely-tuned jibberish.

By Jeff on October 13, 2008

Good angle for an article on the Phish reunion. But. Couldn't disagree more with most of the album assessments, though. To be fair, my perspective is that of a person who started as a Phish fan in high school when Lawn Boy came out. So I've been there through most of it.

Judged as studio albums Junta, Lawn Boy and Picture of Nectar are no great treat to listen to. Almost all songs there are best in the wild. Rift is a decent listen, but the songs are still better live. Hoist is a mediocre album, and the songs are OK live. Billy Breathes: getting better in the studio, songs still better live. Farmhouse? First really good studio album, very listenable over and over, though poppy as pointed out in this article.

Story of the Ghost - Phish perfection. A great studio album and tremendous live.

But the blow off of the last two albums is a mistake. The band wasn't around long enough to develop those songs live, but I think the studio qualities of those two albums are actually very good. They are very present and even a bit gritty in that you can hear everything without a bunch of studio polish. Basically, I guess they are almost live in the studio, which may be why they sound so good.

Anyway, just another opinion. Everyone has one. I just hope I have a ticket to Hampton to go with my opinion. :)