Disclaimer: I am by no means a Phish-head. I do not follow the band around the country or even attend their local shows. Phish is a mere band to me, not a religious experience
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As the disclaimer above states, there are a great number of people who not only like Phish, they also happily worship the ground on which they walk. The quirky jam band surfaced in the early 1990’s as the logical heir to Grateful Dead. Their music melded nicely with contemporaries like Blues Traveler among others and for years the unlikely foursome has toured out of love for their music and for the tireless throng of fans.
Despite only becoming popular some ten years ago, Phish formed twenty years ago in Vermont at the hands of Trey Anastasio (vocals/guitar) and drummer John Fishman. Later adding steadfast members Mike Gordon (bass) and Page McConnell (keyboard), the band was soon complete. But it took years for a recording to materialize. After five years in existence, Phish recorded and released their debut Junta in 1988. At the time, the cassette was only available to concert goers. Subsequently, Lawn Boy was released, but before the album could get off the ground their indie label folded.
Poor Phish was left without a contract but was soon signed with Elektra. Their new label soon re-released the two earliest efforts in addition to 1991’s Picture of Nectar. After touring with H.O.R.D.E., the band’s career was looking up. People knew who they were, people were ripe to buy their albums. Phish subsequently released the slightly sub par Rift. But it was with 1994’s Hoist that they finally were awarded some amount of exposure.
Hoist, while not their best album, did in fact receive radio airplay in addition to spawning a video for the single Down With Disease. As a direct result, the album became semi-popular and unexpectedly landed at #34 on the Billboard 200. Does that mean that suddenly Phish “sold out?” No. Does that mean that Hoist is an awesome album? No. Simply put, the band was in the right place at the right time.
With eleven tracks, Hoist is just long enough to get a taste of the band without becoming overwhelmed. But of course the four would have had to put together a cohesive album before anything more would have been acceptable. Hoist is an average outing. Some songs are nice; some are not. Some songs are fun; some are boring. Mostly, the album fills space and leaves the listener questioning whether or not Phish has anything more to offer to the world.
Hoist begins strongly with Julius. An upbeat, funky track it is easy to imagine performed on the stage. With just snaps, an acoustic guitar, modest percussion, and Anastasio’s vocals it winds itself around your heart. And just as you’ve become accustomed to the theme, the band surprises with a trumped, choir, keyboard, and amped up guitars. It’s a blend of blues, swing, and rock…and as strange as that combo sounds it works rather nicely.
Continuing down a positive path, Down With Disease is a decent song. It is clear as to why MTV picked up on the video when heard in the context of an entire Phish. Unlike most of their other songs, it is funk-rock not at all different in idea really than much of what Dave Matthews Band presented on the dismal album Crash. But unlike DMB, this band seems to actually be having fun rather than taking themselves too seriously. The lyrics aren’t profound, the song isn’t complex, rather Down With Disease is energetic and happy.
If I Could is a lovely, light song. The harmonies are gorgeous, the song itself it grand. And when country singer Alison Krauss breaks into verse, the track is lifted to incredible and invigorating heights. But looking back over the first three songs, there is a problem. All three are nice on their own, but all lined up in a row they seem to lack a vision and cohesiveness.
Whatever goodness was in the album is shattered with Riker’s Mailbox. It’s a chaotic, strange, spastic, and impossible thing to hear. But fortunately it’s nothing more than an introduction to the apparent second act of the album and lasts for mere seconds. But what it opens is the groovy, although average, Axilla, Pt. 2. There are portions of the song that appeal most notably the feverish pace and the catchy melody. But Anastasio’s vocals are unnecessarily distorted and the production as a result seems a bit heavy handed.
Lifeboy is a lightly melodic song. The lightly strummed acoustic guitar and bass work nicely as does the early piano. Without question, Lifeboy would be better experienced live. It seems to be lacking emotion, despite boasting uncharacteristically emotional lyrics:
God never listens...
Stranded on this slender string
The minutes seem to last a lifetime
Dangling here between the light above
And blue below that drags me down
Sample in a Jar is the final song of any real merit here. A mid-paced appealing pop-rock offering, it probably is also the best of the entire album. Fishman’s drums are incredibly important, they drive the track thus setting the pace for Anastasio’s vocals. Upbeat, hip, and timeless the track has all the makings of a career-defining moment. If nothing else, I’d love to hear a Phish show to see this performed live (along with Lifeboy).
Hoist runs into major trouble in the latter songs. Wolfman’s Brother is obviously meant to be fun, but the music itself doesn’t connect well with the heart. It seems pretty pointless and doesn’t particularly strike any chord in the listener. The melody, instruments, and vocals are all repetitive. The band displays very little creativity here. Scent of a Mule is also troublesome, but for the completely opposite reason. Rather than being repetitive it is crazed and muddled. The disorganization extends from the music itself through the lyrics, vocals, and production. It’s obviously supposed to be tongue-in-cheek, but instead comes off as a bad interpretation of bluegrass.
Dog-Faced Boy is on one level decent. The scant production paired with dueling vocals and an acoustic guitar and refreshing, but the song itself sounds as though it were haphazardly thrown together. Anastasio’s usual zest and vocal talent are notably absent. Not even the final song can do anything to make Hoist any more impressive. Once again, Phish’s jam style translates as uninspired and jumbled on the overly long Demand. While the pace is quickened, the actual song seems to take an eon to come to a close…probably in part because it is nearly eleven minutes long. Listeners can be expected to endure thick guitars and incessantly tapped cymbals. Be advised that maybe the best approach is to just hit stop after Sample in a Jar comes to a close.
Hoist (of course) wasn’t the end of Phish. As mentioned way previously, the band still tours, still makes music, and still entertains. From 1994-2002 Phish released a slew of albums ranging from b-sides to live to rarities to studio recordings. Some are much better than others with most not even coming close to accurately depicting the touring force. Hoist may not be the band’s best, but it is a decent enough place to start. Other albums to consider include Billy Breathes, Farmhouse and even early release A Picture of Nectar. But keep in mind that Phish won’t appeal to everybody. Their sound is loose and unrefined, but everything is done with fun and happiness in mind. If nothing else Phish is refreshing.
Rating: 3/5 stars
Track Listing:
01. Julius | 02. Down With Disease | 03. If I Could | 04. Riker’s Mailbox | 05. Axilla, Pt. 2 | 06. Lifeboy | 07. Sample in a Jar | 08. Wolfman’s Brother | 09. Scent of a Mule | 10. Dog-Faced Boy | 11. Demand
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