Happy happy oh my friend
Blow out candles once again
Leave the presents all inside
Take my hand and let’s take a rideBackwards down the number line
You were eight and I was nine
Do you know what happened then
Do you know why we’re still friends?
Those are lyrics from the first track (heard here) Phish :: Backwards Down the Number Line :: Joy that gives me the impression that Phish is having fun again. The song also offers a sober dose of reality as it was written with Trey Anastasio’s sister in mind who sadly passed away earlier this year.
Phish’s new studio album “Joy” is a bright, playful mix of jam tunes and alternative rock sounding pop songs, something that has been missing from the band for quite sometime and is quite reminiscent of songs like Sample in a Jar off of Hoist, Bouncing Around the Room off of “Lawnboy” or Waste off the “Billy Breathes” album whose producer Steve Lillywhite, ironically, also produced “Joy”. Lillywhite is famous for not only working with Phish, but also in producing U2’s October and War, Simple Minds, Talking Heads, Morrissey, The Rolling Stones, Dave Matthews Band, Jason Mraz, Chris Cornell and others.
Some might argue, including myself, that Phish hasn’t been this content and themselves, so to speak, since their first hiatus in 2000. That year they had no Halloween show, a staple in the lore of Phish, where they would cover albums for the second and third sets.
They churned out such gems as the Beatles “White Album”, in 1994 at Glen Falls, NY that was released as an album “Live, Phish Volume 13″. In 1995 they performed the Who’s “Quadrophenia” relased as Live, Phish Volume 14. In 1996, they covered Talking Heads, “Remain in the Light”, that they released as “Live, Phish Volume 15″ that was my personal favorite of the Halloween cover album shows likely because I was there. Through the luck of the Phish lottery draw, where everyone had an equal chance of seating, I was lucked out and got 4th row Center at the now torn down Omni in Atlanta. The show sizzled and for me I felt that was the beginning of the end for my dealings with Phish until they split in 2000. I was dressed as Superman, while my good friend sitting next to me was dressed as Ace Frehley of KISS. The entire stadium, generally used as a location for the Atlanta Hawks basketball, was dressed all out. Seeing 15,000+ people all in costumes, running around and hearing Phish rip through a 3 set performance that included songs like Highway to Hell in addition to all the Talking Heads tracks made for quite an evening. I even think I saw Microfiche Man, as Superhero not unlike this hero only with Microfiche attached as his armor and more decorative silver sparkle hat.
Phish was winding down the Halloween style shows and played one more in 1998, covering the Velvet Underground’s “Unloaded” that was released as Live Phish Volume 16.
Why all this mention of Halloween shows, when the point of this is supposed to be about the new album “Joy”? Well look at the Map above and you will notice that Phish is back together, putting on a 3 day Festival during Halloween. There was much speculation as they released a variety of maps, blacking out states along the way until a final destination was chosen that being the Empire Polo Club in Indio, CA.
As I said before, I felt that after 2000, Phish who played together again in 2002 and sporadically until 2004 as they finally broke up for what seemed like for good as Trey Anastasio was arrested for drug possession in 2006 and what insiders had claimed was a main reason the break-up occurred in the first place. The band had been together 21 years when they broke up in 2004 and it wasn’t until this album “Joy”, their first studio album in 5 years that their sound, the one that had been seemingly missing for around a decade was rekindled.
Clean and re-focused, Trey had shown his band mates, his brothers in music enough to build back up some trust and the time away had afforded them some much needed battery recharge time. There are those who think that the album, shows Trey still alluding to being on drugs, but I give those “publications” really no credence as they are the kind who put in a Phish album and think “this is Phish”. Phish has never been, nor will they ever be a studio album band. They openly admit that you haven’t known Phish until you have seen them live, something generally lost on these pundits who cast aspersions on the meaning of the “lyrics”, another tell as Phish lyrics are not what makes them great, it is their ability musically, a talented collaboration of musicians and many years of non-stop touring that built their huge fan base.
As NPR writes in a recent interview with the Phish front-man,
Hardcore Phish fans often say that you haven’t experienced Phish until you’ve seen the band live.
“I have to agree with that statement,” Anastasio says, laughing. “Not that I’m trying to promote a record.
“It’s interesting,” he adds, “because when we’re in the studio making a record, I already know that most of the fans aren’t really going to think much of it. I don’t necessarily worry that I’m going to please them, because what they want is the live show — they don’t really want this album. So many previous albums we’ve released have come out, and the hardcore fan base doesn’t really embrace it.”
Lillywhite helped foster an environment getting Phish back to their roots and was even a taskmaster at times. Rumor has it he had the band do 278 takes of Time Turns Elastic, a jazzy, rock opera type tune that you might find similar to the Peter Gabriel Genesis era, Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull and Steely Dan. Running at 13 and a half minutes, it better be good to keep your attention and is more the kind of song that Phish fans have come to love.
Fast forward this to the 1 minute mark for an exceptionally crisp 1080 HD format version of ‘Sugar Shack’ off the new album
Some other gems off the album include:
The bluegrass boogie, Deadhead sounding track Kill Devil Falls
The uplifting and very “Billy Breathes”, title named track, the third song on the album Joy
And the 70s southern groove rock sounding track Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan
We generally think this a really solid step in the right direction for Phish after being wayward for almost a decade. True Phish fans will enjoy the album, but will be more on the lookout for any potential live discs from the 2009 shows, especially the 3 day Halloween Festival.
Additionally, Phish is releasing “Joy Box” as seen here on their website.
Joy is available on CD, and also as part of the Joy Box, a Limited Edition deluxe version and on 180 gram vinyl. The super deluxe Joy Box, which is available only at Phish Dry Goods, includes a complete second album entitled Party Time, a hard-bound book, posters, and live DVD.
The DVD features live performances from the first half of Phish’s summer 2009 tour – including footage from the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival and the Summer Tour’s opening show at Fenway Park in Boston with fully remixed (from the band’s multitrack recordings) and mastered audio.
If you are seeking live Phish concerts and information please check out the fan sites Phish.net and LivePhish.com for the latest news, MP3 and FLAC downloads of concerts and other live footage.
For updated information on the 2009 Halloween Festival aka Phish Festival 8 please visit that link for the latest information from tickets, lodging, airfare and a slew of other thing. Also be sure to check the links below as well.
10.30.09 Empire Polo Club, Indio, CA
10.31.09 Empire Polo Field, Indio, CA
11.01.09 Empire Polo Field, Indio, CA
Also we have for you a sample mixtape for you of the songs heard on this article. Please be sure click the link below and you will be able to download one or as many of the tracks we have made available for you at a remastered higher quality 192 bitrate.
Download Phish Mixtape
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