Episode 8 — Who’s Got My Goo Balls?

[robinsbruce 4985]

 

That being said, I would like to petition episode #10 be How Did Phish Get Made? with Jason Mantzoukas. Zouks spent several years abroad studying the trance-inducing qualities of indigenous music, and he is also exceptionally talented at calling out fucking garbage.

 

 

I think Besser and Zouks would both be great to have on at some point. They both have a lot of music knowledge and can argue with the best.

 

I like phish, but I LOVE how angry and dismissive people can be when confronted with their music. Harris and his continued failure are amazing podcast material. Thank you Earwolf, musical elitism has never been more entertaining.

[bardo 22]

After listening to this series, I really can't understand how anyone could like Phish. To each his own though. Thank you Harris, you're terrific!

 

Tom Scharpling was a great guest.

[wo 265]

I like phish, but I LOVE how angry and dismissive people can be when confronted with their music. Harris and his continued failure are amazing podcast material. Thank you Earwolf, musical elitism has never been more entertaining.

 

Wait, who's been angry or elitist? And has anyone other than Nick Thorburn been dismissive?

[seanotron 2307]

The only thing worse than the content of Phish songs are the titles of Phish songs.

[robinsbruce 4985]

Mostly Scott and Nick, but a lot of the people who have posted that echo their disdain more so. I wasn't trying to be a jerk, everyone's taste is different, and the best part of this show is the premise. Harris trying to get someone to like something that they don't like is funny. I probably should have used the word repulsed instead of angry. It is however, a bit elitist to say I don't like this it must be bad or their fans must be dumb which seems to be what most anti-phish people are saying.

[jerrbear1993 0]

Jack Johnson is actually one of Trey's favorite albums. Also I think a reason that it seems like Page and Trey are soloing at the same time is that it has to do with a release of one's ego. Instead of letting one person take a solo, the band options for group improvisation.

Also hearing that Harris and Tom don't like Grateful Dead has temped me to challenge them to Analyze Dead. I think the Dead is far more accessible than Phish.

Also I know this has been discussed before, but I think Harris should play whole songs. There are great jams out there that are 10 minutes or less that will be good enough to play and have talking in between or during.

[RobotsPJs 123]

Tom is hilarious. More of him.

[TacoSmith 83]

This was one of those moments where I realized how deep my unhealthy attachment to comedy nerdery runs by just how visceral my reaction to seeing that Tom was a guest on Analyze Phish was.

 

edit: I apologize for the disgusting sentence structure.

[benk 257]

This was amazing.

 

"Guitar Center Rock" !

 

 

Harris' claim that Miles Davis is "a terrible version of Phish" is just... I think the real problem in the end is that Harris has...shall I say, questionable taste?

 

If you like improvisational music with elements of prog, jazz, & funk, (which could describe both 70's Miles and also Phish), and you LOVE Phish while actively *disliking* the real classic 70's fusion stuff, its just a case of poor taste methinks!

 

I'd love to hear a version of the show where someone (like a DJ w/ legit music knowledge -- Scharpling fits the bill) tries to convince Harris that Phish actually aren't so great, by playing him better music, like actually respectable prog, 70's fusion records, etc

I do believe Harris was, as it's known in the biz, "kidding."

[Podus 108]

This was the bestest! I've listened 3 times. Haven't done that to a podcast in a long time.

[daveB from Oakland 364]

Alternate title for this ep: The Crimes of Page "Anvil Hands" McConnell

 

http://25.media.tumblr.com/8eadeb7ae03d5bf1cf779bc389cb9bbe/tumblr_mqdf50ALgJ1r8yvago1_400.gif

 

http://livemusicblog.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/ohyeahpage.gif

 

http://livemusicblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/momapage.gif

[Memphish_Boognish 249]

 

 

I think Besser and Zouks would both be great to have on at some point. They both have a lot of music knowledge and can argue with the best.

 

I like phish, but I LOVE how angry and dismissive people can be when confronted with their music. Harris and his continued failure are amazing podcast material. Thank you Earwolf, musical elitism has never been more entertaining.

 

Besser is a Phish fan, he went to college with John Paluska, Phish's early manager so Besser was seeing Phish in the late 80's in northeastern frat houses. Besser is a Phish vet

 

Also in Zouks's ep of Improv4Humans with Jessica St Clair and Lennon Parham they brought up Phish in a skit and seemed to have some knowledge anout them. Zouls went to college in Vermont in the late 80's/early 90's. I'd be shocked if he hasn't seen some Phish shows

[Syme 548]

 

Also I know this has been discussed before, but I think Harris should play whole songs. There are great jams out there that are 10 minutes or less that will be good enough to play and have talking in between or during.

 

It's been discussed on the show and the forums several times. Most people don't want to listen to an uninterrupted phish song for 10 minutes. It would make for a terrible comedy podcast. If you're listening to this actually hoping Harris might change Tom or Scott's mind, you're doing it wrong.

[Dhezballah 462]

Phish music is such a mess of noise, I feel like everyone is just playing in whatever key they feel like and the singer is just barely stringing coherent words together. Their music would be great to use in a movie when someone is having a complete mental breakdown.

[denimgremlin 1179]

hahaha i'm a bassist and an editor. oh no

[daveB from Oakland 364]

 

It's been discussed on the show and the forums several times. Most people don't want to listen to an uninterrupted phish song for 10 minutes. It would make for a terrible comedy podcast. If you're listening to this actually hoping Harris might change Tom or Scott's mind, you're doing it wrong.

 

 

How about this? Analyze Phish Mini-episodes that are done like DVD commentary tracks. So you could have one or two long Phish songs played in their entirety. Have Harris and guest(s) talk over the song throughout. Point out what parts they like/don't like, etcetera. Mix it the way DVD commentaries are mixed ... the conversation on top of the song is the main thing you wanna hear, but you have the music underneath at enough of a volume that listeners have a good idea of what's going on. If Harris requests extra attention be paid to a certain passage, everyone can hush up for a moment ... and the volume of the music turned up a little bit ...

 

Might be fun.

[Joshie 125]

.

[benk 257]

hahaha i'm a bassist and an editor. oh no

Scharpling fucking nailed it about how all editors are in shape. Weird how that is, I've never thought of it before now.

[FlanSolo 1]

Ugh. I have such mixed feelings about these podcasts. On the one hand, they are hilarious, but on the other, they make me feel so painfully self-conscious about my love for Phish. The second I recognize a song has been cued up I immediately think about all the parts of it that someone who doesn't like Phish will hate and begin to feel physically uncomfortable. Maybe this is why a lot of fans blame Harris, but it's absolutely not his fault. The game is rigged.

 

It's a bit paradoxical: to be seriously into Phish means not taking the endeavor very seriously. You have to be able to enjoy a cheesy guitar solo, or a cheesy funk song, because those are the sounds that speak to the (typically) white suburban dude who grew up in the 80's or 90's. This was best put in the episode with Nick Thorburn where he said something like, "Phish takes these jazz and funk influences, and filter it through their whiteness." I think it was the single most cutting thing I've ever heard anyone say about the band, but it's undeniably true. Liking them is about being at peace with that fact (as fans might say, to be in on the joke) or ignorant of that fact (the fans people most commonly associate with the band). If you approach it any other way you're going to hate it.

[pdxsean 241]

Tom's description of the live song sounding like each band member was on a separate stage, unable to hear one another, and just guessing what song they are all playing... that was the best way I can think of to describe why I don't like Phish.

 

This podcast is great because I love how earnest Harris is and how he appreciates how bad the music sounds almost as quickly as the guest.

 

Great episode. Can't wait for the concert episode, and I'd love to hear some Besser and Mantzoukas on here. Might be a little tough since the real charm of the podcast is people trashing the terrible music, but I'm pretty sure they can mock it and love it at the same time.

[Podus 108]

Scharplings reaction to finding out that shitty riff was one of the band members favorite had me rolling. I play guitar and don't see how that could be anyone's favorite guitar part.

[PuncturedJesus 354]

"They're like a better version of Miles Davis."

 

Less true words have never been spoken.

[PuncturedJesus 354]

http://phantasytour.com/bands/1/topics/2999948/posts?page=1

 

"The written bits between Scharpling & Wurster exist in a fictional town called Newbridge, which has tons of characters (think The Simpsons and Springfield). There might be a couple of character references in each of Wurster's calls, but each one stands on its own as a singular comedy piece. This shouldn't be such a big deal to newcomers b/c the best parts of the show nowadays are Scharpling's interactions with the normal callers imo.

 

As far as the host, Scharpling seemingly has an infinite knowledge of pop culture. I don't know 1/4 of the impressions he did in the youtube I provided, but the way he pulls that clip off is fantastic regardless.

 

The show is really like a Phish jam- it could struggle for a while to get rolling, or never reach true heights, but when the show is firing on all cylinders there isn't anything like it.

 

I'll try and dig up the Hippy Johnny call."

[nathanpierce 400]

[PuncturedJesus 354]

Between the Phish/Best Show comparison and the wikipedia edit, I've been reduced to tears.