EPISODE 221.5 — 2/27/15 TWO CHARTED 160

[JulyDiaz 2797]

Harris was not just a wool gathering, bad music listening, hoodie wearing, ladies man. He was also a dear friend. In this very special episode, Howard and Stard sit down to share some of their favorite memories of the talented Harris Wittels.

[AlbinLundholm 4020]

I've come to the realization that I sort of like Phish, thanks Harris

[HotSaucerman 2051]

I love a good Howard and Stard episode, but I hate that its under these circumstances. We're all gonna miss Harris so much, but I like knowing that there's still unreleased Harris stuff out there. Like earlier today, I must have watched the Don't Stop or We'll Die video for "Lisa" about 20 times.

 

And I don't blame Howard for hating Phish. They suck. Stard made some good points, but I just don't think Trey Anastasio is a very good guitarist. His guitar solos are too long and aimlessly wandering. And they like to vamp around on one idea to the point where it becomes tedious to listen to. There's a reason why Phish gets labeled a jam band and not a jazz/fusion ensemble. I play guitar and used to play saxophone pretty seriously, so I can appreciate some good instrumental music. But I'd rather listen to a tightly constructed Jeff Beck tune, where everybody takes just 2 choruses to solo and comes in under 5 minutes, versus an extended Phish jam where Trey Anastasio dicks around for 10 minutes, playing every lick he knows.

[Jack Akimbo 70]

"He's like a warm rock. You know like a lizard tanning himself on a warm rock? He was that warm rock and the ladies were the lizards."

 

Amazing.

[Poika 615]

When they started the chart, I had a huge laugh that lasted a good couple minutes. So perfect. I needed that!

[Dhezballah 462]

It was enjoyable to hear people shit on Phish again.

[Denim Chicken 46]

Only for Harris is it appropriate to memorialize someone by shitting on their favorite music.

 

Also, here's a random sad thought I had about this whole situation: if Kulap and Scott are in Houston, who is taking care of Rocky? That was always Harris' job. I teared up when I saw the picture Kulap posted of Harris and Rocky in their matching hoodies.

[OrigamiMami 395]

Crazy! One song that doesn't have a consistent thru-line.

 

I'm thinking next weeks Whooch, will be the definitive Who Charted ep. I'd like to think it will cover more about Harris (since you all haven't been in the studio together), but if it doesn't that's okay.

Kulap's ep was heartbreaking.

Howard & Brett seemed like they were doing what they could, to keep the other from welling-up.

 

You guys are doing a great job, during a difficult time, and we support you.

[Casaba 5942]

This was perfect! I love hearing everyone's memories of Harris. This was a touching, yet funny tribute and I think that is what Harris loved: constant laughs. Thank you Stard and How for sharing your memories.

[FUCK! 189]

About 15 minutes in and as a Phish fan this is getting a little hard to listen to. It's like two people standing in front of Seurat's Sunday Afternoon and saying "HOW COULD ANYONE ENJOY THIS?!"

Still love these guys but it's only fun for a little while to listen to someone repetitively shit on something you love especially without a good explanation.

[ShemRahBrohan 124]

About 15 minutes in and as a Phish fan this is getting a little hard to listen to. It's like two people standing in front of Seurat's Sunday Afternoon and saying "HOW COULD ANYONE ENJOY THIS?!"

Still love these guys but it's only fun for a little while to listen to someone repetitively shit on something you love especially without a good explanation.

 

Lol, i'm a Phish fan too and yes it makes my skin crawl hearing people hate on it, but before i got into them i was so rabidly anti-Phish it wasn't even funny so I get it. The nerd in me always just wants to scream BUT WHAT ABOUT THE WENT GIN?!

 

STARD: i just don't see how you can't love the shredding peak of the Bowie ending! It's objectively good.

 

After almost 10 years of Phish fandom, I wish my gut would stop instinctively trying to argue in favor of Phish (and similarly the Disco Biscuits, an even more embarrassing addiction). Unfortunately I don't think it ever will.

[ShemRahBrohan 124]

SORRYSORRYSORRY I can't help it. If you like dark, nasty, balls-to-the-wall rock and roll music and don't think 18:08-19:50 of the following video is powerful as fuck, I just don't even know (purely improvised, mind you).

 

 

I'm so weak...

[dixon 5920]

Thanks for this. Great to hear the diversity of Phish's body of work, and a great tribute to Harris.

[seanotron 2307]

SORRYSORRYSORRY I can't help it. If you like dark, nasty, balls-to-the-wall rock and roll music and don't think 18:08-19:50 of the following video is powerful as fuck, I just don't even know (purely improvised, mind you).

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRtLXzIP4Gk

 

I'm so weak...

 

You and I have a completely different definition of rock n' roll.

 

But I love you for being the Harris to our collective Scott. I have no doubt that Harris would be tickled that this cosmic battle over the quality of Phish continues...

[pyide 3]

I love you guys at Who Charted and will miss Harris so much but I feel like you need to delete this episode and try again. Just so much negativity and hate compared to celebration and love. We already know you guys really don't like the band they call Phish, but beating us over the head with it for so much of the show after knowing how much Harris loved them was hard to listen to. And being disrespectful in general to the people who do somehow like them. There's a lot of shitty music out there, and Harris is one of their biggest fans that I'm aware of. It was such a weird send off for such a nice guy. I'm guessing it's not what you wanted when you set out to record this episode but that's how it came off.

 

PS: I don't know why you played that awful song 5 times instead of playing some of the live stuff Harris held in high regard and played during his own show about the band. Perhaps you would have talked more about Harris and less about that David Bowie song and how much you can't stand it

[DanEngler 5249]

I love you guys at Who Charted and will miss Harris so much but I feel like you need to delete this episode and try again.

Get. Out.

 

Edit: Harris's chief goal in life was to entertain others, even if it (frequently) required him to take the comedic bullet in the process. He embraced Phish's divisive nature and volunteered to host a podcast wherein he and his suspect taste in music were called into question. Who are you to tell Harris's actual friends how to properly memorialize him?

[ShemRahBrohan 124]

I love you guys at Who Charted and will miss Harris so much but I feel like you need to delete this episode and try again. Just so much negativity and hate compared to celebration and love. We already know you guys really don't like the band they call Phish, but beating us over the head with it for so much of the show after knowing how much Harris loved them was hard to listen to. And being disrespectful in general to the people who do somehow like them. There's a lot of shitty music out there, and Harris is one of their biggest fans that I'm aware of. It was such a weird send off for such a nice guy. I'm guessing it's not what you wanted when you set out to record this episode but that's how it came off.

 

PS: I don't know why you played that awful song 5 times instead of playing some of the live stuff Harris held in high regard and played during his own show about the band. Perhaps you would have talked more about Harris and less about that David Bowie song and how much you can't stand it

 

Giving Harris shit about Phish seems pretty ubiquitous among his friends, at least that's the impression I get from the podcastiverse. And it seemed like he embraced it. By conventional standards shitting on a recently passed person's favorite band as a memorial would be in poor taste, but in the upside-down world of comedy this seems kind of perfect.

[pyide 3]

Giving Harris shit about Phish seems pretty ubiquitous among his friends, at least that's the impression I get from the podcastiverse. And it seemed like he embraced it. By conventional standards shitting on a recently passed person's favorite band as a memorial would be in poor taste, but in the upside-down world of comedy this seems kind of perfect.

 

Oh, for sure. And it was funny for the first five minutes but they kept going back to it and then somehow 80% of the show become about how much they hate that song and band. It was just really weird and stopped being funny halfway through. After #5 I was hoping they'd play some other stuff including Don't Stop or We'll Die to honor the man.

[BrettMorris 1862]

I love you guys at Who Charted and will miss Harris so much but I feel like you need to delete this episode and try again. Just so much negativity and hate compared to celebration and love. We already know you guys really don't like the band they call Phish, but beating us over the head with it for so much of the show after knowing how much Harris loved them was hard to listen to. And being disrespectful in general to the people who do somehow like them. There's a lot of shitty music out there, and Harris is one of their biggest fans that I'm aware of. It was such a weird send off for such a nice guy. I'm guessing it's not what you wanted when you set out to record this episode but that's how it came off.

 

PS: I don't know why you played that awful song 5 times instead of playing some of the live stuff Harris held in high regard and played during his own show about the band. Perhaps you would have talked more about Harris and less about that David Bowie song and how much you can't stand it

did you know him?

[CraigEminger 468]

Ughhhh why people gotta be beefin'? Harris would've been 100% down to clown about Phish. I got a kick out of every song being a different part of David Bowie. Did you listen to the nice stuff they were saying about him in between the other bits, or just to your own thought process taking the Phish jokes too seriously because you're obviously a fan and you don't like people crapping on them? They needed that shit for levity, man, its hard to talk about a friend you've just lost. Get over it.

[BrettMorris 1862]

SORRYSORRYSORRY I can't help it. If you like dark, nasty, balls-to-the-wall rock and roll music and don't think 18:08-19:50 of the following video is powerful as fuck, I just don't even know (purely improvised, mind you).

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRtLXzIP4Gk

 

I'm so weak...

that song has the lick i learned to play harris on stage at summah summit...good memory. i kinda like the lick too.

 

but sorry, that section is absolutely not dark, nasty or balls to the wall. but like i said, some of my best friends are phish fans. i went to a show once, i've heard it all. i get it. i don't hate everything, there are moments i can dig. i respect them as musicians, respect the 5th member. trey's a legit guitarist. i just hate noodling, and the sound is just not cool to me.

[ShemRahBrohan 124]

Ha, that's rad! I laughed on the 'cast when you said "i've heard all the arguments," because i'm certain it's true. Yet still, I cannot help but try and push my beliefs onto others who have already made their opinions clear. I'm like a Jehovah's Witness that drinks and does drugs.

[OrigamiMami 395]

I'll give pyide the benefit of the doubt. Pyide is defending Phish, and trying to defend Harris' feelings about the band.

 

Pyide, I think you touched a nerve at a bad time.

Phish is an aquired taste, and Harris knew that. It's a comedy podcast, that used a singular song to represent the varied nature of Phish, out of respect & humor to Harris.

 

peace

[AndyPacheco-Fores 437]

Ughhhh why people gotta be beefin'? Harris would've been 100% down to clown about Phish. I got a kick out of every song being a different part of David Bowie. Did you listen to the nice stuff they were saying about him in between the other bits, or just to your own thought process taking the Phish jokes too seriously because you're obviously a fan and you don't like people crapping on them? They needed that shit for levity, man, its hard to talk about a friend you've just lost. Get over it.

 

Fuckin' 'Bout Phish, a podcast in which Harris came to a mutual understanding with people about Phish by gathering their wool.

[Bob Drillboids 181]

I'll never get sick of Howard's story about accidentally listening to "David Bowie."