Episode 5 — Analyze Phish Episode 3

[ottosjacket 0]

Nice show, better job at selling the band, but you left out the hard rocker Maze. As far as Scott being an assjacket about the goofy lyrics, Harris could delve into the story behind them, set them up a bit better. But Scott was crying about Harry Hood before a note was played, take him to a show, then have episode four and if he still doesn't like 'em then he can just continue to listen to Prince and dance music!

Now fuck off dickface!! Jk

[OGRastamon 4]

Jam = Marginally Adept Jazz for Stoners. Why don't you hippies take your mushrooms and goo balls to a Chick Corea show.

[jerrbear1993 0]

Chick Corea is great. Especially with Return of Forever and Miles Davis. Actually in Phish's early days, they used to cover jazz tunes like Take the A Train, Mr. PC, Phase Dance, Satin Doll, Blue Monk, and they even had a jazz original called Flat Fee.

[clemi28 0]

I just found this show today. It was pretty awesome and funny. I've listened to Phish off and on while they were on hiatus but it wasn't until my first show at SPAC that I really began to love them. Bowie would have probably been a good song to play ( lots of jamming and minimal singing). I have a friend who is a huge dead fan and really dislike phish although he did sit through a couch tour with my friend and I a few months back. He definitely still continues to mock them (very much like Scott and its hilarious), but he does agree that they are very talented musicians. The lyrics are just way too silly (he doesn't mind the singing as much). He did say that he will go to a show with my friend and I at MSG so he can experience the real thing.

I will be there for all four nights

[To the Traffic Light Slave 0]

In introducing someone to Phish, it's important to set the ground a bit first and not just start playing the music. First off, Phish is a modern-day vaudeville act. That is, each show has many parts and there are many narratives woven throughout Phish's catalog. There are jokes, pure absurdity, and lots of antics one should expect. This is not something to "get past" but something to embrace. It's basically a reminder not to get too serious no matter what or you'll lose your ability to have fun, like Wilson the Duke of Lizards did and like the Book written by the great and knowledgeable Icculus tells us - by the way, you must Read Icculus. Ridiculous, right? There you have it. That's part of the fun.

But it goes deeper. There are also stories within stories. There is an entire album's worth of songs, Rift, which is essentially about a tragic divorce and all the anger and sadness and loneliness that led to it and came from it. That's not funny stuff at all. But it's there. And it may emerge as a major theme in your next show. There are religious and spiritual references, as in Ghost or Bug.

There are songs about getting lost in too much of a good time to have a good time, as in Joy or Sparkle. In essence, real life abounds in the songs and I am speaking specifically about the lyrics.

But never are the lyrics so direct as to be forceful - like the music itself - it is always open for interpretation and new meanings. It's part of the mystery and enjoyment in a Phish to figure out what it means to you at the moment in your life. It changes over time.

Then there is the music. Phish are one of the most technically proficient rock bands to ever take a stage. They have rehearsed complex and lengthy original compositions to the point where they can play them note-for-note in their sleep and still manage to completely tear the roof off an auditorium. They do often play their more complex pieces, like say Divided Sky, exactly as it was written almost 30 years ago. That proficiency is impressive but it's not all they do. That level of intricacy and musical understanding is the basis for which they take off into jamland and it is what makes them different from any other "jam band" out there - a genre I pretty much can not stand save for Grateful Dead and Phish, because other bands just play three freakin chords for 30 mins. Phish can literally go anywhere at any time and neither the audience nor the band has advance notice of where that will be. Given that they can make you laugh, make you cry, make you scared of your best friend who is standing next to you at a show, or make you want to hug a stranger in the aisle - it's thrilling. As long as you are there to enjoy the ride, and not bound to a particular destination, there is no other live show that can compare. You will enjoy yourself beyond measure if you take it all in stride.

As for the name, Phish, it is not merely a reference to the drummer but also a reference to all of the above. They aren't married to a style or sound, they are out there on stage with a Mary Poppins size bag of musical tricks and they are fishing for what comes next, what sums up the feeling between themselves and in the audience, in essence, what is the musical statement that takes everything we can see, feel, and know about that night, and best communicates it for the collective experience. That's what Phish does. And never too seriously as to be mistaken for complete assholes.

[Fallopian_Dude 0]

Great series! I've completely squandered my afternoon listening to these things. Fuck. Oh well. Episode 3 had some choice cuts. My only grumble is that there was no Reba love. Judging by the way Scott and Adam responded to Hood and Slave, I think Reba would have been a hit.

[To the Traffic Light Slave 0]

Also, that Chick Corea post is pretty pretentious. I, like many Phish fans and the band itself, do go see live jazz and listen to the greats like Mingus, Coletrane, Miles, and other stuff like Sun Ra, Weather Report, and Pat Metheny Group. Too many assumptions makes you an ass. My most recent concert was this week. I saw the Boston Symphony Orchestra play Mahler and Ravel. It was awesome. If Phish were here this weekend, I'd be going to that too.

[janus1172 11]

Ok to jump on this jazz run up: I'm also a big jazz fan and have played in jazz groups off and on. I watched the above video including a turn with Take the A Train. I would rate the improvisation throughout at about the level of a competent state university jazz ensemble. That is, perfectly fine, but nothing to write home about at all. But also nothing I'd want to sit through 3 hours of.

That's been my experience of Phish throughout listening to this podcast: so so singing, so so to silly lyrics (which can be fine if I "got" the joke more), and so so improvisation. It seems like every aspect of the band I could find better elsewhere. But they do bring together a lot of elements, which produces a unique product. There's just not a hook in any of it for me.

[jerrbear1993 0]

At least you repect it enough.
Here's some other videos of Phish doing different musical things for people to watch

The only example of a rock band during a modern day fugue:

[huskerdude 3]

I just want to thank Harris for doing all the research for me to prove that Phish is the worst band of the past 20 years. Bravo!

[jerrbear1993 0]

All haters watch the links I posted

[senorhop 0]

Great ep. Smart to play some 90s shit when Trey could still play. Slight bone to pick with "Harrison" though. The first song you played was YEM which was the Live One version from 1994. You said you were there...you were not there. Busted!

[bobbylewis222 0]

Harris,

Being the Phish elitist as I am, I need people around me to like Phish. That and the fact that everyone thinks you're an idiot for liking Phish until they find themselves liking Phish. In my seasoned travels of forcing my favorite music on people, I have found the way to show somebody Phish is to start with their studio albums (believe it or not) because of how accessible they are compared to jams. Get them hooked on that shit and then slowly bring in some of the famous jams (ie Mike's Song from the NYE 1995 show, for example). I feel that showing them only parts of the jams really makes it hard for the newbs to swallow as a tune, which they need to do in order to become a phan. Another smart thing to do might be to show them longer compositions without jams (like Fluffhead, Foam, It's Ice) because it's impossible to not be impressed by them. At any rate, I do not believe showing them pieces of songs is the way to go.

Word brehhhh,
Bobby

[bclennox 0]

If Scott likes the jams but he doesn't like the happy, play him Reba from the 1996 Clifford Ball (08.17.1996). It's an intensely beautiful melancholy jam, lots of tension/release, lots of Page on Rhodes and piano.

[Colonel Phorbin 0]

I usually try to introduce people the same way I got into them. Gotta Jiboo was my first song, then Run Like an Antelope, Chalkdust Torture, and Stash. I remember it vividly for some reason that I burned those songs on CD's when I was in high school. Then somebody gave me Tinley Park 8/14/93 and all bets were off. The entire 2nd disc of that show is STILL my favorite music the band ever created. I can't wait to hear what Scott thinks after NYE and I wish I could be there with him!

Anyone know what show the Bathtub Gin is from at the end??

[jz 0]

@Timothy

Great Went
8-17-97

[ChancerNYC 0]

Analyze Your Sex Life is what this should be called. If you replace the subject of them talking about Phish for the subject of Sex, you have a (way) longer version of that failed gameshow "Gay, Straight or Taken" (more like Gay, Straight and On The Fence). Harris, Scott and Adam (yes in that order!) thank you for many laughs and for being so honestly revealing!
Oh and Scott, I can answer your question-- NOONE is getting it on at those shows unless your drug induced haze finely blurs out all the white-men-overbites. Godspeed. I'll definitely tune in to Episode 4, ladies.

[ProppaT 13]

Hey Scott, I'm not sure which John Frusciante album you were talking about, but you definitely need to check out Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-Shirt (back in print) and Curtains (which may or may not have been the one you were talking about). Frusciante's solo albums are incredible.

[EvJones 0]

Just caught word that a friend of a friend bumped into ol' Hot Saucerman at the New Years Eve Phish show at MSG last night. He stopped one of his friends and got him for a brief interview. Also said that Saucerman did looked to be pretty spun out. So it sounds like ol' Scott-o-bot followed through with both of his promises. I'm guessing we should have a pretty amazing episode on the horizon! Can't wait to hear about the experience, although I'm doubtful that going to the show has really swayed Scott's opinions in anyway, even if it WAS accompanied by MDMA and nitrous balloons.

EvJones (EvJones.carbonmade.com)

[apeiken 0]

OK, well here's my 2 cents for all those who have demanded it...

The attempts to win Scott over have been decent, but misguided. Scott needs to learn HOW to listen to Phish. This is even more crucial than the song choices. Here are some tips:

1. LEARN TO SAY YES! One of the most important things for people getting into Phish is to let go of the need to define oneself by preconceived notions of what they think is cool. Negative prejudices must be curbed. Sure, some of the lyrics are silly or blatantly simple (Halley's Comet, Dinner & A Movie, Free...) Sure, people spinning around at shows can look funny. Trey's vocals could be stronger as well. Frankly, none of that matters. Being critical of the music or scene in such a way is the equivalent of writing overly analytical reviews of a sunset, rather than just sitting back and appreciating one in the moment. The music of Phish is a vehicle meant to take you on a journey. If you're a passenger in a traveling car, you need to appreciate where you're going and the experience of the ride, more than the qualities of the car itself.

2. CULTIVATE PATIENCE. Everyone involved with this podcast needs to be more patient. That means playing ENTIRE songs, rather than just skipping around within jams. Jams out of context mean nothing. Also, reactions to the song can not take place immediately, while the song is still playing. You can't listen, think, and talk all at the same time. I know that doesn't lend itself to a podcast necessarily, but which is the main goal here: making good radio or trying to help someone get into a band? Comedians are professionals at thinking on their feet - attempting to be witty, smart and funny at any given moment that they think their audience is listening. In the case of Phish, you have to let go of these ego based strategies and just patiently listen instead.

3. INVOKE JAZZ. Sure, Phish is rock music. But it can't be listened to the same way that you listen to the average rock band. It has more in common with the structure of jazz music and it might help to approach it in the same way. Listening to how these very talented musicians communicate with each other through their playing is more important than looking for a catchy tune or a chorus hook.

4. THE LIVE SHOW EXPERIENCE. I'm glad that (at this point) that Scott made it to a show. I look forward to hearing how it went down. WHY this is necessary hasn't been fully discussed, though. The vibe of the crowd is a big part of it - the energy, passion and excitement is impossible to miss by anyone who is open to the positive experience. Certainly the drugs count for something as well. They are not necessary to enjoy the music, but certain ones (especially the psychedelics) will help to bust the ego and take self consciousness out of the equation - leaving just the energies and the musical journey to experience.

5. TURN THE SPOTLIGHT ON TO SCOTT. Ok, not everyone has to like everything. Not every band or genre is for everyone. BUT - a lot of Scott's objections to Phish seem to have to do with his judgment of the fans, his past experiences with people who like the band, and a subconscious need to maintain his self image in relation to these prejudices. I personally am not a religious person, but I do attempt to understand and participate in the spiritual customs of others without allowing any personal judgment to creep in. I know that certain paths work for certain people, and to be critical about such things says more about myself than it does about the validity of the practices. In order to understand Phish fans and the music that inspires them, you have to approach (most of them at least) as members of a spiritual movement - not just fans of a rock band.

Above all else, thanks for an entertaining podcast.

-Adam
pike@alumni.usc.edu

[Elki 0]

All I know of Phish is what I've heard on these podcasts, and while I have no strong opinions about their music I still hope Scott will end this series holding on to his opinion of not liking Phish, and possibly breaking Harris in the process. I can't wait to listen to episode 4.

[teknicald 0]

Oh sweet Mary. I am waiting for episode 4 as if a litter of puppies were being birthed in my kitchen. I need to know asap how the show went.
Next up death metal and moly can you stay sorted?

[artimus60 0]

OK guys - where's the show?

[giantbluewhale 0]

Do a new one! This show is great and bring back adam scott. DREAM TEAM Y'ALL

[jdisk 0]

Are there no new shows because Scott likes phish now after going to a show?