Phish
A Picture Of Nectar
Elektra (1992)
Track Listing:
1.)
Llama (Anastasio) - 3:32
2.)
Eliza (Anastasio) - 1:32
3.)
Cavern (Anastasio, Marshall, Herman) - 4:24
4.)
Poor Heart (Gordon) - 2:44
5.)
Stash (Anastasio, Marshall) - 7:11
6.)
Manteca (Fuller, Gillespie, Pozo) - 0:29
7.)
Guelah Papyrus (Anastasio, Marshall) - 5:22
8.)
Magilla (McConnell) - 2:46
9.)
The Landlady (Anastasio) - 2:56
10.)
Glide (Anastasio, Fishman, Gordon, McConnell, Marshall) - 4:13
11.)
Tweezer (Anastasio, Fishman, Gordon, McConnell) - 8:42
12.)
The Mango Song (Anastasio) - 6:23
13.)
Chalk Dust Torture (Anastasio, Marshall) - 4:36
14.)
Faht (Fishman) - 2:21
15.)
Catapult (Gordon) - 0:32
16.)
Tweezer Reprise (Anastasio, Fishman, Gordon, McConnell) - 2:39
In the early days of Phish, the band could frequently be seen playing a Burlington, VT bar by the name of
Nectar's, named for owner Nectar Rorris. He was one of the band's first and biggest fans, and it was at his bar that Phish were really able to get their start. On
A Picture Of Nectar, their major label debut, Phish paid tribute to the man who helped them get their name out there; the title is an homage to Rorris, as well as a lyric from the album track "Cavern" ...the lyric was actually used to replace the initial phrase the band had been working with for that particular song: "penile erector", but I'm sure Mr. Rorris was honored, nonetheless.
A Picture Of Nectar is quite possibly the happiest sounding Phish album. It's an album that is, for me, inextricably tied to summer listening; windows down, roadtrips with buddies, and peanut butter milkshakes are images immediately evoked for me when listening to this album. As such, it feels a little out of place to be listening to it right now, wearing a hoodie in my house while several inches of snow blanket the ground outside. Nonetheless, it is a great album; it sounds a lot like summer, and a lot like happiness to me.
The album opens with the speedy "Llama", a true showcase for all of the band, but in particular Jon Fishman.
"Llama" features Fishman playing drums flawlessly and at breakneck speed as Anastasio delivers lyrics at a rate of speed which would make Bizzy Bone (of Bone Thugz N Harmony) proud. In fact, there are still (numerous) parts of the lyrics which take me a moment distinguish. The repeated phrase, "Leave it on, press, depress depress; llama, taboot taboot," is frequently misheard as well. More than one person has told me it sounds as though he's actually saying: "Leanin' on friends, we're the best of friends; llama taboot taboot," and I can actually kind of get where they're coming from. It's not easily distinguished. Regardless, it's a rather awesome song, and definitely one which is fun and danceable. Also, keep an ear out for Gordon's bass work on this song; it's really something special.
The following track, "Eliza", a gorgeous instrumental track, departs from the overwhelming speed and urgency of "Llama", serving as a very pleasant calm after the storm, as it were. When "Eliza" ends, however, the rocking picks back up with a favorite: "Cavern".
"Cavern" is the track from which the title is taken, and recalls very funky, jazzy influence which marks much of Phish's overall sound. As with many of their songs, the lyrics are more on the side of nonsense, with a few gems which stick out to me in particular: "If you tread in primal soup, please wipe it from your shoes"; "Give the director a serpent deflector"; "Whatever you do, take care of your shoes."
There is quite a lot of fun wordplay and rhyme-y fun happening in the song, but it still stands on its own as a great piece played with the efficacy expected of the band. It's a lot of fun, and still makes me think of summer. It's a nice song.
Another great track on the album is "Stash", one of the Phishier tracks on an album which (for the most part) suffers from less experimental pieces which had been a major part of the band's sound.
The level of kickass on this particular track is almost impossible for me to articulate in the manner I would like to. Suffice it to say, this is one of the songs on this album I most highly recommend everyone listen to. It's full of sheer musical goodness, some mind-blowing "Wow!" moments, and a whole lot more. This is certainly an essential track - listen to it. (All of it.)
A Picture Of Nectar also features a Phish first - a cover. Granted, the cover clocks in at just less than 30 seconds and isn't a cover in full - but a fragmented version Dizzy Gillespie's "Manteca" does appear on the album. Aside from being the first album cover song, it's not completely remarkable on this album in any other way.
An enjoyable song on this offering is the tenth track, "Glide".
"Glide" features some pleasant playing by all four members, from the bluesy guitar work of Anastasio to the interesting percussion of Fishman, the song is really a lot of fun. It doesn't necessarily embody what I would say is the main "sound" of the band for the most part, but it really is a more unique composition. The band sings, "We're glad, glad, glad that you're alive / And we're glad, glad, glad that you'll arrive / And we're glad, glad, glad, glad, glad, glad / And we're glad, glad, glad that you're a glide." It's a very nice track indeed.
The longest track on the album, "Tweezer" is fun, funky, and a mainstay in the live rotation.
In spite of all of its positive attributes, however, "Tweezer" does have its shortcomings, as far as Phish tunes are concerned. It lacks much of the intricacy which typically goes hand in hand with many of their longer tracks, and thus lacks the epic status that songs such as "You Enjoy Myself" and "Reba" have in abundance. Bassist Mike Gordon is absolutely the star of the track. Although it does have its negatives, it does remain a really solid (and well-played) rock and roll song. It kind of fits that formula well.
A song that really doesn't fit any particular "formula", however, is the following track, "The Mango Song".
"The Mango Song" is a song from Phish's repertoire of the late eighties which had not previously received a studio recording. It's the sort of song that would be paired well with a song like
Junta's "Fee", and is a pretty bizarre little song. The chorus, "Your hands and feet are mangoes / You're gonna be a genius anyway!" is really catchy and fun. The whole song is, really. The piano and bass contributions to the song by McConnell and Gordon (respectively) are near perfection. When Anastasio joins the other three during the instrumental portion, the interlude becomes absolutely breathtakingly beautiful. The song itself is quite uptempo, but the musicianship is superb. This is another absolute essential listen in the Phish catalog.
Another track well worth mentioning is "Chalk Dust Torture", one of the dozens of Phish tunes penned by Anastasio and his songwriting partner, Tom Marshall.
The opening chords of "Chalk Dust Torture" are pure rock and roll. It's also a nice showcase for McConnell on the electric organ, a frequent fixture in their live performances. In true rock and roll style, Anastasio has a rip-roarin' solo in the song, and the repeated line, "Can I live while I'm young?" displays the youthful, rebellious rock sentiment all too well. As a true rock song, "Chalk Dust Torture" was, naturally, the song selected by Elektra Records as the band's single from the album. While it didn't chart, it is easily the most radio-friendly track on the album. Like some other album tracks, it really isn't especially exploratory, but it's just a cool song.
A Picture Of Nectar isn't Phish's best album or their most exciting album, but it's not bad overall; it's extremely solid throughout with a few surprisingly phenomenal tracks in the mix that make it worth the listen. It still screams "summer!" to me, so I may be a little biased by not being in the right mindset to appreciate this album, its being winter and all - but I still recommend it. It is their first album with a major label, and does seemingly mark a departure from the long epic songs which had been so crucial to the band in the past, but there's too much good going on with the music itself to be too upset with that.
GRADE: B
(88/100)