ThePhanastasio

"You'll never get out of this maze."

Track Listing:
1. Rift (Anastasio, Marshall) - 6:13
2. Fast Enough for You (Anastasio, Marshall) - 4:51
3. Lengthwise (Fishman) - 1:19
4. Maze (Anastasio, Marshall) - 8:13
5. Sparkle (Anastasio, Marshall) - 3:54
6. Horn (Anastasio, Marshall) - 3:37
7. The Wedge (Anastasio, Marshall) - 4:07
8. My Friend, My Friend (Anastasio, Marshall) - 6:09
9. Weigh (Gordon) - 5:08
10. All Things Reconsidered (Anastasio, Marshall) - 2:32
11. Mound (Gordon) - 6:02
12. It's Ice (Anastasio, Marshall) - 8:14
13. Lengthwise (Fishman) - 0:34
14. The Horse (Anastasio, Marshall) - 1:23
15. Silent in the Morning (Anastasio, Marshall) - 5:28

Phish is a four piece "jam band" initially formed at the University of Vermont in 1983. In 1985, the line-up was solidified with the addition of Page McConnell (keyboards, vocals) and with original founding members Trey Anastasio, (guitar, vocals) Mike Gordon, (bass, vocals) and Jon Fishman (drums, vacuum cleaner, trombone, vocals), Phish as we know it was officially born.

Phish, self-described as "cow funk" by guitarist / vocalist Anastasio, are probably best known for their explosive live shows full of extended improvisational jams, amazing light design (by long-time friend Chris Kuroda), and interesting onstage antics (band members jumping on trampolines, playing chess with the audience, drummer Fishman playing vacuum cleaner). Many, however, remain clueless regarding the studio work of this band which has released 14 studio albums to date.

In 1993, Phish released their 6th studio album Rift, a concept album which Anastasio described as being literally about a man attempting to fall to sleep while thinking on a "rift" in his relationship.

Rift: The opening track of the record does not disappoint; like the majority of songs in Phish's repertoire, the lyrics were penned by Anastasio's friend and songwriting partner Tom Marshall, with music composed by Anastasio. "Rift" features vocal harmonies, which are often found on recordings by the band, with Anastasio and McConnell splitting lead vocal duties. The instrumental portion of the song is beautifully composed with an exceptional guitar work by Anastasio, in addition to an equally gorgeous solo on keys by McConnell. This track is put together superbly, all men shining in their roles and is a very good example of what Phish can do as a unit.

Fast Enough For You: Contrary to what the title implies, "Fast Enough For You" is a very down tempo piece. It is transitioned into beautifully from the first track, and features exceptional percussion from Fishman (for whom the band is named). Lyrically, the song could afford to be stronger, but musically, the song is wonderful. The twangy guitar work is akin to what one would expect to hear from a country song, but it fits the overall vibe quite well.

Lengthwise: Penned by drummer Jon Fishman, "Lengthwise" clocks in at less than a minute and a half. In stark contrast to the two tracks preceding, "Lengthwise" thrives on its own minimalism, and is short, sweet, and to the point. While not the best track on the album by any stretch of the imagination, it serves its purpose quite well. It fits into the mix like a puzzle piece with interesting sound effects of snoring and almost eerie sing-song vocals echoing lightly, slowly gaining volume as the song progresses. It definitely gives the vibe of the subject falling asleep, and the lyrics are simplistic and appropriate.

Maze: At over eight minutes, "Maze" is the second longest track on the album, one second shorter than "It's Ice". It is very intricately layered and has ultimately more of a "rock" vibe than many of the songs on the album with much heavier instrumentals than the tracks preceding. The song is an interesting view of the things running through the subject's mind, including the "voice in (his) head repeating the phrase: You've lost it. You'll never get out of this maze." The extended instrumental portion of this song is a wonderful listening experience, and aids in continuing the story of the man without ever becoming overly self-indulgent. It's a very superb track.

Sparkle: "Sparkle" is ultimately an overall solid track. It seems at first to have more pop-rock sensibility than many songs in the Phish catalog. It does, however, devolve into an almost bluegrassy vibe midway through the song with the repetition of "Laugh and laughing, fall apart" and the tempo change. Not one of the better songs on the album, but it does still fit into the mix.

Horn: There is more vocal harmony to begin this one, but when Anastasio takes over the vocals, the melody is extremely solid and pleasing to the ear. Much like "Rift", this song has a beautiful guitar solo, and amazing work by Page McConnell on keys. While not nearly as layered as many of Phish's songs, this is a splendid tune, and one of the best on the album. There are two very distinct parts of this song, but it feels a lot less complex than many of their other tracks.

The Wedge: This song is a whole lot of fun. The instrumentation on this one is definitely more on the funky side, and the vocals are mostly delivered in unison by Anastasio and McConnell. This song sounds more like what people expect to hear from a jam band, with superb standout work by bassist Gordon. The melody itself is not particularly complex, but the song is quite upbeat in sound, and enjoyable.

My Friend, My Friend: With a wonderful, almost whimsical extended intro, "My Friend, My Friend" is a gem. When the song really kicks into high gear, about two minutes in, it becomes darker. Ultimately, the song doesn't appear to tie into the overall theme of the album as seamlessly as many of the other songs, but this is made up for by what a superb song it really is. The repeated phrase, "My friend, my friend, he's got a knife" is very likely to get stuck in one's head for days, but in a good way. This track is one of the standouts of the album.

Weigh: One of two songs on the album penned by bassist Gordon, "Weigh" is an interesting, more jazzy number. As can be imagined, the bass work of Gordon really shines on this track. Gordon also delivers the lead vocals on the song. Melodically, it's a bit different than most of the material offered on the album, and changes the pace in an interesting way. This is one of the reasons the album as a whole is so listenable: Very diverse, but ultimately a neat package. It's very well done. In a way, this song reminds me a lot of the composition of many Queen songs, such as "Seaside Rendezvous" and "The Millionaire Waltz". It's not one of my personal favorite songs on the album, but it is a nice change of pace to be sure.

All Things Reconsidered: This track is just about different in every way from the track preceding. It features Trey Anastasio's trademark guitar work, and sounds quite fun, almost carnival-like in places. A fully instrumental track, it fits very nicely into the mix, transitioning well into the second Gordon song on the album, "Mound".

Mound: This is another more jazzy number from Gordon. Vocal harmonies abound, with Gordon ultimately taking charge of the lead vocals. Very uptempo, catchy, and fun. Gordon's songs tend to have intriguing composition, and this is no exception. It's absolutely wonderful, and the better of the two Gordon tracks on the album.

It's Ice: The longest track on the album, "It's Ice" is, in many ways inferior to the earlier 8+ minute track on the album, "Maze". It is, however, respectable in its right. From the get-go, "It's Ice" is interesting, albeit a little repetitive in points. It feels as though it could easily have been a much shorter song if much of the repetition was done away with, and it doesn't feel as necessary to the song as a whole as it did in "Maze". Lead vocals are taken by McConnell who does a good job with the material. The musical interlude is not as strong as that of "Maze" either, (although there are certainly shining moments!) but the song itself does serve to progress the story quite nicely.

Lengthwise: Basically a reprise of the earlier "Lengthwise" on the album, and also written by Fishman, "Lengthwise" is perfectly placed and assists beautifully in tying the second half of the album to the first. Eerily layered vocals make this (shorter) "Lengthwise" a bit more unsettling than the earlier one on the album.

The Horse: Ultimately, "The Horse" feels in many ways much more like an extended intro into the following track, "Silent In the Morning". In fact, when played live, "The Horse" is almost always followed by "Silent In the Morning". It's very brief, but definitely fits quite well into the whole album.

Silent In the Morning: The closing track to the album, "Silent In the Morning" is a very wonderful track. It closes the album extremely well, and is well-sang by McConnell with backing vocals by Anastasio. It feels like a fitting epilogue to the restless night of near-sleeplessness experienced by the subject of this album. It's a wonderful song.

As a whole, this is a wonderful album. The whole thing is dependent on each part to function as a whole, and that's pleasing to hear from an album. The instrumentals by each member and their contributions to the album serve to make this one of my favorite Phish albums, and just a darn good album in general.