So Much Great Music
Ever since Phish unveiled their haunted gallery of albums on Monday, there has been a distinct buzz throughout the community as people continue to discover, rediscover, and imagine Phish donning each costume. Text messages and calls have crossed the country with predictions, picks, and commands to “Check this one out!” Fans from coast to coast have been digging into these 99 albums ferociously, thanks to a mysterious Halloween blog that continues to post them. As I type this, I am listening to The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds from top to bottom for the first time ever, and though I think Phish should steer clear the vocal-centric surf pop, it’s a pleasure to hear these songs in their original context. This week, I have discovered more amazing music than any week-long period in memory, and ironically I have Phish to thank.
Who knew that old-school Genesis is incredibly psychedelic stuff? The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, their concept double-album, somewhat akin to “The Wall” but slightly groovier, is a brand new discovery for me. This could be a spectacular dark-horse choice that would make for e a ninety minute spectacle. I hadn’t listened to The Clash’s London Calling in close to a decade, and I remembered how much I love it. Filled with dub bass lines, infused with a ska-reggae vibe, and boasting a distinctly un-punk melodic framework, Phish could transform this double-album into a desert dance party.
Inspired by Brian Eno’s ambient work and collaborations with David Byrne, I plucked his solo album Before and After Science from the gallery – another unknown to me. After listening through, the electro-ambient pop only further confirmed Eno’s place in a league by himself, as a producer-musician. If Phish were to choose this, it wouldn’t be the worst idea to take a few more drops.
I’ve also sunk my ears into some The Rolling Stones albums that everyone keeps pimping as favorites for Festival 8. Revisiting “Sticky Fingers” for the first time in ages, it held up just as remembered. But I had never listened to “Exile On Main Street” in full, the Stones seminal work that spawned a generation of imitators. The raw blues-based, drug-fueled double-album has a gritty feel and flow that could make an epic Halloween set if Phish were to go the classic rock route.
One of the most engaging aspects of this 99-album melange is the variety of genres and eras covered – all of which are legitimate possibilities – we think. The Halloween set would diverge greatly if they chose the folk-rock of Bob Dylan and The Band’s Basement Tapes or King Crimson’s prog-rock epic Lark’s Tongues in Aspic. The latter would be a mind-numbing 45-minute excursion, though it might lose half the crowd. Phish’s gallery contains everything from Prince to Queen and The Roots to Rush. Compiling a virtual top-100 of all-time list, the band once again has exposed me – and most of their fans – to music never heard before; spreading the good word.
David Bowie is the only artist with three albums in the gallery and Phish had covered his music, making Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust popular predictions. Ziggy Stardust, the saga of Bowie’s apocalyptic alien protagonist who brings his message of peace and love to a world void of rock and roll, would be amazing. In addition, Phish has given a nod to more than a few of their contemporaries such as U2, Radiohead, Pearl Jam, Metallica, Jane’s Addiction, and The Beastie Boys. Radiohead’s Kid A and Jane’s Ritual de lo Habitual are the two most viable of the group, and they would both be stunning. It’s cool to a glimpse into what albums the band, themselves, like and respect.
And then there are the classics like Led Zeppelin, Traffic, Frank Zappa, Jimi Hendrix, The Grateful Dead, Steely Dan, Pink Floyd. Yes, they are all in there somewhere. Regardless of what direction Phish chooses to take, I suspect we will all be happy, and therein lies the beauty to this musical smorgasbord. But what a great way for the community to spend the time leading up to Indio. I never imagined this dynamic when the gallery appeared, but it’s been nothing but fun. I’ll be back with some final picks before we head to Indio, but until then, I’ve got some more albums to check out.
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Jams of the Day:
“Ha Ha Ha > David Bowie” 6.15.95 II
[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/ph1995-06-15d2t03.mp3,http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/ph1995-06-15d2t04.mp3]This “Bowie” from Lakewood ’95 represents the harrowing psychedelia that fans encountered nightly during this summer. A journey into the abyss was resolved later in the set by this sublime “Slave.”
“Slave to the Traffic Light 6.15.95 II
[audio:http://phishthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/ph1995-06-15d3t01.mp3]=====
DOWNLOAD OF THE DAY:
4.4.91 WOW Hall, Eugene, OR SBD < Torrent
4.4.91 WOW Hall, Eugene, OR SBD < Megaupload
This old-school nugget from Phish’s first run through the Pacific Northwest comes at you via reader request. This show is a relic from the days that Phish toured the country in a van, seeking an ever-expand fanbase fueled by dreams of what could be. Complete with band introductions, this SBD is a portrait of the band’s evolutionary era.
I: The Oh Kee Pa Ceremony > Suzy Greenberg, You Enjoy Myself, The Squirming Coil, Llama, Colonel Forbin’s Ascent > Fly Famous Mockingbird, Possum, Carolina, Golgi Apparatus
II: The Curtain > Runaway Jim, Guelah Papyrus, David Bowie, Lawn Boy, The Landlady, My Sweet One, The Divided Sky, HYHU > Love You > HYHUBig Black Furry Creature from Mars >
E: Magilla, Highway to Hell
E2: Contact, Uncle Pen
Source: SBD
Tags: 2009, Culture, Festivals, Halloween
When I saw Paul McCartney in August Thievery Corporation was the opener. I wasn’t very impressed, they seemed to just play with their lap-tops. It was cool for the first 10minutes or so, but they overstayed their welcome IMO.
Paul however, was incredible. Played 36 songs, a solid 2hrs40mins, and two encores. He played I Got A Feeling as well.
I listened to it again after albert’s insistence on its excellence this afternoon…in the context of its time it is a masterpiece, and if it floats your boat that’s fine, but I find it academically interesting at best, not artistically compelling. Harmonies: great. Arrangements: great. But it fails to move me. I find myself observing it from a distance, slightly bored, to be honest.
so yes, I find the better half of the white album much more engaging and enjoyable than Pet Sounds.
^^ agreed. 100%. As I said earlier, its still the Beach Boys!
this show is a full band fwiw
but a lot of great music is made with laptops these days
thats a weird match tho, mcCartney and theivery corp
path to Phish was friends 🙂 In the day I liked hip-hop, hard rock, alt rock and some classic rock as well.
most of the best music is made with laptops these days imo….
breaking up pretty bad right now – reminds me of hoodstream
yeah…the stream is pretty terrible now
Speaking of those Paul Mccartney shows, anyone know where one can download some of the shows from this past summer? I’d love to hear what he sounds like these days.
second half of pet sounds is boring because it sounds exactly like the first half…just gave it another try and I’m itching to change it, but now it just ended….nice
@wvbrdr – thanks for the uploads
1970 Floyd, ’69 Zeppelin and ’79 Dire Straits in mediafire share thanks to him:
http://tinyurl.com/y8ucsa7
don’t sleep on the dire straits
I wouldn’t hold out much hope for the tape deck though. Or the Creedence tapes.
burning red rocks 4 set 2 dvd. awesome!
cannot freaking wait for the gorge dvds, really hope they exist
Awesome Mitch! I’d love to get my hands on those 8/1 8/2 RR DVD’s, they sound incredible.
eno it is.
brandon,
if this burn process works out maybe we can work a b+p old school style. i’m lazy and procrastinate but if you don’t have another way email me.
tickets at facemelt dot net
just getting to read the comments, cowfunk is a pimp on the first page….
Smokey, my friend, you are entering a world of pain.
Done for real now
if anybody’s still lurking, there’s a sweet Lamb Dies video on youtube, circa whenever phil collins had a full beard and a dallas cowboys tshirt….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slLtKktbxTw
now I have my costume
lmao
Sweet! my girlfriend is SOLD on spending all her fall money on 8….that is if we can hitch though, so spread the word. If you’re coming through the midwest and have room for 2 light travelers, we will throw down.
THE YES ALBUM
Glad to see the Eno record there, but his first four solo albums in the mid-seventies were each very short and might be disappointing in trying to extend them for a “Phish” type of set.
That said, if they played Eno’s “Taking Tiger Mountain (by strategy)”–>”Another Green World”–> “Before and After Science” that would be epic and would attain a level of awesome-o-city….especially in the desert landscape of Indio….I concur with Miner that a few extra drops would be ideal.
cheers.
-onur
Corrales, NM
Thank you for this show, just what I was looking for, sounds great
((PRETZEL LOGIC @ 8))
It came to me last night….
OINGO BOINGO
The greatest SOCAL Halloween band of all time
“Deadman’s Party”
or debut album..”only a lad”