Mystified and Misshapen, Misinformed But Not Mistaken

Thursday. Today is website upload day so I have spent the better part of the morning working on that. I am moving the database over to the pick-up site right now, so everything has gone well so far. Of course, I've probably just jinxed it by saying that.

This morning I listed to Undermind by Phish. For those who don't know, this was Phish's last album prior to their breakup. I like this album, but what strikes me as odd about it is the complete lack of experimental tracks that were the focus of earlier Phish recordings. I mean, compare this album to, say, Junta, and Undermind sounds downright poppy. There are no You Enjoy Myselfs or Run Like an Antelopes on this album. Just short, mostly radio-friendly tunes. This is probably Phish's most accessible album, which again is odd since at this point they aren't looking to increase their fan base since they have had a very large hardcore legion of fans for years. How do these "Phish phans" feel about this album? I don't recall ever hearing about a big controversy or accusations of "selling out." Personally, I like Undermind. I don't know if it is my favorite, but there are some very enjoyable tracks on this one. The title track is very catchy, as is Connection. Access Me displays Phish's typical brand of humor as does Grind. So, I guess I'm going to leave this one up to you all out there. Is this album a worthy sendoff from this outstanding band, or has this aptly named collection "undermined" a former-great's previous work? Please comment with your thoughts and/or opinions. And I mean it. A couple of days ago I tried to elicit responses out of you all regarding the direction this site should take, and I didn't get one single comment. Not even the smart aleck comments I expected. Now, I know this blog isn't flooded daily with a deluge of readers, but I know there are at least a handful of you out there, I'm tracking you in the side bar. So, leave your comments. Please.