Was it for This My Life I Sought? (Maybe So and Maybe Not)
Tuesday. I had planned on making up for yesterday's completely lame post by providing a captivating commentary about life in accounts receivable and fresh, new music to review but unfortunately that didn't plan out. It has been another busy day here. I spent a good part of the morning putting together my pre-upload spreadsheet for our receivables website. The rest of the time I have been trying to resolve some really old and ugly issues, and bring in some collection dollars. It's not too exciting, but it is keeping me busy.
I tried to have new music today to discuss, I promise. I planned to review David Gilmour's new album, but the music fairy that leaves presents for me on my computer hard drive hadn't visited all the way yet. So... I had to go with something old out of the collection. Since I haven't done Phish in a long while, I grabbed A Picture of Nectar.
Phish seems to be a fairly divisive band for some reason. A lot of people love them. A lot of people hate them. I have a strong inkling that a lot of people who never really heard them hate them simply because of the whole hippy connection.
Please don't make me do the "hippy disclaimer" thing again.
I admit that when I first heard Phish I didn't like them. I didn't like them the second, third or somewhere in the triple-digit times, either. I had my own mental obstacles to deal with, mostly concerning the ever-present comparisons to the Grateful Dead. Ok, both bands are experimental jam bands. Both bands had hordes of loyal fans that toured with them every year. But that's pretty much where the similarities end. The two bands sound nothing alike. It's like comparing oranges to apples. Any comparisons made between the two venerable jam bands are misplaced and invidious. Once I came to this realization, I allowed myself (as a Dead fan) to finally listen to Phish and to (gasp) actually enjoy them.
What I like most about Phish (and the Dead) is their innovation and experimentation on stage. It's one thing to get up and perform the same set list of hits every night, but to never play a song the same way twice and to get up there and wing it consistently in front of a crowd of thousands is absolutely amazing. Another thing I like about Phish is their lyrics. Most the time they are whimsical, somewhat nonsensical, and often tongue-in-cheek. Other times, though, they hit home amazingly like Lifeboy. However, Lifeboy isn't on A Picture of Nectar, it is on Hoist. And considering that this review is about A Picture of Nectar, I better start saying something about it fairly quickly. While every Phish album is distinctively different, A Picture of Nectar provides a fairly good overview of the band. This album was released in the early 1990's, which in my opinion, was a peak in the band's career, kind of a melding between their early experimental work and their later, more relaxed releases. I recommend not just this album, but Phish in general to every music lover. Forget your pre-conceived notions and give them a chance. If you don't like one album, try another. As I said, they are all different. Billy Breathes is a good mellow one to start if A Picture of Nectar's not your thing.
I tried to have new music today to discuss, I promise. I planned to review David Gilmour's new album, but the music fairy that leaves presents for me on my computer hard drive hadn't visited all the way yet. So... I had to go with something old out of the collection. Since I haven't done Phish in a long while, I grabbed A Picture of Nectar.
Phish seems to be a fairly divisive band for some reason. A lot of people love them. A lot of people hate them. I have a strong inkling that a lot of people who never really heard them hate them simply because of the whole hippy connection.
Please don't make me do the "hippy disclaimer" thing again.
I admit that when I first heard Phish I didn't like them. I didn't like them the second, third or somewhere in the triple-digit times, either. I had my own mental obstacles to deal with, mostly concerning the ever-present comparisons to the Grateful Dead. Ok, both bands are experimental jam bands. Both bands had hordes of loyal fans that toured with them every year. But that's pretty much where the similarities end. The two bands sound nothing alike. It's like comparing oranges to apples. Any comparisons made between the two venerable jam bands are misplaced and invidious. Once I came to this realization, I allowed myself (as a Dead fan) to finally listen to Phish and to (gasp) actually enjoy them.
What I like most about Phish (and the Dead) is their innovation and experimentation on stage. It's one thing to get up and perform the same set list of hits every night, but to never play a song the same way twice and to get up there and wing it consistently in front of a crowd of thousands is absolutely amazing. Another thing I like about Phish is their lyrics. Most the time they are whimsical, somewhat nonsensical, and often tongue-in-cheek. Other times, though, they hit home amazingly like Lifeboy. However, Lifeboy isn't on A Picture of Nectar, it is on Hoist. And considering that this review is about A Picture of Nectar, I better start saying something about it fairly quickly. While every Phish album is distinctively different, A Picture of Nectar provides a fairly good overview of the band. This album was released in the early 1990's, which in my opinion, was a peak in the band's career, kind of a melding between their early experimental work and their later, more relaxed releases. I recommend not just this album, but Phish in general to every music lover. Forget your pre-conceived notions and give them a chance. If you don't like one album, try another. As I said, they are all different. Billy Breathes is a good mellow one to start if A Picture of Nectar's not your thing.
posted by john at 4:20 PM
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