Where to start with Phish?

Brisk.

Have only really come across Phish from reading about them here, some of you might remember my Grateful Dead thread which was very very very useful and its basically the same thing i want to do here.I dont know anything about this band really apart from the odd youtube video i watched becuase people said it was amazing on the board.

Just give me an extensive list as possible as to what albums/bootlegs etc to get to begin my Phish journey.


***EDIT*** - I am aware they are quite the live band too? perhaps better than live? If this is the case then let me know some shows i should get, i can get pretty much anything so just let me know.

Thanks for anyone who helps out, i know some people may take loooads of time and its greatly appreciated If you need any PJ bootlegs then let me know and i coudl help out

jervin007

I would definitely check out Rift, Billy Breathes, and Picture of Nectar for studio albums. For bootlegs, etc. their New Years shows are always epic. Also focus on the nineties (probably between 1994-1998) for live material. They were really tearing it up during those years. Releases such as "Hampton Comes Alive" are great at well.

Enjoy the journey!

soulsinging

With another band

I kid! I know nothing about Phish really

drew0

Get The Island Tour (4/2/98, 4/3/98, 4/4/98, 4/5/98)

Easiest way to get into Phish - four flawless shows at the their peak. Funk, tight jams ... it doesn't get better (until you get into Fall '97).

If you like it funky, get Live Phish 11 & Live Phish - Dayton, OH 12/7/97.

Also try to grab At The Roxy, A Live One, or New Year's 1995.

Actually, here is a compilation that someone made of remastered soundboard recordings from Phish at their ultimate peak, the Fall 1997 Tour. It's free, legal, and able to be downloaded. Flawless from start to finish - some of the greatest live music I've ever heard.

http://andykaufman.tumblr.com/post/7941 ... soundboard

<---- Download that. If you like it, purchase either the Island Tour, Live Phish 11, or Dayton 12/7/97.

If you want to try something from a different era, I suggest At The Roxy or getting your hands on 6/11/94 or 6/18/94.

TallGuyCM

I like Billy Breathes the best of their studio albums.

Hampton Comes Alive was an xmas gift I got from my little bro that is fantastic.

I dunno, it's kind of hard to say really. They just have so much material that it's really hit or miss with what might grab you and what you might not dig as much.

Edit: DEFINITELY check out Junta early on!

battan1120

The Glens Falls,NY Halloween Show.They did the Beatles "White Album".

fotd

The album that turned me onto Phish is the "Story of the Ghost." Anything prior to that album and you will hear some amazing guitar work, after and trey's drug problems really became evident. as far as live albums go my favorite is Hampton Comes Alive.

12345AGNST1

I have live in brooklyn 2004 and I think its really damn good.

My favorite studio albums from them are definately a picture of nectar and story of a ghost.

gusturtle

personally, i liked phish the best when they were on hiatus.

drew0

Hampton Comes Alive is a classic.

The Moma Dance -> Free on "Live in Brooklyn" is one of the funkiest, tastiest jams that I have EVER heard.

OneTooFree

studio albums
Rift, Hoist, & Lawn Boy

A LIVE ONE is a great place to start as well. they took some of their best single song performances from '94 and put them together on that double disc album. this is the album that got me hooked


as for live shows, there are way too many great shows to name so i'll list off my 5 favorite shows with links to their pages on Phishows.com, a great FREE site where you can Stream and/or DL (in .zipped mp3s) almost every show Phish has done:

08.28.93 - Berkeley, CA
12.30.93 - Portland, ME
10.21.95 - Lincoln, NE (no stream on Phishows.com)
11.22.97 - Hampton, VA
12.07.97 - Dayton, OH

LukinFan

LIVE boots!!!!

fanch75

Screw Phish. Go pick up the first Buckcherry album Buckcherry and then pickup 15. Real rock and roll for people with balls.

Oh, and pick up Timebomb too. It may make you go do some illegal activities, though.

InHiding19

I wouldn't mess around with the studio albums very much, since its all about their live shows. Pretty much anything from the mid 1990s is supurb, since it was in their haydays.

You must look into
12/31/95 - possibly their greatest performance ever
Halloween 1996 The first set is fucken killer with a sick Icculus followed by the Divded Sky
The Clifford Ball DVD this is just amazing


Those are good places to start.

Back_Pedal

fanch75 wrote:

Screw Phish. Go pick up the first Buckcherry album Buckcherry and then pickup 15. Real rock and roll for people with balls.

Oh, and pick up Timebomb too. It may make you go do some illegal activities, though.

Buckcherry blows. What defines "real" rock and roll, anyway?

whygo

you want rock? go w/Widespread Panic. you want noodly jamband shit, go w/Fish... they fucking blow I tell ya... I've tried over & over to listen to them & they just don't do it.... give it up. different strokes?

InHiding19

Oh yeah I wouldn't download to many shows from the post hiatus tours (2002 and on). They were def not as vibrant during that era. However, the shows they played in Hampton this March sound fantastic!

OneTooFree

whygo wrote:

you want rock? go w/Widespread Panic. you want noodly jamband shit, go w/Fish... they fucking blow I tell ya... I've tried over & over to listen to them & they just don't do it.... give it up. different strokes?

i don't consider Phish to be that noodley (think moe. or Umphrey's McGee for that adjective)

but Widespread Panic definitely kicks ass too. plus, the crowds at their shows are a bit more of the hot southern girl persuasion :twisted:

DewieCox

FuzzyDunlop wrote:

whygo wrote:

you want rock? go w/Widespread Panic. you want noodly jamband shit, go w/Fish... they fucking blow I tell ya... I've tried over & over to listen to them & they just don't do it.... give it up. different strokes?

i don't consider Phish to be that noodley (think moe. or Umphrey's McGee for that adjective)

but Widespread Panic definitely kicks ass too. plus, the crowds at their shows are a bit more of the hot southern girl persuasion :twisted:

Admittedly, I've only heard a bit of Umphrey's and moe, but I don't think it gets much noodlier than Phish.

From what I can tell, there is a lot more rock influence on Umphrey's and moe. I think Trey's jazziness makes him sound really noodly, compared to them.

Zoso

from what I have heard they are as weak as water... I would delve into MMJ, The Hold Steady, Ryan Adams, Sonic Youth, Wilco, The Black Keys or Okkervil River before I even touched Phish...

OneTooFree

just thought i'd up this thread b/c http://www.Phishows.com is back up after some server problems!

it is definitely worth a visit for anyone who likes the band or wants to start getting acquainted with their live performances


i should also add another show to my recommendations. in July of '91, Phish toured with the Giant Country Horns and, imo, the brass section adds an amazing layer to Phish's music. if you have not heard the 07.21.91 show from Parksville, NY you should really check it out

Hatfield78

Phish is a great live band but the studio albums are not to be missed.

To get your feet wet, i would start with Farmhouse. It is an easy record to connect to and shows off their song writing talent. You can put that one on for your girl thats into Dave and Jack Johnson or your dad who likes James Taylor. Farmhouse is a great record.

Rift is one of the best albums of the 90's and Maze is one of THE BEST jam band songs recorded in a studio. Unbeilevalbe, the energy they produce together and it just keeps on builiding so fluidly.

Billy Breathes is a really good record as well.

Have a good time with the music.

dustinpardue

frogwater wrote:

personally, i liked phish the best when they were on hiatus.

haha i couldn't have said it better!