As a part of their "Live Phish" series, Phish will release four sets of CDs (four discs per set) of their famed Halloween concerts where they don a "musical costume" and play an entire album by another band for one of the three sets. Here's what they're releasing: 1994: The Beatles "White Album" 1995: The Who "Quadrophenia" 1996: Talking Heads "Remain In Light" (I was at this one) 1998: Velvet Underground "Loaded" Each of these sets is sandwiched by two sets of Phish's music. Needless to say, spread out over four CDs, those were some long nights. They don't get released publicly until 10/29, but I got them yesterday via Phish's website. I'm listening to the Beatles right now, they are doing a good job..(including their bluegrass rendition of "Don't Pass Me By.") I was at the Talking Heads one and it was awesome. It will be interesting to finally listen to all of these. I wish they had released when they did all of Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" two nights after they did the Velvet Underground. I'm sure you all will have plenty to say about this. Some will consider it tribute/homage, and others will consider it heresy.
Who cares? Actually, they're ok, in a Grateful Dead hippyish take a lot of acid to appreciate them way.
Phish, can (and does) do more than just noodle and wank around like the Dead. Trey Anastasio has written compositions that have been performed by several orchestras. I think comparing them to Frank Zappa is a much more accurate comparison than the Grateful Dead. The only reason they get compared to the Dead is because the improvise a lot.
I certainly wouldn't classify myself as a "Phish-head" (primarily because I hold a job, bathe, don't use drugs, don't travel all around the country watching them, etc.) The reason I get a little defensive over them is because they get lumped in with all those other mind-numbingly bland jam bands that I can't stand. Phish, Midnight Oil, Ghostwriters, Talking Heads, Sixteen Horsepower and a few others are pretty much the only groups I listen to that aren't classical, traditional, jazz, world music, etc, so I rush to their defence a little overzealously sometimes. Especially since I know many composers, musicians, etc. that don't listen to any rock music besides Phish & Zappa.
I'm surprised they were able to release these shows commercially, figuring copyright rules would get in the way. I used to be big into Phish, but I never really got that excited about the Halloween shows. They always came across as gimmicky to me. But I agree, the Remain in Light show is tremendous. If nothing else, I'll buy that one for their great cover of Crosseyed and Painless. I agree with you, nicodemus, it's tough to be a fan of phish and not get lumped together with those lowlife "hippies" that leech off the band. I like the band, but I don't use drugs, I'm in the Army, and I don't have dreads. But that's probably why I'm not into the scene anymore. By the way, I don't know very much about jam-bands anymore, but I'll take String Cheese Incident over Phish any day.
Its just like anything else, if you want to cover one song, you pay for the rights to release it. In this case, they just had to pay for the rights to about 60 songs. That's one thing you have to give them though, they spare no amount of trouble to get this kind of stuff to the fans. The great thing is each 4 CD set costs only $25. Many other bands could take a lesson from that.