Formed in
Burlington,
Vermont in 1983, Phish has become the quintessential
jam band. Formed by
Vocalist/
Guitarist Trey Anastasio, drummer
Jon Fishman, and guitarist
Jeff Holdsworth in 1983 while all were attending
University of Vermont, the band soon added
bassist Mike Gordon who responded to ads placed on campus.
Page McConnell, who learned of Phish when they played a concert series he organized at nearby
Goddard College, soon joined as a keyboardist. Shortly afterwards, Holdsworth left, and in 1986
Anastasio and
Fishman transferred to Goddard College.
After bouncing around with an indie label for their first releases (Junta and Lawn Boy), Phish was signed by Elektra Records in 1991 and released A Picture of Nectar, named for the club that gave them their first break (Nectar's). The rest is history. The band has molded and shaped their sound to become the foremost jam rock band.
And I haven't even mentioned their incredible live shows. The are notorious for their Halloween and New Year's Eve shows, they have made the experience of attending one of their shows something that may even surpass those of the Grateful Dead. When they come back from hiatus, check it out. Until then, go to Live Phish and you can check out about that aspect of their recording.
Discography:
- 1988 Junta -- Originally a concert only cassette, this has been re-released by Elektra as a 2 CD set, that includes several favorites including David Bowie, You Enjoy Myself, and Contact.
- 1991 Lawn Boy -- My favorite album, the title track is one of my favorite tracks.
- 1991 A Picture of Nectar -- The album I've been told is the best introduction to the band, Tweezer and Stash were instant classics.
- 1993 Rift -- Their first concept album, this album contains Weigh which highlights their lightheartedness
- 1994 Hoist -- Hitting the big time (heh) this album, Down With Disease even got MTV play
- 1995 A Live One (live) -- After a decade of allowing live taping and whatnot, Phish finally released a commercial live album with this 2-CD set, which made Bouncing Around The Room, originally from Lawn Boy a radio hit.
- 1996 Billy Breathes -- A further progression of their sound, while slightly more pop-driven, this album contains several excellent tracks, including Theme from the Bottom, and the radio popular Free.
- 1997 Slip, Stitch & Pass (live) -- A second live album, this contains their cover of Talking Heads' Cities as well as several other fan favorites.
- 1998 The Story of the Ghost -- Another concept album, they stumble a bit here with perhaps their weakest album. Of course, thats just my opinion
- 1999 Hampton Comes Alive (live) -- A glorious 6-CD box set recorded at the Hampton Colisseum in Hapton Roads, Virginia, this disc contains countless fan favorites, including covers of Sabotage, Boogie on Reggae Woman and Gettin' Jiggy With It
- 2000 Farmhouse -- An excellent album that harkens back to earlier discs, the title track was an old
live-only fan favorite, and contains excellent tracks lke Gotta Jiboo and First Tube
- 2000 The Siket Disc -- Named for engineer and mixer John Siket, this disc was released to fill the void while the band is on hiatus to pursue solo careers. It contains tracks recorded during the Ghost sessions, but have a more improvisational feel.