Phish - The Story of the Ghost Album Reaction

[@cerqs76]

Walter. Here’s the deal. And I mean from the bottom of my heart. Phish is the best band to have ever walked the face of the earth

[@whitmatthews6740]

Man I have so many notes for you, most of which have been covered, but I will say this. It's been awesome watching you experience these albums for the first time; I heard them in my teens and most of the songs mean something completely different to me than what you're taking away from them. In many cases you're finding meaning in the lyrics that I never even considered - for instance, for me Brian & Robert was never a song that was meant for me. It was about "those people", the lonely, depressed people that can't experience joy and see the negative side of everything. I've always been annoyingly upbeat and positive, and I don't think I ever really related to this song until my 40s, but hearing it now and seeing your perspective I'm relating to it in a way I never did before. I love that and that's one of the reasons I'm really enjoying these reaction videos. Couple notes on the album - as many have already mentioned, a lot of the times you thought Trey's voice sounded weird it wasn't Trey singing. In fact I didn't realize how much Fishman (technically the worst singer of the band, but his voice has a certain lighthearted charm to it) sings on this album. In Roggae they trade lines - Page sings "Gordon knew the moment when the stars all turned around", and Mike Gordon follows with "and from that vantage point I frowned". You are spot on when you said sometimes the lyrics they're singing aren't really meant to have a deep meaning and are more to contribute to the tapestry of the sound - I think they do that quite a bit. Moma Dance/Moment Ends is a "mondegreen" - a mishearing or misinterpretation of a phrase in a way that gives it a new meaning. Phish has a ton of examples of this. Shafty was originally called Olivia's Pool ("oblivious fool"), NICU is "and I see you", Halley's Comet sounds like "hell is comin'", Windora Bug - "wind or a bug".. some of these you haven't heard but there are a lot of examples throughout their lyrics. They had a festival called Mondegreen this past summer in Delaware. The story with Limb By Limb is that Trey created the drum beat on a drum machine and gave it to Fishman (the way I always heard it is that he was trying to make a beat Fishman couldn't play, idk if that part's true). When you see a live version it's incredible to watch Fishman's playing - I recommend the version from IT (8/2/2003), it's on youtube. There are a lot of people for whom the shift in sound in 97-99 was not welcomed; it's definitely a departure from what Phish had been up to this point, but what you'll find when you hear this stuff live is that it opened the door for truly unique sonic landscapes that you'd never hear from earlier Phish or anyone else for that matter. And don't worry - THERE'S STILL PLENTY OF MUSTARD. They've continued evolving throughout their career and there have been a number of notable tonal shifts in their jamming style, usually preciptated by exploring some new piece of equipment or instrument that opens up new doors. Those shifts are not always for everybody but if you love this band because you never know what to expect, you can at least appreciate that they refuse to linger too long on a specific sound. I would argue that in many ways they're better now than they've ever been; they may not always have the same youthful exuberance they had in the early days, but their playing reflects maturity and life experience that the longtime fans can relate to, and they still can melt your fucking face at any given time. When they're locked in they can turn on a dime and weave the jams in and out of different styles and themes seemingly effortlessly, and often times they'll cover more sonic ground through the course of a jam than they did in the old days because they've spent decades melding their minds together. So often when I'm watching your vids I want to stop you and say "you've got to hear this version!", but there's something exciting about watching you experience Phish organically, knowing you have SO much more ahead of you than behind you in this journey. Sorry if this post got a little esoteric, but as I'm sure you're discovering, for so many of us Phish has been such a massive part of our lives that it's become a core part of our identity. Looking forward to Farmhouse and beyond!

[@mutoneon]

Great post. Much love.

[@orrerer]

Fishman has the worst voice and I love it the most!

[@TheHSIHP]

My first show was 94 and I didn't understand the shift to funk. I used to call it the porn guitar. Now I love it.

[@Fluffhead-g2h]

This is an amazing post.

[@bearpickle]

the mind melding is a brilliant truth.

[@mbglosser]

11/17/97 Denver Ghost is required listening for every fan. Strong contention for greatest type 2 jam ever. People still analyze every note to this day

[@Drgnhrtstrng]

Denver, Prague, and Lakewood are the holy trinity of Ghosts for me

[@aclarkedesign]

1.0 Atlanta Phish was the best. 1995 fox theater fall run, 1996 Halloween Omni, 1997 Lakewood, Ghost and Lakewood 2000 tweezer (1st set monster). July 4th 1999 being one of favorite shows ever with the Ghost > Slave

[@Drgnhrtstrng]

@ Lol I forgot there are actually two legendary Lakewood Ghosts. I meant the 97 one but the 99 one is incredible as well

[@jellyfish74]

11-11-98. Compact but DENSE and rrrrRRIPPING

The ultimate! Reached a type 2 jam. The only comparison is Prague ‘98

[@TJHarley]

You may want to watch Bittersweet Motel at this point. It documents this time during the recording of this record and tours in Europe that inspired it.

[@whitmatthews6740]

Seconded. This would be the perfect time for him to watch it, to see what led to this shift in sound that he's hearing on this album.

[@evoshandor11]

"Kiss my ass you fucking tool." - Troy

[@jasongregorius96]

Thirded…

[@CharlieVanSteeblahblah]

Fourthed

[@kennethbernhardt3806]

Fif

[@Drgnhrtstrng]

Youve entered the funk era! They went super hard into funk after playing the Talking Heads' "Remain in Light" for Halloween 1996. It really inspired Trey to take a step back and see what the rest of the band could do, and focus more on groove and feel. 1997-1998 are often considered the best years of Phish, and the long funk jams are a big part of it. Btw, you HAVE to hear a live version of Ghost. Absolutely incredible live song. Id recommend Prague 1998 personally, which has actual video on youtube even. You also mentioned Dark Phish... The absolute king of Dark Phish is David Bowie from 12/29/94 in Providence. Its diabolical

[@mbglosser]

That Bowie used to be my Bowie of choice on acid when I’d come home from whatever I was doing. Someone used to have a really trippy video up on KZbin that got taken down. Still scares me to this day

[@CL-hm1ic]

Prague '98 is epic. The Maze is also unreal.

[@curtiskirkham8568]

How about the Prague Piper! 🎉

[@pbertgar]

Cypress Mikes song is a great dark phish moment as is almost any split open and melt (except maybe cypress)

[@whitmatthews6740]

​@@pbertgaryup, Cypress SOAM is the GOAT but the opposite of evil Phish. That Mike's though, I remember thinking a train was plowing though the everglades toward us

[@granth2110]

Those high pitched loops are created by Trey rolling on the volume knob on his guitar as he changes the pitch with his Digitech Whammy 2 (the Whammy can go up or down 2 octaves), which then feeds into his Ibanez DM2000 rack delay unit. The delay unit is always set at 1023ms, and has a hold function that will loop that 1023ms.

[@SesaFX]

Funk siren!!!!

[@nicebluejay]

@@SesaFX we all love the siren, but I have to admit that I'm a little glad that he grew out of that phase. lol

[@lee32476]

If I recall correctly back in the day we called it the Boomerang

[@woodbury3wood]

Been waiting for that Brian and Robert reaction. Gets me every time.

[@whitmatthews6740]

Walter is gonna LOVE What's the Use

[@rexxx4fun]

The Beacon version is how I start my day each morning.

[@HarryMackIsAnAlien]

The head banging during Guyute almost made me cry. We all know how much that touches your soul-and all of ours.

[@Farts_McCool]

Imagine Walter watching Coventry Wading. He may never recover

[@ctbojar]

He’s not ready.

[@ctbojar]

He needs to become more attached.

[@adamgordon315]

As ongoing as he *doesn't* with Coventry Glide.😮

[@adamgordon315]

*long as

[@mbglosser]

Being at Coventry myself, there was not a fucking dry eye during that Velvet … if I recall, the Melt came right after … one of the most underrated SOAMs IMO. Coventry wasn’t all bad everyone lol

[@jarcher000]

Phish - Ghost - 7/6/98 - Prague, Cze this one wails

[@johnrogers3625]

When he hits the smile and sticks his tongue out!

[@Thatoneguyfromthere]

One of the best jams of all time

[@JackAErickson]

Devil Trey is the best Trey

[@ericzar4470]

@@jarcher000Rockstar tray at his finest

[@senordia]

Walter the Prague Ghost is must hear Phish!!!

[@Smooth_Atonal_Sound]

The sounds you’re hearing are Trey setting up digital delay loops. He started doing them when they were jamming on Ghost in 1997 when they first started playing it, and it soon became THE sound of Phish funk jamming throughout 1997-98. He’d set them up at the start of a jam and they’d last the whole jam while he soloed or playing wah-wah rhythm chords. That’s Fishman on the lower vocal on “Ghost!”

[@matttyner8804]

Now imagine being 17 the day this released and smoking a joint in your car playing guyute at full volume uninterrupted for the first time ever

[@whitmatthews6740]

18 for me but same

[@skyyoung8114]

Literally just texted my high school friend reminiscing about this exact same thing lmao. He was the first of our friend group to get his license and we rolled around the neighborhood listening to the whole album

[@alan-daniel]

Didn't see anyone else had already answered it, so: "Limb By Limb" was Page and Trey trading vocal lines, and "Frankie Says" was Page on vocals (with Mike singing the high parts at the end; he's usually the one who can go really high). Edit: and it's Fish who sang the first line in "Roggae." All four of them trade vocal lines in that one

[@hughscottiv]

I haven't seen a couple of things in the comments. 1997 was a huge year for Phish. Early in the year, they made a very conscious decision to find a new approach to basically everything. They went to Europe in the winter and played small clubs for the first time in a few years, taking this new approach with them. Many of these songs came from this new approach, which involved a more democratic method of songwriting and song selection, including long jam sessions that produced some of these tracks. You mentioned the bass, which was something else major that happened. Mike had been experimenting with a new solid body Modulus bass for a little while. Still, it was in 1997 that he switched full time to the Modulus from his hollowbody Languadoc. It led to a much "fuller" sound and that permeated everything with the band, including introducing the "cow funk" sound that 1997 is so famous for. ("Cow funk" is a term Trey coined because he half-jokingly said "real" funk couldn't be played by 4 white dudes from Vermont).

[@cameronfitch8505]

37:40 that janky heavyish part of Guyute, that other guitar-like sound you’re hearing is Page on Cavinet.

[@timneider9546]

Walt, that sequence on guyute when it goes hard and fast was what hooked me on Phish and I have never looked back. Rift and story were my 1st two albums and I played them a ton. Then I finally saw them live in Albany in 03 and during that jam I was hooked. I remember thinking this is the best effing rock band in the world!!!

[@danproctor8118]

I think what people newer to Phish may not immediately see with the album sound evolution/song growth/innovation is that the live environment at shows welcomes all the songs almost equally. We’re all trained at this point to know Moma could open, followed by a Gamehendge tune, Esther, Sample in a Jar. 2 Modern Era songs, a Cover, and YEM. Half the fun is watching the band work through it all almost randomly from all eras into a cohesive “that’s Phish” and have it all make sense. They promote what they are working on but nothing is ever really “retired” it’s all cumulative. Watching the band push itself in real time, with all the extra mustard, for me has always been the appeal, when they stretch in both Jams and songwriting potential. I thought I knew what to expect at my first show, only to find my homework barely scratched the surface. I heard Limb by Limb 14 months before this album dropped, and I knew this band would surprise me at every turn.

[@cjw434]

Moment ends, Moma dance. That's a mondegreen.

[@craiger991gm]

There is an album called the Siket Disc which is just instrumental jams from the Ghost sessions, definitely a headphone and leaf session disc.

[@tommj4365]

Yea don't skip that one, it's very chill and mysterious sorta... I didn't love it at first but it grew on me over the years

[@leeturleymusic]

This is the birth of “Cow Funk” for Phish. Mike started using a Modulus 5 string bass & they started doing the Funk versions of everything & the tempos started to slow down a little

[@meganherrett]

So glad you are back with us! Thank you!

[@cjw434]

Limb By Limb was written with an "unplayable" drum groove. Trey went full Zappa mode when he recorded the percussion from a street festival and then transcribed it into a single drum part. Leave it to Fishman to perform a piece of music that was originally played by a mob of people.

[@danrudnick5252]

Like Trey said in the one DVD, Fishman is basically an entire small African village.

[@whitmatthews6740]

@@danrudnick5252 was that the DVD that came with Undermind?

[@tombadil64]

You HAVE to check out the headphones jam and siket disc! They were made during this period, and are some of their best jamming. Thanks for everything you do walter! You are loved!

[@Yarjka]

“What’s the Use” on The Siket Disk is among my favorite Phish songs. “Vultures” really should have been on The Story of the Ghost-I feel it lacking every time I give it a listen.

[@mattreynolds612]

WALTER. I like you reacting without the chat to pay attention to. LFG!.... THX for doing this. I know you had a rough week.

[@zoephotoart]

The lyrics are never the moma dance, it's always the moment ends - but the title is a wink at the fact that it ends up sounding like the moma dance

[@kale_phresch_]

@@zoephotoart I've definitely heard Trey yell "The Moma Dance!" during the last chorus when playing it live, though. Maybe it when they opened Mondegreen with it im not sure.

[@zoephotoart]

@ well yeah, we can still have fun 🫠🤘

[@TR-ry1xv]

Wading in the ocean in Mexico for velvet sea was an all time experience. Felt slow motion like I was watching myself enjoy the moment.

[@tenplex]

The reason Trey sounds different in places is because he’s not the one singing in many places you bring it up. Page, Mike, and Fish take turns singing throughout the album.

[@tommj4365]

Yes I was gonna comment on that, Page has that softer more mellow voice, Mike has a kinda honky wobbly voice, Trey is goofy sarcastic tone... Jon is maybe the most distinct tho, kinda raspy I dunno...

[@tombadil64]

​@tommj4365 Haha, Jon's voice has always sounded the least distinct for me. I remember I used to get him mixed up for page all the time when I was first getting into the band.

[@katiethompson7498]

I've been waiting for this one😃 this was my introduction to phish, by birds of a feather I was hooked and never looked back

[@garrettzimmerman5516]

“It’s putting the fun in funk” is a great description of Meat. Loving this journey, thanks for letting us share the ride

[@benjidasbear]

Limbxlimb is the song to hear to really appreciate fishmans skills. Probably the most technical playing by him.

[@LoriWheeler-u5g]

I heard Trey wrote it to see if Fishman could even play it.

[@whitmatthews6740]

@@LoriWheeler-u5g on a drum machine, no less

[@whitmatthews6740]

I always like to send people the IT LxL as an example of how great Fishman is, and also as a shining example of the band's communication skills. The youtube copy is shit, but I'm in the process of using AI models to upscale it to 4k as we speak, so there will be a good copy up soon.

[@whitmatthews6740]

Finished! kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZLCf5RrjKh8aNE

[@theducktrucker6100]

Walter I don’t know if you’ll ever see this but here is my input on a few of these songs: Ghost from its birth around 97 to around late 98 to early 99 has always exploded into either a philthy cow funk jam or some amazing “machine gun trey” moment like Prague 98. but 99-2000 held some of the most beautiful pieces of unique psychedelic music ever to be made on this planet… of course i’m talking about Radio City Ghost 2000. (if you like it, you gonna love big cypress sand) You also mention a lot how Wading in the Velvet Sea has a type of emotional ambiance, but this song to me (More or less because of the last show before phish’s hiatus where page fully breaks down in tears) has a much deeper meaning that I feel makes me connected to it. Thanks you everything you do, and keep making videos because your explanations of these songs are word for word how i describe them. YOU ARE LOVED

[@stevea2639]

Was at that that radio city show - pure bliss!!!

[@whitmatthews6740]

Radio City Ghost!! I wore that disc out in college! I actually don't think I've heard it in almost 20 years, I think it's time for a relisten. Cypress Sand is a work of art; the transition into Quadrophonic Topplings is some of the most unique and beautiful music I've heard them create. It's a bummer the youtube Sand cuts off right at the start of the transition.

[@theducktrucker6100]

@@whitmatthews6740That big cypress run was what got me into Phish, so glad i fell down the rabbit hole ✌️

[@vervor]

Can’t tell ya how much I appreciate your affirmation kick off. What legend, and an important thing for every human to know. Cheers bruv.

[@kbiggins]

You rock, dude. Very fun to revisit and go through this with ya. No one highlights the lyrics like this (especially with Phish)... fantastic. Thanks for posting. Also, #Gizz #Yeus

[@epbeagle4242]

Brian Eno and Robert Fripp

[@likecrazyhorse]

Metal Phish songs you'll like: Carini, Big Black Furry Creatures From Mars, Fuck Your Face, Letter to Jimmy Page, plus certain Harpuas. Fikus: Mike is singing 90% with Trey adding the looping lyrics. Mike's weird, all his songs are different Frankie Says: Page singing with Mike hitting the high notes. Basically a summary of Radiohead's OK Computer in one song

[@dmeek20]

39:35 … this is THE most amazing moment live! It’s funny because you’ll get a lot of versions where Trey botches some of the timing or the little pull-offs at the beginning of the song. But they nail it more than they don’t, and when you get this culmination of chaos… it’s magical!

[@GreshamBarker]

Side Note.....Moma Dance was Black Eyed Katy for 7 performances before becoming Moma. Another Fall 97 staple, and the Winston Salem version of BEK goes HARD. Sorry for clogging up the comments. I could talk about this all day!!!!! :)

[@kathleenross2915]

Brian and Robert gets me every time. I love that song. They played it this summer at Alpine - not sure if it’s a rare one to see live but hoping to see again at Hollywood Bowl. 🙏

[@Rickschim]

@walterooski there is an Arpeggio Version of Water in the Sky and its just BLISS. I highly recommend. 7/10/99 Camden, NY. SO GOOD Walter, i cried lol

[@ChrisStebe]

Guyute is actually an early 90s song. Trey wrote it in 93/94. It kinda got shelved and then played to death after this album. Now it is rare. Fans were excited for a ‘composed’ song after the Rift/Hoist songs. But it may be the last truly composed song for almost 20yrs.

[@SilverEmulsion]

The tightly composed, longer songs like Guyute are much rarer as the years go on, so they are always super fun and a treat to get. I love to see you experience the changes for the first time. I'm sure you will thoroughly enjoy Petrichor when you get to it. "Album Phish" also doesn't attempt to display everything they are capable of, they're more like experimental excursions into new directions. So like this album is much less guitar-heavy than anything previous, but it allows the bass to really take prominence in ways it never could before. Live they bring it all together and fully display all of their various talents and techniques. Also, musically Brian and Robert always reminds me of Neil Young's After the Gold Rush.

[@ChadWeisman]

1:17:37 one of my favorite studio phish musical moments. Water in the sky translates from the Hebrew “Hashamayim” which means “heaven” or the waters in the sky

[@mattreynolds612]

Moma Dance encapsulates the pheel of '98 Phishing 🎣 tour.💃🕺 Moma Dance - Moment ends - interchangeable. Like Might as Well - Mighty Swell...

[@commentputter5283]

By this point in the discography, more and more it's like the album cuts of the songs are just teasers. That's why the fans are so adamant that you have to hear them live. It's not just that they open up and jam (but that's a big part of it too). Many of these songs have whole sections and parts that they didn't record, or that they collapsed together for the album. It's just not the full song, in many instances.

[@whitmatthews6740]

I was thinking about that while he was listening; literally every one of these songs is better live; most of them take on a different personality than they have on the album.

[@mbglosser]

@@whitmatthews6740yea like imagine only hearing that Ghost and thinking “I guess that’s all Ghost is” and then getting slapped with Denver 11/17/97

[@whitmatthews6740]

@@mbglosser or literally any live version, for that matter

[@ericzar4470]

This album was a huge turning point for phish even after the album when going live. This is as important as any other album he's listened to.

[@anthonyc7127]

Your reaction to Guyute is exactly how I felt the first time I heard it. All my Phish friends always hated that song but for me, it's a banger. Glad you liked it!

[@suzannemiller1877]

Fun little tidbit on Guyute: Trey wrote it as a companion piece to My Friend My Friend, and initially intended them to be one composition!

[@j.kyronhanson5644]

More of a tidbit: there's an orchestral version of them both together and it's just called "Guyute". If you enjoy Trey's orchestral efforts, it's sublime. Also: it's just the intro to MFMF, not the lyric part of the song that's combined with traditional Guyute.

[@nkanter]

Walter, watching these videos is giving me the same joy that I felt when I watched Game of Thrones with my wife, having read the books and knew what was coming. Watching her react to the big moments was really fun. Your videos and your naturally joyous analysis are a real treat.

[@BiggieStrings]

Limb x limb is one of my favorite Phish lyrics. I don't think there is necessarily a well circulated backstory to this one . I do personally think it hits that elusive balance of being an ambiguous yet infinitely relatable lyric. We don't always want the change we need. Sometimes we might need an extra nudge. Push me off already, I'll learn and regrow and I'll be fine. That's my take at least.

[@neilhefty2999]

Frankie Says.....Relax.

[@LAH828]

"Don't do it." Lol

[@wax_poetic_pro_wrestling]

Another aspect of the rabbit hole that is the music of Phish the vast catalog that can be broken into 3 sections... -Studio Originals-You know about these! -Non-Studio Originals-You don't really know about these but you got a few on A Live One(Hood,Slave,Gumbo,Wilson). Much like GD or Ween the list is vast and just as good as the studio recorded material. Where Gizz grew up in an era where home recording tech was much more available and cheaper, Phish didn't really have Punk Rock approach and preferred to record mostly analog and in real studio. But make no mistake, if they wanted to release 26 albums in 10-15 years they certainly had the material.💯 -Covers-A list vaster than their original catalog. A lot of one-offs but a lot of songs they made their own and were integral parts of the Phish experience. Part of the experience was a live jukebox journey through the eclectic world of music and Phish petty much explored it all through originals AND covers. That's why whole shows are so important to your Phish experience because once you put it all together, much like a Gizz show, it truly is an awe-inspiring musical experience! With all that said, Slip, Stitch,.&Pass perfectly conveys the blending of the three categories perfectly! You will truly understand the Phish live experience then I think!💯🔥🎶 If you're so inclined check out this show this filthy set from 7-20-98 Ventura,CA! It's an audience video recording synced with the official Ventura 97' & 98' box set audio and it also embodies.vintage mid-90s Phish when they truly were the Best Band In The World!🔥🎶🔥🎶🔥🎶🔥👉 kzbin.info/www/bejne/m3evnad_gqqfn5Ysi=b3SXbxujAj7KuznY

[@TheHSIHP]

YES!!! I've been waiting for this drop. Now to find time with the kid at home during a snow day 😅😅😅

[@lisawilliams8180]

You in Seattle? Lots of people here got a snow day today!

[@JackAErickson]

First time I heard Moma Dance was in fact while dancing with a big group of people (in the pit at the Gorge during my 1st Phish run) 😊

[@mattreynolds612]

38:00 sound is Page on one of his 11 electric keyboards ...allegedly 46:35 sounds like tapping glass to me. 48:00 ...Very well said. U get it. 58:43 Top shelf drumming here & the whole song 🥁((whole album)career) 1:20:35 singing order: Page, Trey, Fish, Mike.

[@WVPiper]

The order of the first 4 lines of Roggae is Fish, Trey, Page, Mike

[@Drgnhrtstrng]

46:35 also kinda sounds like Trey is plucking the strings of his guitar between the nut and the tuners. It definitely has that dull ringing sound. Could also be a glass though, I have no idea, lol

[@mattreynolds612]

@WVPiper check again

[@tedcook5197]

I believe the lyric is "the moment ends", but the audience heard it at concerts and starting calling the song "the Moma Dance", so Phish named it the Moma Dance on the album. But i could be wrong.

[@trader2104]

Walter- I love you listening to the studio albums but so many of these songs “changed my life” seeing them live..every song has evolved into so much more and are staples in the song rotations.

[@christr1ut87]

It’s been great following you experiencing Phish. I think you have done a great job of maintaining discipline in your approach. I’m glad you decided to listen to Story of the Ghost before Slip Stitch and Pass even though it’s slightly out of order. Even though none of these songs are on SSP, the vibe definitely is. I do kind of feel like SSP is going to be your new favorite when you get there.

[@digiprez77]

Long story short, I sat in an empty, non-moving NYC subway car for about 2 hours at 4 AM on a head-full listening to Moma Dance on repeat just hoping the doors would close and the train would start moving... I had money for a taxi but I couldn't find it because I had too many pockets lol.

[@89phishsihp]

Phunk Phish - My favorite album...probably because I first saw them in Nov. of '98 just after this dropped. Ghost always delivers live.

[@AZURAKAZ]

I wore this cassette tape out several times over listening to it in my car. Oh, the images it conjures in your head on long road trips. I pictured each song as a separate car on a Ghost Train, which, in the album's totality, represented the journey from life to death. Guyute is has a hypnotic quality, similar to an acid test; where they start of upbeat and catchy, followed by a highly composed section that gets dark before snapping you back into upbeat part; taking you to Mordor before returning you to The Shire as-it-were. The first and last track, minus end of session, are capped by a spooky steam whistle sound.

[@jenniferbowdish7347]

wading in the velvet sea is a break up song. At coventry, Page broke down in tears singing this as I think at that moment in time, they were believing they had broken up forever. I appreciate you listening to these albums, I already listened to Farmhouse again. Remembering the magic as it happened is really special. thanks, forever, Walt for teaching me the importance of remaining young especially in these dark times. turning 53 this year, but firmly stuck in my late 20's in believing everything is possible, now for myself and my kids and family

[@ameadors11]

YASSSSSSSS!!! Here for it!! Love you ‘Rooski! I’m here for it. I think you made a good decision to stick with albums though you do need to hit Slip Stitch eventually. Welcome to the cow phunk era. And yes, your feeling that Ghost “could wail live” is accurate. It’s a monster.

[@stevefowler8660]

Live Ghost will blow your mind.

[@nikralm]

Shoutout cow funk era

[@conjandysecurity]

1997 was such a fun year to be alive.

[@cjw434]

People for a louder Mike rejoice!

[@CesarHernandez-nh1wz]

It's funny you're mentioning the short song lengths with this album (ironic really), considering Ghost is one of their BIG jam heavy songs and this whole era is where they really stretched jams out on a more consistent basis than they ever did. This is why you need to listen to them live in order to get the full context. The jump from '96 to '97 was MONUMENTAL in their sound. There was an enormous shift in their approach to jamming and Mike really blossomed to the player he is today. I recommend listening to 11/17/97 Ghost for starters. Then maybe the Island Tour (4 shows in 1998- maybe their best 4 night run ever). A Live One is a good representation of early 90's and the shows I mentioned above are a great representation of late 90's.

[@carterknudsen525]

The comment about the Wes Anderson score is so spot on. It also seems like it would fit in Napoleon Dynamite, haha

[@TheTouchOfTheVelvetHand]

You’re an amazing human being brother. Keep doing what you do man.

[@mbglosser]

The darkest Phish is whistling the Lassie theme during the 12-29-94 believe it or not. Pure evil Phish and I’d honestly be scared if I was at that show trying to find my friends or something, but I was only 9 back then

[@DBlute]

The GOAT Bowie

[@pievancl5457]

Walter is kind of amazing with how much music you listen to and also the fact that you play an instrument how little you recognize and distinguish different instruments lol

[@SawyerBalcombe]

WALT! this is personally one of my favorite studio albums its so good. You know the hollywood bowl is calling your name Walt, come be with your fellow Phans

[@tacojohn1267]

Walter you should go see them in LA this April if you can swing it! They are playing at the hollywood bowl

[@Lebowski55]

This has got to be the only music reaction channel on KZbin that even acknowledges Phish, let alone features it as much as he does.

[@Luckdragon57]

I love Walt and how deeply and astutely he gets it, but search Phish reactions. There are a lot

[@jasongregorius96]

Give this one a few spins in the car and it’ll provide a new piece of the puzzle that melts into the whole of loving this band. This was a lot of fun thanks man!! Bittersweet Motel!!

[@LuckyGallopsNC]

Soooo…..If you’ve dove into the Phish 1.0, 2.0, etc… stuff yet. The band went on hiatus a few times. The 2.0 era ended in 2004 with “Coventry”. Feel free to do some research on that event but the band at that time seemed pretty convinced that Coventry would be their final performance. That said, I encourage you (as painful as it is) to find the video of Velvet Sea from Coventry. It’s heartbreaking and beautiful. I think it’s an important bookmark on understanding the full scope of this band. All the best!

[@LuckyGallopsNC]

I know jumping to 2004 is outta the timeline. Maybe get to it when you get there….but Velvet Sea took on a new life years after the studio album. PS - The Clifford Ball recordings (1996) are powerful, their first major festival. PPS - Tahoe Tweezer!!!!

[@adamgordon315]

Brian & Robert is such a beautifully bleak song. When you're so low that you're not 'eating' dinner, let alone enjoying it, but rather *feeding*... and the song (lyrically, at least) offers *nothing*. No 'it'll get better' or 'hey, shake it off. Just the song itself. The song made you feel seen back before 'being seen' was a thing. Love it.

[@leethomaston4314]

I've been waiting on you to do this album

[@frankbittner4948]

Mike, Page & Fishman with more vocals on this album. That’s those different vocals you are hearing. Trey sharing the load more.

[@cactusfunk]

The lyrics to Birds of a Feather are amazing and a poke at the lot scene in 97-98

[@bacolfax]

I've always felt the same.

[@modelcitizen1977]

As a singer songwriter guitarist, knowing how difficult it is to not only sing but maintain complex harmonies while shredding will forever be amazing to me.

[@zoephotoart]

Yay this was a nice surprise! I wouldn't call Guyute a jam (at least in the way most people use jam as synonymous with improv) since it's a very composed piece of music that they always (try to) play it the same way - obviously live they might stretch things out and jam though. ☺️

[@tmwsiy7158]

Brian and Robert is an homage to Brian Eno and Robert Fripp…pioneers of digital music soundscapes. The siren loop/sine wave throughout the background likely inspired this connection. A lot of this album was written just using grooves and jams from a recorded rehearsal session so it definitely was bass/groove-centric. They eventually released the outtakes from that jam session and called it the Siket disc. It’s glorious

[@ManFromMars42]

Page is singin' Frankie Says, Fishman started contributing more vocals throughout this album, Mike is singing at the end

[@whitmatthews6740]

A little more context into this different sound you're hearing: 97 was a big turning point for their sound. Early in the year they toured small clubs in Europe and as Trey said in Bittersweet Motel, they "rediscovered that feeling of playing a garage band". Trey took a deliberate step back and they allowed their jams to breathe more, allowing the other members to step forward. Fishman locked into the same beat for longer periods of time than he typically did in previous years, allowing them to settle into deeper grooves (but he's still fishman and his ADHD comes through in the fills). One of the biggest catalysts in my opinion was Mike switching to a Modulus bass, which has a carbon fiber neck and 5 strings and just a deeper sound than what he was playing before, and that combined with Fishman's funkier drumming really was the engine for the funk machine they became in 97 and 98. On top of that, Trey really fell in love with his volume knob/whammy/delay loop gimmick which created this odd, sometimes off kilter spaciness that resulted in such a different, sometimes ominous vibe in their deeper jams. I highly recommend checking out Bittersweet Motel, and a lot more stuff from 97 and 98, as it's such a pivotal time in the evolution of their sound and there's so many unique jams to explore.

[@fullcirclehooping23]

When I first heard Limb by Limb I couldn’t stop singing “lemon pie lemon pie lemon pie” and I still do it sometimes haha. I wonder if anyone else does that too 😅 🍋🥧🍋🥧🍋🥧

[@billconrad1050]

Dang! I was REALLY hoping for this album LIVE on twitch haha

[@modelcitizen1977]

The ghost from the IT festival was incredible. Greatest glowstick fountain I've ever seen.

[@mbglosser]

Make Glowsticks Great Again!

[@Resevil]

Probably my favorite Phish album. It feels very light and intimate.

[@commentputter5283]

loops be bouncing around my brain

[@Sher0420-v]

Now would be the perfect time to watch “Bittersweet Motel”. Also, their festival last Summer aptly called “Mondegreen” which is the word used when you mishear the lyrics of a song. (I.e. Oblivious Fool was once Olivia’s Pool). Fish’s drumming on Limb by Limb is unmatched. Keep going, Walter. This has been so fun.

[@jameskyler5441]

Ghost is a tentpole staple huge jam in the Phish catalog. A fan favorite for sure

[@groovemedium]

You need to see Phish live. Thanks for reminding me what a great album this is. It was the newest album when I first saw Phish in 98 at Lemonwheel at age 18. I was steeped in this and Slip, Stitch and Pass at the time. A lot of the vocals you think are Trey are either Page or Fish. This might be the least Trey vocal album. Trey did a lot of loops with his Digitek Whammy Wah and is 1st gen Boomerang which he still has. Sometimes he'd start a set with a high "WIIiioooohh" or 3 and loop them and then jam around them for a whole set. This was a 98-00 thing mostly. Another thing about that era is it seemed like I saw Phish in New England all the time, and they always played Guyute and Velvet Sea. I was kinda meh on both songs. So now They're treasured rarities and Guyute shreds. They play Ghost all the time and it's one of my favorite jam vehicles. They play Moma Dance all the time and it's very often set 1 song 2. Birds of a Feather, Roggae, and Limb by Limb are played fairly often, usually set 1. Brian and Robert and Frankie Sez are both super rare. I've seen 'em. I think End of Session was only played once.

[@whitmatthews6740]

I felt the same way about Guyute & Velvet Sea (my first show was a week before yours). Guyute felt to me like an attempt at the earlier compositions that fell short, and Velvet sea was a downer at shows for me. I couldn't disagree more with both those opinions now.

[@jammcrusader1981]

oh man, "dark phish" i think thats a term that is used mostly referring to how they can get in jams sometimes, certain songs bring this out more than others, most notably stash and Carini jams, but many songs can get there. My two cents is just enjoy this ride as much as possible, until you listen to a lot of live shows youre not going to truly know the whole picture ( I know this is overstated) So many things this band does and can do, and what you think the band is from the album experience, just goes SO MUCH MORE into over drive and insane live more than any other band. I would love to know more about how GIZZ translates from the album to LIVE. The "metal" and "darkness" and "light" phish is so good at bringing out the entire spectrum of emotion and my favorite thing about them is when the construct a live setlist of songs that bring out all of this and perfectly contrasts one after the other, the HIGH then the LOW ( emotional) and phish can take you far and wide, and the crazy "metal" part of guyute, just so many JAMS have gotten there and above and beyond and blast you off so far away that , YOU JUST GOTTA DIVE IN MAN -- love the reactions though and this journey. -- sorry for the rambles lmao

[@jaredaustin1172]

Birds = Phish’s reaction to playing Remain in Light for the 96 Halloween costume set.

[@blairjjohnson]

I've waited seven albums for you to give Mike the proper nod. Dude's the best bassist in town!

[@christophermeyer3115]

Page is doing the call and response with Trey in the lyrics for Limb By Limb

[@randomperson-dy6kj]

That high pitched loop in Ghost is known as the Funk Siren. Trey abused the shit out of it in ‘97. 😁

[@Drgnhrtstrng]

I fkn love the funk siren

[@randomperson-dy6kj]

@@DrgnhrtstrngI loved it in person, but when listening to shows it can be a bit much sometimes. That being said, hell to the yeah for the funk siren.

[@Drgnhrtstrng]

@@randomperson-dy6kj Lol I get that, and it was definitely over used for a while. Its just so emblematic of an incredible period for the band, which makes it special.

[@cristabelleblanc309]

It makes me giggle when Trey said in his rig demo that he used to play that loop for long stretches of time “but we don’t do that anymore” Lolol

[@whitmatthews6740]

I know a lot of people agree it was overused - I might be in the minority that could never get enough of it - even during some of the loop soup jams of 99. It broke my heart throughout 3.0 to hear songs like Sand, Jiboo, and Ghost with little to no funk siren. He's started bringing it back which makes me giddy.

[@daemonelectricity]

I have so many memories of this album. My roommate listened to it all the time so it was kind of my gateway into Phish. It's a great album.

[@Jmccarren84]

You know you’ve entered phandom when you say “hmm, these songs seem short.” Studio phish is a blank coloring book. Live phish is where the coloring happens.

[@kale_phresch_]

A lot of people are recommending the Prague Ghost from '98 but I'd also consider the one from Denver 11/17/97. Also a good example of Dark/Evil Phish would be stuff like the 8/13/93 Mike's Song Another edit: I'd check out the My Friend, My Friend -> Brian and Robert from this summer, it's on their youtube channel. That performance made me love the song.

[@shoob71]

As some had said before I think, most of their albums after Rift (or really starting with Rift) they became more "song" driven versions of the songs. Most are jammed or jam vehicles with tons of mustard. Many were heard and played live for a year or so before they recorded them, like Ghost for instance, was around in its long form before the album. Then we get like the studio version of the contained song. I think Guyute stands out because it was written back when they used to write most of their structured songs and was also written around the time of Rift as part of My Friend My Friend so it makes sense you really loved that one.