Phish dishes up spicy musical stew July 26, 1993 - Boston Herald By Dean Johnson Phish at Great Woods In the long, colorful history of Great Woods, one thing that has never graced its stage is an a capella version of Lynyrd Skynyrd's southern rock anthem "Free Bird" . . . until Saturday. That's how the four musical anarchists in the Vermont band Phish chose to end their musical marathon for a sold-out crowd that included walk-up ticket sales of 2,100, one of the largest in the history of the venue. A vocal rendition of "Free Bird," replete with extended solo, was only part of the wildly eclectic brew Phish dished out during the three-hour-plus concert. A tortured take of Prince's "Purple Rain" included a vacuum cleaner solo by drummer Jon Fishman. There was also an upbeat and straight-faced version of Led Zeppelin's "Good Times, Bad Times," with a steamy little jam stuck at the end. Along with snatches of the theme to "Hill Street Blues," bits of the hit single by Deodato based on the theme from "2001," and assorted musical flotsam and jetsam from around the world, the band also dug deep into its own songbook. It produced a series of long, serpentine jams that, yes, often trod on the turf long occupied by the Grateful Dead but also sneaked into other places. Phish's music is anchored by Trey Anastasio's busy guitar work. He has a tendency to overplay but also creates some achingly melodic lines that usually manage to meld with Page McConnell's driving keyboards, Fishman's percussion, and Mike Gordon's bass. Their songs are filled with quizzical characters and amusing wordplays. But they really end up as jumping off points for lengthy, sinuous instrumental passages, often accented with quirky rhythmic changes. Saturday's first set included the most riveting improvisations, while the second set featured more oddities and intentional goofiness. Tunes like "Divided Star" and "Stash" in the front half of the evening included some simply stunning passages, more vital than anything the band has yet put to disc. As with most sets that run so long, the music also meandered in places and came at such a non-stop clip that it was difficult to savor some of the more memorable moments. Nevertheless, amid all the musical custard pies and failed motifs, there were some astounding things happening, and the wildly variegated crew that showed up to listen wiggled and writhed like a box of baby snakes from start to finish. Article © 1993 Boston Herald