Phish, un'onda di musica vi travolgerà November 6, 2002 - Kata Musica (Italy) by Beppe Colli "How can I miss you if you don't go away?" seems to be the motto which best describes most of the US media's attitude when it comes to Phish. Almost totally ignored for a long, long time, the group received some media visibility only when a very big success (six hundred thousand tickets sold) - which they achieved with not a hint of "playing by the rules" (no videoclips nor promotional radio tours, hence a record company that did not consider them to be a "priority") - made it not talking about them pretty impossible. But even then, not a few regarded the quartet from Vermont as just another jam band, only a footnote to the history of the much more famous Grateful Dead. The reasons for this undervaluation are not that difficult to understand: their music is never "difficult", but it's decidedly too eclectic to be easily summarized by a label; their musical ability is never flaunted, but goes much higher than today's average skills - in an age that gives extra points to naiveté; they don't care about "image" (even the drugs don't seem to be "the right ones"). Right on time, the group's absence has been lamented since the day they announced an "extended hiatus" of unspecified length, which will end with a marathon concert at Madison Square Garden, on New Year's Eve, and with three more concerts (Jan. 2, 3 and 4) at the Hampton Coliseum, VA, where the 6-CD set Hampton Comes Alive had been recorded. The shows are already sold out (look on eBay). While the four members were occupied with solo projects (Pork Tornado, the first CD by the group featuring drummer Jon Fishman, and Clone, bass player Mike Gordon's collaboration with guitarist Leo Kottke, has been just released) a series of (double and triple) live albums has documented the group's stimulating and always unpredictable live history. Among the most celebrated concerts are those held on the Halloween nights when the group put on a "musical costume", dedicating their entire second set to playing the full version of a famous album: The Beatles (the "White Album"), Quadrophenia by the Who, Remain In Light by Talking Heads and Loaded by the Velvet Underground. Four 4-CD sets (released yesterday in the US) make it possible for those who don't belong to the vast number of fans who trade tapes to share the experience. The covers of The Beatles and Quadrophenia are a big part of the success of Live Pish 13 and 14. The Beatles material gets a reading that's philologically respectful, tender and authentic; absolutely not common is the group's ability to faithfully reproduce a repertory that's as wide as stylistically varied, with only some unconvincing vocal parts in the second half of the set; some will notice the absence of Good Night: it was played on the PA in the original Beatles version. A horn section is featured on the group's reading of the Who classic; Phish play the material with a lot of punch but no less sensibility, respecting the piano/guitar close interaction; Trey Anastasio's ability to duplicate Pete Townshend's pick attack when playing the melodic phrases is simply amazing. A cover version that doesn't make you nostalgic for the original, while at the same time inviting you to play it again. Remain In Light and Loaded are featured on Live Phish 15 and 16. Added horns and percussions permit the group to faithfully duplicate the sound of Remain... while taking more liberties than with the aforementioned albums, for in., some climates/durations are extended; Anastasio wears Belew's clothes brilliantly. Velvet's "garage" album is played (very well) as an American Rock classic; it's almost impossible to ruin songs like Sweet Jane and Rock & Roll, but it's Cool It Down and New Age that come out as the real winners. The long (half an hour) and liquid version of Wolfman's Brother featured here is to be regarded as a Phish classic. article © 2002 Beppe Colli, Kata Web Musica Translated from Italian to English by Beppe Colli