Phish - Billy Breathes November 8, 1996 - Richmond Times-Dispatch By Will Kimmey Album Review - Billy Breathes First spin: As a first-time Phish listener, I thought these guys were phairly decent, but nothing really stood out about their music. I don't really see what the deal is with their semi-Dead cult following. Several spins later: After continuous listening, you begin to hear the music differently, and you can almost feel it flowing through you. Now, and only now, can I understand why so many people are so crazy about this band. The music fits the mood when: you want to relax. Whenever I am tired, angry or stressed out, I just plop this disc in and go from zero to relaxation in 5.3 seconds. The melodies are excellent enough that, unless you're paying close attention, you may drift off and not even realize where you are or what you are doing. What your friends would say: "They might just be one of the best bands ever." A pretty bold statement; considering the source -- a guy who had tickets to phour Phish shows in six days -- it is not unbelievable. Best songs: "Free" is a grooving, rocking tune that you probably won't be able to get out of your head (I couldn't after hearing it on the radio). For an excellent, touching love ballad, see song three -- "Waste." It would be improved by: It seems that the tracks near the end were added simply to fill up space on the disc; they are in no way as good as the rest of the album. These "throw-away" tracks, or maybe just B-sides (namely "Train Song" -- what garbage), hold this album back from achieving the lofty four-star rating. Give it a listen because: If you've only heard the songs played on the radio, you're not getting your money's worth. Check out this great disc, any of their others (especially the live one), or, best of all, catch them in their most natural state, at a show. Phish tails: If you happen to be one of the Phish Phaithful, you'll probably recognize most of these tracks from live performances in the last year or so . . . . Don't let the weird cover picture (a distorted facial shot) scare you -- the music inside is still good . . . For some reason, the band didn't feel it necessary to provide lyrics except the second verse of "Theme From the Bottom." Article © 1996 Times-Dispatch