Phish - The Story of the Ghost November 27, 1998 - Dayton Daily News By Sara Farr Album Review - The Story of the Ghost From the very first notes of Ghost , the new Phish album is different. It has a distinctive funk sound; more harmony than melody, more dark than bright, it's a sonic landscape that dips and twists through many themes. For any who ever doubted Mike Gordon's bass playing, listen up: He slaps, walks and pops his way through track after track without a single misstep. Trey Anastasio's guitar work is equal to his gentle vocals, and he pulls off a great guitar solo in Birds of a Feather . Keyboardist Page McConnell's additions are tight; drummer Jon Fishman experiments with new rhythm fills. The process the foursome took to get this result was endless jamming in the studio - keeping the vibe going, throwing out what they didn't want and creating something that's both intimate and honest. The MOMA Dance is one long groove, Fikus is a strange little trip and Wading in the Velvet Sea a mass of layers. Phish has always acknowledged its debt to bands such as the Grateful Dead; however, the band has used influences such as jazz, rock, bluegrass and Latin music to forge a new style that is a combination of everything and nothing. All in all, it's not a new direction, it's simply an emphasizing of one part of this band's many interests and influences. It is the very sum of the word music. Article © 1998 Dayton Newspapers, Inc.