Phish beats have power to enchant November 19, 1998 - The Lantern (Ohio State U.) By Shannon Pivoriunas Album Review - The Story of the Ghost Phish proves that they have not missed a beat with their latest release "The Story Of The Ghost." Filled with melodious grooves and rocking jams, their fifth full-length album does not disappoint. Phish, one of the few bands that jams collectively and does not send one man on a quest for musical transcendence, proves their beats still have the power to enchant. "The Story of the Ghost" seems to be a journey towards a mellow land, and guitarist Trey Anastasio, keyboardist Page McConnell, bassist Mike Gordon and drummer Jon Fishman are the perfect tour guides. The opening and title track "Ghost" is full of strong drum beats and the usual long musical interludes. But, there are no points of boredom in these musical breaks. Phish sounds original and the melodies and lyrics are anything but stale. The track, "Birds of a Feather," is propelled by a snappy bass introduction. When the vocals kick in the result it becomes a pure Phish jam of kicking music. "Guyute" starts out with a cheery "Phisherman" whistling a light melody. Then "Guyute" thrusts forward to jam land with a funky interlude that erupts midway through the tune. The best part of "The Story of the Ghost" does not even appear until halfway through the album. "Limb by Limb" seems to combine the lyrics and melodies with an island flair. The lead vocals are the most prominent, but the intermittent back-ups provide an echoing effect. Phish breaks into a hard core groove toward the end of "Limb by Limb," and the result is a fun, fast paced ending. In "Frankie Says," Phish retreats to a softer sound by playing up the vocals and toning down the beats. The transition shown here proves that Phish is capable of playing at many different levels. While the majority of the album does rock, "The Story of the Ghost" comes up short on a few tracks. "Meat" sounds like it was haphazardly thrown together at the last minute. The lyrics are slightly annoying, as is the repetitive beat. "Meat" does not seem to go anywhere and the ending is rather abrupt. "Fikus" never seems to fully develop. It sounds like part of a song rather than a complete track. It is debatable whether they did this to allow for improvisations during live shows or if this is all "Fikus" is going to amount to. Overall, "The Story of the Ghost" is a must for any Phish fan, and it is also listener friendly - enough to draw from a different audience. Article © 1999 The Lantern