Phish finds short can be sweet November 18, 1998 - San Antonio Express-News by Robert Johnson Album Review - The Story of the Ghost Considering the band's well-deserved reputation for long-windedness, a Phish album recorded at the point of creation sounds like it should be slapped with a "For Phanatics Only" warning sticker. Instead, "The Story of the Ghost" suggests that the much-loved jam band continues to balance its improvisational heritage with the realization that songs ought to end now and then. The most recent studio effort, "Billy Breathes" (1996), was praised for its startling conciseness (at least, for Phish). Last year's live album, "Slip, Stitch and Pass," spent more than 70 minutes on nine tunes, but didn't have any 30-minute wanderings like 1995's "A Live One." In comparison, "Ghost" almost makes Phish looks like a '60s singles machine, with nine of the 13 tracks (most first takes, with vocals added later) clocking in at 3:32 or less. The only magnum opus is "Guyute," an 81/2-minute concert favorite about a sadistic pig. "Ghost" sounds like the album the Grateful Dead wanted to make when it hooked up with Lowell George 20 years ago on the disappointing, Southern-funky "Shakedown Street." It begins with different shades of funk, from the lean, limber "Ghost" to the more bottom-heavy "Birds of a Feather." Starting with "Frankie Says," the album shifts to moments of quiet beauty. "Frankie" is more calming than a warm mug of cocoa; "Brian and Robert" glows with Beach Boys-ish harmonies. "Water in the Sky" is a delicate hoedown, if such a thing exists (it does now), while "Wading in the Velvet Sea" is goose-bump gorgeous. If any more proof is needed that these guys can do more than jam, here it is. (Three 1/2 stars) © 1998 San Antonio Express-News