Phish - "Hampton Comes Alive" December 31, 1999 - The Philadelphia Inquirer By A.D. Amorosi Album Review - Hampton Comes Alive In this age of not-so-grand-illusion, you've got to admire the goofy gall of Phish. The group is like a silly, jazzbo rendition of the Grateful Dead in full noodling mode. Guitarist-vocalist Trey Anastassio puts the "imp" in improv as he leads Phish along an eclectic highway full of weird songs. Live performance is the band's forte, and this elaborate, warts- and-all six-CD set of back-to-back gigs in Hampton, Va., shows Phish going through myriad paces. The slow, stoner feel of Phish songs such as "Stash" and the frenetic jam that surrounds "Simple" show off strong songwriting skills as they demonstrate how to mutate that talent beyond recognition with far-flung experimentation. Risky stuff for a band so cherished commercially. What makes "Hampton" truly come alive is its selection of cover jammies from the likes of Hendrix, Ween and the Beastie Boys. Review © 1999 The Philadelphia Inquirer