Phish fans can crank it up on 'Hoist' April 8, 1994 - Denver Rocky Mountain News By David Thomas Album Review - Hoist Whether you'll like Phish's new recording Hoist depends a lot on whether you're a Phish fan. Like the Grateful Dead - a band Phish is often compared to both as a musical and social parallel - the phenomenon of this Vermont quartet is as important as whatever songs it happens to be playing at the moment. As a result, rabid Phish-heads will find more twisted, funky jams and musical collages to stir their dancing urges. Even though it is a little looser than some of the group's previous works, Hoist isn't exactly a new artistic horizon for the band. For those who don't know much about the group, this album is as good an introduction as any. The persistent mixing of musical styles and piling of instruments on top of one another might confuse some listeners and alienate others, but it is hard to deny the band's skill at controlling such a storm of activity.