Phish's Wit Guaranteed To Grab You April 10, 1994 - Wisconsin State Journal By John Kovalic Album Review - Hoist Phish, ''Hoist,'' Elektra *** To be honest, I find Phish's eclectic weirdness just a teensy bit affected . . . sort of like an upscale cross between They Might Be Giants and Dr. Demento, produced by public radio. But this is a fine record for people who like that sort of thing. From the bluesy ''Julius'' to the frantic ''Scent of a Mule,'' there's little here that's hard not to find fun. A smooth, crystalline production and intelligent (if deranged) lyrics augment Phish's musical savvy, but it's the group's wit that strikes you - as in, between the eyes with a nine-iron. You've got to appreciate a band that can come up with a tender ballad that begins ''I can't spend a moment for the dog-faced boy/ I won't lend another hand to the worm-faced girl of Hanoi/ Don't deplete my oxygen for the guy who's turning blue/ But ask me and I'll do anything for you.'' The scary thing is, a lot of bands would have taken these licks seriously.