Phish Tails: Live Retrospective March 01, 2002 - Down Beat by Isaac Josephson Album Review - LIVEPHISH 01-06 In October 2000, Phish closed out a prodigious, two-decade run of touring and recording that defined improvisational music for a new generation. Now on indefinite hiatus, the band is releasing selections from its coveted live archives, six shows at a time. Dropped last fall, the first batch contains examples from both mid- and late-period Phish, known for lack of a better description among fans as the machine gun phase (1993-'95) and the funk/groove phase (1997-2000). Vol. 1--12.14.95 Broom County Arena, Binghamton, N.Y. (Elektra 62702; 71:00/73:54) ****1/2 Broom County catches fire from the first note of the show opener, and ratchets up to a fever pitch across the next five songs. There, the band locks in at a peak pace with the 15-minute, mostly instrumental "Split Open And Melt" that features, paradoxically, group improvisation that is both dissonant and complementary. The rest of the set list is quintessential mid-'90s Phish, careening seamlessly from polyrhythmic jazz, to Lenny Kravitz-like funk, to faux ska, to an a capella tune that morphs into a multi-instrumental, psychedelic excursion and finally wrapping things up with the Jimi Hendrix cover "Bold As Love." Vol. 2--7.16.94 Sugarbush, North Fayston, VT (Elektra 62703; 64:09/ 52:41/38:44) **** A legendary performance, Sugarbush sees Phish at the end of a 74-date tour with the energy of a band just getting warmed up. What they may lack in prowess and cohesion here (7.16.94 is the earliest of this batch of releases), the Vermont natives more than make up for with creativity and sheer audacity. The centerpiece of the show is a six-song unbroken run of rock-based tunes punctuated by moments of mayhem and a keyboard funk that screams Headhunters-era Herbie. Vol. 3--9.14.00 Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, Darien Center, NY (Elektra 62704; 61:32/ 46:18/34:51) *1/2 The rotten tomato of the series, Phish tries to reproduce the transcendent, minimalist improvisation highlighted in Vol. 4 of this series (recorded three months earlier), and falls short of expectations. The jams are limp and directionless--like an electric-era Miles Davis piece that doesn't hold any energy from one note to the next. And the vocals throughout the second set are painful, particularly on the Who, Talking Heads and Rolling Stones covers. Vol. 4--6.14.00 Drum Logos, Fukuoka, Japan (Elektra 62705; 70:44/ 59:25/28:00) ***1/2 Phish plays outside themselves in one of the few bright spots of the band's last year. Set two is marked by ambient, percussive, almost modal jams led primarily by Page McConnell's piano, with many of his chords resolved in Trey Anastasio's understated guitar arpeggios. Vol. 5--7.8.00 Alpine Valley, East Troy, WI (Elektra 62706; 72:46/43:05/ 36:32) ** Another weak link in the series, Phish never ventures beyond a basic rock/groove sound, crafting jams that are impeccably executed but mostly risk-free. Perhaps, that lack of creativity was the product of such a standard set list; songs like "NICU" with its Caribbean lilt, the radio single "Heavy Things" and the standard blues tune "Possum" make Alpine Valley a hits show from a band clearly running low on ideas. Vol. 6--11.27.98 The Centrum, Worcester, MA (Elektra 62707; 62:08/ 47:18/66:42) **** Worcester is easily the best of the late-period offerings, with the perfect combination of high energy, wacky instrumental breaks, trance-like ambience and a set list that's all over the map. Phish floats with precision and glee between chunky blues (Son Seals' "Funky Bitch"), silly ditties of their own ("Sanity") and the odd time-signature stutter of "Meat." Ordering Info: www.elektra.com Named Works: Live Phish Vol. 1 -- 12.14.95 Broom County Arena, Binghamton, New York (Sound recording) - Reviews; Live Phish Vol. 2 -- 7.16.94 Sugarbush, North Fayston, Vermont (Sound recording) - Reviews; Live Phish Vol. 3 -- 9.14.00 Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, Darien Center, New York (Sound recording) - Reviews; Live Phish Vol. 4 -- 6.14.00 Drum Logos, Fukuoka, Japan (Sound recording) - Reviews; Live Phish Vol. 5 -- 7.8.00 Alpine Valley, East Troy, Wisconsin (Sound recording) - Reviews; Live Phish Vol. 6 -- 11.27.98 The Centrum, Worcester, Massachussets (Sound recording) - Reviews © 2002 Maher Publications, Inc.