Phish-free June 1, 2002 - Wichita Eagle by Jerry Abej Album Review - Trey Anastasio Rocker Trey Anastasio breaks out on his own. Depending on how strongly Phish fans feel about the band's self-imposed hiatus, Trey Anastasio's solo debut can be seen as either an abomination or the liberation of a trapped musician. While the album lacks the unique interplay of the beloved jam band, the break frees Anastasio from the constraints of working in a tightly knit foursome. Anastasio employs no fewer than 29 musicians and a string section for his first solo disc. The result is an album that spans nearly all of Anastasio's jazz, classical and jam-band influences. The Latin-flavored first single "Alive Again" plays like a grand announcement of this newfound freedom. The break also allows Anastasio to make a more "funkified" album. It's almost a response to critics who said the last few Phish studio albums were too mellow. Anastasio shows some energy on the P-Funk style "Cayman Review" and on one of the album's best songs, "Night Speaks to a Woman." Two autumnal instrumentals, "At the Gazeb." and "Ray Dawn Balloon," show off a little-seen side of Anastasio: the structured, deliberate composer. But it's on Anastasio's trademark improvised jams that most clearly show what's missing. The 7-minute "Push On 'Til The Day" and 11-minute "Last Tube" are both up-tempo, horn-soaked jams that drone on without taking any interesting or surprising turns.