Feb/Mar Issue: Home | Editors | Features | Columns | Photos | Regional | New Groove Road Trip | Tour Journal | Venue | Levels | Ghosts | Homegrown | Inaudible | CDs | Charts

Inaudible Hiss

I'll be honest with you, one thing that has always bothered me is the way that people in the various media package re-runs. Let's face it, you know you've heard that radio program before or seen that TV talk show or even read that particular Doonesbury (which is not to compare Mikey with Doonesbury- Garry Trudeau is a fine man but when was the last time you saw him busting a nut at a String Cheese Incident gig). But anyhow, rather than label these repeats, rehashes or leftovers (and the only Leftover worth seeing is the Salmon), they somehow think that they can draw you in my hyping these reruns with the label "Best of." That just ticks me off.

With that in mind I give you "The Best of Mikey," an oldie but a goodie, a chart-topper way back from the days of yore from...issue two of jambands.com. This was back when I did two strips a month so maybe some of you didn't scan down to see the second one. Well boy was it funny....Anyhow, enjoy....

---

The piece that follows is by no means the type of laugh out loud stuff that we hope to put in this section (we still need more of these) but it is a whimsical exploration so we decided to place it here this month. Besides if we didn't all you'd have is a super crappy Mikey rerun.

The Beatles and Phish: The Phabbest Phoursomes Around
by Bob Ferdman

If John, Paul, George and Ringo were born twenty years later in Vermont instead of Liverpool, would they have become Phish instead of the Beatles? A crazy question indeed, but look at the two bands:

The Bands

Each has four members. Each member plays an equally important role, and is therefore pretty much irreplaceable: if one were to leave, the group simply would not be the same.

You have Trey Anastasio who is the 'leader' of the group. He's like John Lennon. Trey is the most "rock and roll" member of the group. He's most on edge and seems the craziest, willing to take any risk. Many look at him as the "soul" of the band. He also sings the majority of the songs.

Then there's Page McConnell, Trey's exact opposite. He's the Paul McCartney of Phish, except that he plays the keys not bass. Page is the crooner, the balladeer with the voice that's as sweet as candy. Like Paul, he sings the majority of the band's songs that Trey doesn't.

Mike Gordon is the George of the band. He's the "quiet" one who gets to sing his own songs here and there. Like George, Mike has an affection for bluegrass music.

Lastly, if there ever was to be another Ringo Starr it would have to be Jon Fishman. He's the lovable, goofy drummer who doesn't get enough credit. He's a great drummer, able to play any style imaginable, yet extremely underrated. He's also goofy looking and just wants to be loved. Like the Beatles did with Ringo, he gets a song thrown to him once a show to showcase his lovable goofiness and personality.

The Music

Lots of critics and the like like to rag on Phish as being purveyor's of the Grateful Dead's legacy. Some even go as far to say that there really isn't even a difference between the Dead and Phish. Take this review of Billy Breathes from the New Musical Express for instance: "In the tragic tradition of the Dead, Phish are enthusiastic exponents of the 'pot noodle'.... With appalling inevitability, this hideously hirsute Vermont quartet - led by Garcia clone Trey Anastasio - are currently the biggest live draw in America." However, I beg to differ.

Sure, if you look at the live shows, (which the above reviewer did not), Phish and the Dead have some things on common. They both like to 'jam' and both have been able to create a special and unique connection with their audiences. Musically, however, the two bands couldn't be more far apart. The Dead drew heavily from old rock and roll, Chuck Berry et al, the blues and country and western and folk classics by the like of Merle Haggard and Marty Robbins. They were a true 'Americana' band if there ever was one. Phish on the other hand, seems to be more influenced by the likes of Santana, Frank Zappa, jazz and funk and classic rock and roll. More and more, though, I can't help but see a big Beatles influence on the boys from Vermont. More and more, Phish reminds me of the Beatles.

I first had this thought listening to A Picture of Nectar back in 1992. I was told by some friends to check this band out, that they were going to be the next Dead. Listening to the album, though, I was struck by the variety of songs, and the energy that came through them. Here was a band that could go from jazzy ("Guellah Papyrus") to rock ("Chalkdust Torture") to bluegrass ("Poor Heart") on one album, and all seamlessly and effortlessly. They not only had the influences to go there, but also the will and the skill. My initial thought was what a versatile drummer they. He's just like Ringo, to be able to play all those styles. Nectar was the most diverse album I think I'd heard since The White Album. Of course, I was also taken by the spirit of the music. It all seemed so positive, even if the lyrics didn't necessarily agree ("so maybe I could be a fly, and be an arachnid as I die"), a real sense of group and fun came across the recording. Technically speaking though, it was an album where all four band members seemed to come together and contribute something unique to each track. It was a real group effort, something I had not heard in a group, really, other than the Beatles.

After Nectar, I sought out Lawn Boy and Junta. I didn't get quite the same feeling, but if you dig, the similarities are there. Page's piano during "Squirming Coil," Fishman's drumming from song to song. He's able to adapt to whatever the band needs, extremely versatile. And then there's the group's sense of melodies and harmony. Each song is unique and different from the other. No two melodies really even seem to resemble each other. And then there's "Bouncing Around the Room." In today's rock music world it's hard to find a group that isn't afraid to vocalize with one another. The ending of "Bouncing" is pure bliss, to hear all four voices coming together and harmonizing like that. You simply don't hear music like that any more. You'd have to go back to the girl groups of sixtie's Motown, or the Beatles. The Beatles were masters of the three part harmonies, just listen to "Yes It Is," or anything from Help! or Rubber Soul.

On Lawn Boy I saw Phish's potential in that vein.

Billy Breathes and The Story of the Ghost are a continuation on these themes. While most critics hailed Billy Breathes as the group's finest record, they went on to compare it to the Dead's American Beauty and Workingman's Dead. Those were somber records filled with a sense of loss and dealing with themes of death. If you're going to compare Billy Breathes to anything it should be Rubber Soul.

The cover of the Beatles' Rubber Soul shows an image of a tired band. They look exhausted, world-weary even. They were. With Rubber Soul they decided to stop touring and just make a record. What came out was a much more mature record than anything they'd done previously. The lyrics were more introspective. So was the mood of the record. They picked up acoustic instruments for the first time on record and experimented with tambourines and sitars. This was the turning point for them that paved the way for Revolver and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band.

Much the same could be said for Billy Breathes. This was the first time Phish took a break to just make a record. And what came out was surprisingly and refreshingly mature. It has that warm, acoustic feel to it and the lyrics are more introspective and mature. Even the 'rockers' like "Free" are more laid back than you're used to hearing. The songs are simpler, yet in a way more endearing and effective to the listener. For arguably the first time, Phish wrote songs with lyrics you could understand and relate to, and songs that seemed, well, like songs. No crazy structures or fugues. Just simple, plain songs with direct and honest lyrics. To my ears, "Waste" could easily fit onto Rubber Soul, and "I'm Looking Through You" could fit on Billy Breathes, and both records would still work.

Musically, the comparisons continue on The Story of the Ghost. At times listening to Trey's clean guitar work, I could swear I was listening to moments on Abbey Road.

Besides, all of these similarities, it's hard to think of a band other than Phish who truly functions as a band, like the Beatles did. Not since the Beatles has a band appeared to have so much fun together as a group and with their audience. Each member seems to truly have respect and admiration of the other. In this day and age, that's quite refreshing.

---

Bob Ferdman is obviously a big fan of both the Beatles and Phish and can usually be found on The Rolling Stone Network message boards where he spends most of his time (http://www.rollingstone.com). He resides in the suburbs of Chicago, currently with his parents to his dismay, while trying deperately to climb the Rolling Stone ladder of success and get out of debt. He is currently one of the Communities Managers at the Rolling Stone Network/JAMtv. Bob would love to hear from you and can be reached via e-mail at bobf@jamtv.com.

---