Phish - Live in Brooklyn
Phish phanatics will probably debate the merits ofLive in Brooklynad infinitum, but while this June 17, 2004 show from what was apparently the quartet's final tour is neither their best nor their worst, it's certainly representative: two long sets (a total of more than three hours, on two discs), some exuberant, uplifting highs, some stretches that are less than spectacular, andlotsof jamming. Guitarist Trey Anastasio and his mates are good players with decades of experience together, and when they get into the groove in the course of their many lengthy improvisations, the results can be inspiring (cf. "Moma Dance > Free" and "Maze"). But the band also suffers from the same shortcomings that often afflicted both their jam-minded predecessors (the Grateful Dead being the most obvious) and contemporaries like Widespread Panic and the String Cheese Incident. Simply put, Phish's singing is weak, and their songwriting is frustratingly inconsistent. Their best tunes are either the ones they didn't write (like their arrangement of Strauss' "Also Sprach Zarathustra," here called "2001" and directly copped from the hit version by Deodato) or the ones most closely resembling someone else's; comparisons to the Dead are no doubt tiresome, but the bluesy "Possum" and the country lope and cracked three-part harmonies of "Nothing" make them unavoidable. On the other hand, give these boys credit for actually using words like "ensconced" and "rescind" in their lyrics. Kudos also go to director Eli Tishberg, whose work is interesting but never edit-heavy or reliant on extraneous bells and whistles (the steady downpour that drenched the crowd through much of the Coney Island show is its own special effect), and to the folks responsible for the splendid digital sound. Bonus material includes songs from the band's sound check and June 18th show, as well as a few backstage minutes with Anastasio.--Sam Graham