Disclaimer: I am by no means a Phish-head. I do not follow the band around the country or attend local shows. Phish is a mere band to me, not a religious experience.
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I was introducted to Phish in much the same way as a lot of other teens in the early 1990's. When album Hoist was released in 1994 and subsequent single Down With Disease found an audience on radio and MTV I noticed. I didn't entirely buy into the band, but I was willing to give them a chance. However even today, I don't understand the appeal outside of providing an outlet for former Dead-head. But I got Hoist. And I got 1993's Rift. And I even picked up the genuinely forgettable live disc Slip, Stitch & Pass (1997).
Considering those albums I own and those I've heard (Billy Breathes, A Picture of Nectar) I can honestly say that no album (including those live effort) captures the band in all their glory. However, I do think that Rift is my favorite of the bunch. A studio effort, it generally impress. While not exactly a creative stretch or unique, it is still a fine enough effort despite Anastasio's best efforts to make it a concept album. The concept? Something about sleeping and dreaming and uh...hell...I don't really care. It's definitely best to listen to Rift and ignore any attempts by the band to tell a cohesive story. The songs are generally good enough to stand on their own merits.
Phish, as mentioned, is the creative outlet of one Trey Anastasio. Because Phish is so well regarded as a live act it should come as a shock that there are indeed OTHER members of the band with various talents. At the time of the release of Rift, the Vermont band's lineup consisted of Anastasio (guitars, vocals), John Fishman (drums), Mike Gordon (bass), and Page McConnell (guitars) who as a group have perfected a somewhat unique folk/jazz/pop/country sound that for a time became a way of life for Phish-head around the nation and world. Whether or not I agree that Phish is/was fantastic, I cannot deny the fact that thousands of people love(d)them.
Safe, languid, and pleasing to the ear Rift isn't at all offensive. I definitely wish Phish would have taken a few more risks with the album. I'm pleased with Rift, especially considering that there is only one song that really annoys me. Though it doesn't have a darned thing to do with the brief track. Lengthwise is disgusting. The sleeping noises truly and completely make me ill. The smacking gums and sighing make me skip the track despite it's brevity each and every time I hear it. It makes me shudder to even think of the song.
Outside of that I like the free, open, jazzy and country sounds on the album. In particular, song Rift is an entertaining listen. It's an up-tempo, alt-pop track that is easily the most immediately appealing of the release. The frantic pace and edgy song laced with steel guitars and jazz piano make for a creative and rewarding experience. I am also drawn to lovely, slow country song Fast Enough For You.
As Rift progresses, some songs are merely nice while others are standouts. Outside of my major issue with Lengthwise I have little negative to say about the album--just that it isn't outstanding. Sparkle, My Friend, My Friend, Weigh and album ender Silent In The Morning are the most impressive songs outside of the first two. Sparkle is shimmering, happy, irreverent joy-filled music. It is clear based on the variety of the songs and the lackadaisical writing that Phish intended this album to be fun, and that it is. Also of particular note of my favorites is the gorgeous, Beatle-esque Silent In The Morning. It begins simply with modest guitars and percussion and Page's coy voice. It oozes happiness and emotion and nicely wraps up an overall exhuberant release. Also, these lyrics are the most interesting of the disc:
Silent in the morning
Suspended in the trees
Lunch time comes you've found your voice
It brings me to my knees
The volume just increases
The resounding echoes grow
Till once again I bask in morning stillness, I love so
Rift is overall the most appealing Phish album on every level. It doesn't capture the stage presence of the band, then again no album has accomplish that yet. It isn't deep and it's not entirely original. Rift may not be perfect, but it is perfectly entertaining. In this case, there is nothing more I could hope for from Phish.
Rating: 4/5 stars
Track Listing:
01. Rift
02. Fast Enough For You
03. Lengthwise
04. Maze
05. Sparkle
06. Horn
07. Wedge, The
08. My Friend, My Friend
09. Weigh
10. All Things Reconsidered
11. Mound
12. It's Ice
13. Lengthwise - (reprise)
14. Horse, The
15. Silent In The Morning
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