Favorite Phish Studio Album?

Dick Heath wrote: [QUOTE=FragileDT]   So, we all know Phish always had cohesive studio albums (unlike most jam bands) which is your favorite? QUOTE]   Really making the effort to nail exactly what a 'jam band' is at the moment - but I'm coming from the jazz rock fusion end of the spectrum and keep tripping over blue grass variants and most recently a spirituals/gospel jam band (Robert Randolph & The Family Band). So curious about your statement here, and can you expand "unlike most jam bands" wrt to cohesiveness of studio albums.     Following this thread to get some advice on a suitable studio album by Phish. I've tried hard to get into Phish but not impressed by the odd live album heard, e.g. covers of  the whole of Quadraphenia or the Beatles' White Album (the vocals are a real hurdle to overcome). The latest Umphrey's McGee appeals more from the prog rock/rock jam part of the spectrum. However, with my jazz preferences really into MMW and Garaj Mahal - who won an award for the best jam album in 2006 (Blue Berry Cave). Record distributor and occasional record label Home Grown (in the USA) seems to have on its books  50 bands or more calling themselves jam bands - just purchased a rather good double sampler from them with 15-20 jam bands live.

Well I guess you could be right as far as my generalization of a "jam band." I was mainly JUST referring to the Grateful Dead. Don't get me wrong, i LOVE the dead, but have never found any of their studio albums to be that impressive as a whole. When some of the songs are played live though, they really are taken to the next level. Bad generalization on my part since many bands considered "jam bands" were the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Cream, war, etc.

As far as Phish goes (and if you're into jazz fusion) I would try either Junta (tends to generally be a fan favorite), LAWN BOY (which is my favorite), A Picture of Nectar, or Rift. Those are their first four albums and are all fantastic for more of a jazz fusion-ish (acid funk?) type sound. It's very hard to pinpoint them to one genre.

Everything they've done though has been quality music (in my opinion.) Billy Breathes is incredible for a soft rock acoustic-ish album and Story of a Ghost is one of my favorites (as it's a cohesive concept album.


As for single songs if you're not that interested in purchasing/downloading an entire album: Reba (incredible prog instrumental section, vocals at the beginning are strange), Stash (Santana-ish, very good), Split Open and Melt (strange acid-funkish), Mound (interesting blend of funk, blues, country, jazz)

and for a great instrumental (or 99% instrumental)- THE DIVIDED SKY <---highly recommended (though not very jazz-fusiony. Just very emotionally powerful)
    

Edited by FragileDT - January 23 2007 at 23:57

Billy Breathes

is my favourite - but I haven't heard all the stuff ...

the live albums are very amazing - f.e. Slip, Stitch and Pass
http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=87338

    For some reason I couldn't figure out how to create a new poll on here. Don't ask why, I've done it many time before but couldn't find it.

So, we all know Phish always had cohesive studio albums (unlike most jam bands) which is your favorite?

For me its definitely Lawn Boy. I think it's the band at their creative peak. Anybody else a phishhead?