Released: 1990
Tracks: The Squirming Coil; Reba; My Sweet One; Split Open and Melt; The Oh Kee Pa Ceremony; Bathtub Gin; Run Like an Antelope; Lawn Boy; Bouncing Around the Room
Best track: Squirming Coil, possibly Lawn Boy
Track to skip: none
This is probably my least-listened to Phish album and I have no idea why. There’s still something that doesn’t sit right with me when I listen to it. I think I’m wanting to hear an ‘Album’ and not a ‘Collection of Songs’. I know I go on about that a lot, but it’s really true. I don’t want to hear things that don’t sound like whole pieces of work. I love all the songs on here (OK, Oh Kee Pa is only decent), but Lawn Boy isn’t a whole experience. All that being said, (repeating here) the songs are GREAT. Squirming Coil is a strange way to open the album, but it turns out to be the highlight. I absolutely love Trey’s guitar solo in it, one of his best ever. He just holds the notes for so long, it’s great. Another cool bit in Coil is the ‘Heavy Metal Scream’ done by Dean ‘The Cheese’ LaBrie. I think we still don’t know if he’s related to Dream Theater’s lead screamer James LaBrie, but it’s just too weird of a coincidence.
The absurd eclecticism continues here and all of these songs really are Phish Classics. I think anytime that any of these songs come up (OK, except for Bouncing, which a lot of idiots don’t like) at a concert everybody goes nuts. Good reason too, since there’s always some significant improv in these songs. Coil, Reba, Melt, Bathtub Gin, Antelope are all serious jamming songs.
The band is still kind of figuring everything out on this one, they’re not professionals yet. This album is essential for anyone who likes Phish since (as always) there’s something that everybody can enjoy on this. It’s by no means perfect, but I like it. And Lawn Boy is a great song.
Rating: 89
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