Phish Release Series of Live Downloads/CDs
Jam Band's Includes Three Night 8-Disc Set "At the Roxy" From 1993
You have to hand it to Phish; over the band's twenty-five year run they have amassed a wealth of dedicated fans. Phish's listeners have started using the internet to distribute live performances of the jam band for free, which gives a lot of opportunity to catch the band at their finest. The most long-running series of downloads are run by Live Phish Downloads, a website that releases live albums multiple times a year, houses shows spanning the band's incarnations, and even has a live Phish radio.
At the Roxy, one of the band's greatest performances was released by Live Phish Downloads at the end of 2008. The eight-disc CD set is a replica of three live shows Phish played in Atlanta, Georgia in February 1993, when the band was in their prime. Totaling in just over eight hours of live performance, At the Roxy is good for avid listeners and newcomers alike, as it provides a thorough look at the band giving incredible performances (one of which occurred on drummer Jon Fishman's birthday).
Phish Puts Forth Jam Band Extravaganza
During their three-night performance at the Roxy, Phish played a great deal of their most popular songs. The band jammed on for segments as long as the 22-minute rendition of “You Enjoy Myself”, complete with a five minute a cappella session at the end. The band extends a number of their own songs, but they also play off a number of covers, including Led Zeppelin's “Moby Dick”, Syd Barrett's “Love You”, and even briefly Kiss' “Rock and Roll All Nite” after Gene Simmons is supposedly discovered in the audience
But what makes At the Roxy so special is the variety of songs Phish has in their repertoire and how long they can extend these songs into jams for. Lead singer/guitarist Trey Anastasio sings with enthusiasm, but plays his guitar with a jazz-rock influence, unlike most jam bands. What separates Phish from the rest is their propensity to jazz improvisation like The Allman Brothers. The ten-minute piano solo in “Fluffhead” is exemplary of this; pianist Page McConnell has a strong jazz influence behind his playing.
At the Roxy Great Compilation of Band's Material
While no studio album can come close to the feel exuded by Phish at their live shows, the band still has a distinct aura about them which listeners may like or dislike. They have all of the elements of a jam band, but the members bring individual quirks to the band which greatly shapes their music. Phish has a distinct sense of sarcastic humor, and they aren't afraid to do bizarre things in the middle of their sets such as start screaming and shouting in time with the music.
For fans of Phish, Live Phish Downloads' CD series is paradise, and for people new to the jam band, the three-night series At the Roxy is a great way to get one's bearings. It includes classics like “Rift”, “Tweezer”, and “Bouncin Around the Room”, some obscure songs and jams, and a plethora of covers. Phish is at their finest during this period of time, and there is no better way to get to know the band than to sit down and listen to eight hours of their live jamming.
At the Roxy is one in a series of CDs released for free by Live Phish Downloads.
At the Roxy Cover
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