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Phish
New Year's Eve 1995:
Live at Madison Square Garden
(Jemp/Rhino)
First Appeared in
The Music Box, January 2006, Volume 13, #1
Written by John Metzger
Arguably, 1995 was the beginning of the end for Phish. Granted, the band
unleashed numerous outstanding shows in subsequent years, but it also found it
more and more difficult to cope with the influx of wayward Deadheads and other
hangers-on that gravitated to its surrounding scene after the passing of Jerry
Garcia. Although the ensemble tried to make the best of the situation — by
staging massive, weekend-long festivals for its fans in out-of-the-way locales —
its pockets of inspiration grew further and further apart. In short, as Phish
found itself confined within the impersonal atmosphere of its large arena tours,
its concerts became increasingly formulaic and less adventurous. Therefore, the
recently issued three-CD set New Year’s Eve 1995: Live at Madison Square
Garden is a momentous slice of history that finds the group poised upon the
pinnacle of its career. Mixing its whimsical goofiness and Gamehendge
mythology with intriguing cover songs and mind-bending improvisational
excursions, the endeavor effectively portrays the full-range of the collective’s
essence.
There’s little doubt that some aspects of Phish’s repertoire are an acquired
taste, and, given that its concerts were tied theatrically to the moment in
which they occurred, its performances frequently didn’t translate fully to a
home-listening environment. Indeed, there are portions on New Year’s Eve
1995: Live at Madison Square Garden that quickly grow tiresome and tedious:
the audience "chess match," the "time laboratory" skit that was tucked inside
Fly Famous Mockingbird, the elongated countdown to midnight, the jokingly
delivered rendition of Collective Soul’s Shine, and, to a lesser extent,
some of its well-scripted, progressive rock textures, for example. What stands
out, then, and makes the set worthwhile is the manner in which the band
transformed many of its classic songs — particularly the frolicking Runaway
Jim and the phantasmagorical You Enjoy Myself, though the
supercharged lysergic sprawl of Mike’s Song, the frenzied spiral of
Maze, the melodious drive of Weekapaug Groove, and the seamless
fusion of The Who’s Drowned with its own Lizards were equally
stellar — into sturdy vehicles for improvisational expression. After all, it’s
when the ensemble cut the music free from its moorings and allowed it to stand
on its own as an interactive conversation that it created something that was
wholly captivating and utterly durable. 
New Year's Eve 1995: LIve at Madison Square Garden is
available from Amazon.com. To order, Click Here!
For Canadian orders, please
Click Here!
For UK orders, please
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Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2006
The Music Box
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