Phish has been said to be one of the best live bands of all time. From long jams to covers that the band does, their shows were very special and unique. This is their second live album, entitled “Slip Stitch and Pass.” It was recorded in a club in Germany during their European tour in 1997. Even though I only have a handful of Phish cd’s, I think this one is one of my favorites if not my favorite, because it has a wide variety of songs that the band plays, including rock, funk, blues, jam, and, surprisingly, a capella.
Phish is-
Trey Anastasio-guitar
Mike Gordon-bass
Page McConnell-keyboard
Jon Fishman-drums
Cities
The first track on “Slip Stitch and Pass” is Cities. The talking heads originally did this song, so the album starts off with a famous Phish cover. Even though it seems hard to cover, Phish does a great job at covering Cities. The song has got a great keyboard part, and Mike does a nice job with the bass part. The vocals are soothing, as Trey does a nice job on them, even though he cuts out a verse. A great cover, and a good way to start the album, Cities has got to be my favorite song on this album, along with Weekapaug Groove.
Wolfman’s Brother
An odd but good song, Wolfman’s Brother is the second song on this album, and the first funk song on the album. The first jam of the show is in this song, with nearly a ten minute jam. Trey does a great job with the Wah peddle, and also has a great solo as well. Jon’s drum part is another highlight of this song, and the bass part is soft, but very good. The lyrics aren’t that great, but everything else in this song is superb.
Jesus Just Left Chicago
The second of three covers that Phish does on this cd, Jesus Just Left Chicago was originally done by ZZ Top. This song shows how much of a wide variety Phish can play. (This song is blues.) The song is quiet for the most part, but every once and awhile, they will go full throttle, then suddenly stop. Mike has a good bass part, and the keyboard part to this song is exceptional as well. At about halfway, the band gets so quiet, you can barely here the drums playing. The guys do a truly remarkable cover of this song.
Weigh
Weigh is a great song with very strange lyrics. One part in the song goes like this: “I’d like to cut your head off, so I can weigh it, what do you say?” In another part, the lyrics go something like this: “I’d like to gather all your friends, squish them into an extremely small swimming pool, so I can weigh them, what do you say?” Even though the lyrics are odd, there is a great keyboard part in this song, which includes a few awesome solo parts. Trey also throws in a nice guitar solo to even things out. Even though the lyrics are odd, they are funny and enjoyable, so overall, Weigh is a good song.
Mike’s Song
Kind of an annoying song, Mike’s song is written and sung by none other than Mike Gordon. The song starts off with a guitar riff which leads into the song. After about a minute and a half of singing, the band goes into a long jam. The jam has a great guitar solo, a wicked drum part, and a good keyboard part as well. The bass also sticks out in this song, being Mike’s Song, after all. At the very end of the song, everything changes gear. Trey comes in, singing “This is the end, my only friend the end.” After a little while, Trey then says “Careful With That Axe Eugene.” This song is alright, but the good thing about it is that it has a Pink Floyd and Doors reference. :thumb:
Lawn Boy
Lawn Boy is next. At the beginning, Trey keeps the Doors reference going, saying: “He walked on down the hall.” After that they go into a jam until the vocals come in. This song has a great bass part, including a good bass solo. The keyboard part is soft in the background, fitting the mood of the song. Another song with weird but enjoyable lyrics, Lawn Boy is a short but good song.
Weekapaug Groove
This song, along with Cities is my favorite song on this album. The song starts off with a slap bass part. After a little bit, they reference the doors again, saying: “He walked on down the hall, and he walked on down the hall, and he said father, I want to kill you. Mother, I want to cook you breakfast, and then I want to borrow the car.” Weekapaug also shows why Phish is a jam band, going into another jam. Trey has another sweet solo, which is backed in the background by a fast keyboard part, and a sweet slap bass part. This song is definitely one of the best on the album, because the music just blends together perfectly.
Hello My Baby
Alright, how many times do you see a band doing this on stage during a concert? This song is the third cover on the album, and is the special track on the album. This is a capella, so it’s just them singing without any instruments. Surprisingly, this song is alright. (The audience enjoys it anyway.)
Taste
Taste finishes off this live album. It starts off with the guitar playing a riff that the keyboard soon echoes. The lyrics soon come in. Taste has some pretty good lyrics, but the notable part of this song is another great jam. A mini drum solos starts the jam off, which is soon followed by a soothing keyboard part. Trey comes in with another sweet guitar solo which lasts for awhile. The song speeds up as it progresses. It eventually gets to the end, where it seems everything is about to explode, when suddenly the song and the album ends.
Overall, "Slip Stitch and Pass" is a great live album. It has three great and interesting covers, and it has some classic Phish songs as well. I would suggest this album to anyone who loves jam bands. This is also a good place to start if you want to start listening to Phish. I give this album a 4.5/5.
