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Phish - Slip, Stitch and Pass Audio CD

A fair review of the Phish "Slip, Stitch and Pass" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Phish reviews here, or go back to the Phish tabs.

Phish Band: Phish
Title: Slip, Stitch and Pass
Rating:
Release Date: 1997-10-28
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Cities 2: Wolfman's Brother 3: Jesus Just Left Chicago 4: Weigh 5: Mike's Song 6: Lawn Boy 7: Weekapaug Groove 8: Hello My Baby 9: Taste

Great live album with some GREAT nuggets of jams
Weekapaug Groove BLOWS my mind on this recording. . and the germans really seem to find Hello My Baby to be quite funny. . . shhhhhhh.


Illuminating and Frustrating
For better, or worse, Phish came to rely on spacey, drawn out improvisations as opposed to the frenetic turn-on-a-dime compositions that characteriezed much of their earlier work. Phish's second offical live album, "Slip Stitch and Pass", released in 1997 provides an early glimpse into the band's movement into the arena-friendly funk that came to dominate their performances from 1998-2000. Hints of the former style are still evident here in the jazz-meets-classical piano breaks of Page McConell during a run through 1993's "Weigh", however much of the album finds itself in a plodding funk mode as evidenced by the sluggish Talking Heads opener "Cities". That is not to say that the band doesn't dig in and find a worthy groove, such as in 1994's "Wolfman's Brother", which moves into a creeping, lava-like jam during the outro that hints at a heretofore unseen dark undercurrent within the bands' collective psyche. However, as is all too often the case, this jam succumbs to a poorly chosen cover of ZZ Top's "Jesus Just Left Chicago", revealing the dangers of banal blues-based improv over the course of nearly thirteen (torturous) minutes. The same can also be said of the jam out of the previously unreleased "Mike's Song, that for all it's edgy ambience, is quickly stripped of its emotional impact with the insertion of a few lines from The Doors "The End" and Pink Floyd's "Careful With That Axe, Eugene", before landing in the campy lounge of 1990's "Lawn Boy". Unlike the two aforementioned bands, try as they might, Phish is just not that menacing, particularly when opening their mouths to sing.

In the end, Slip, Stitch and Pass documents a band in transition, with all of its inherent strengths and weaknesses exposed. Credit must be given to the band for its willingness to break from its own past, it's just too bad it is often subverted by the very same juvenille tendencies that made them so endearing to begin with.


SS&P
From the sounds of the crowd it appears to be a very intimant venue which is rare especially for teh time period it was reocrded in. I love this CD because it has Cities on it as well as Jesus Just left Chicago which are 2 great covers. I would definately recommend this CD for part of your collection.


Sublimely subdued
Another fine release shows the boys adopting rather cunningly to the small scale intimacies this venue provided without loosing any of their signature intellectually informed kick, all the while providing an earnest balance of special covers and favorite originals.


Better than western civilization
They're one of those bands that manage to sound great in all different types of venues. All I have to say is, as a "phan" that started listening later in their career, this album with out a doubt turned me onto Phish. This one recorded in various small places in Europe. Every song is performed flawlessly, some so good that I've yet to hear a better release to compare them to such as Wolfman's Brother, Weigh, or Mike's Song (especially that guitar playing during the intro and vocal verse sections). They seemed to have chosen a great selection of live songs to fill the album with. Of all live releases of any band this is one of the best in quality. And they come off as appropriate. I'm still intrigued to this day by most of their live work no matter how many times I listen. This album will never go old. .


You can see a complete list of all Phish discography, or go back to the Phish tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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