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Some of the heads over at JamBase HeadQuarters sat around a round
table to discuss the new - and sudden - studio release from Phish
entitled Round Room. Here lies the result of this huddle:
SuperDee: For me, Round Room
really boils down to four stellar songs: "Pebbles and Marbles," "Seven
Below," "Walls of the Cave," and "Waves." The way I
listen to recorded Phish is to hear songs that have some sort of space in it
for exploration and improvisation. [READ: The Jam!] Each of these songs has
those complex song structures that get your mind spinning. About the other songs
on the album... well, they are nice. I am happy for Phish [READ: Trey] that
they had the opportunity to get some thoughts and feelings out on tape. You
can hear the influences of the various side projects in the album like in the
Trey Anastasio Band groove of "46 Days" and the quirky Leo & Mike
sounding "Round Room." Many of the songs sound like they are excerpts
from the '70s musical Pippin making for a strange brew of my guilty pleasures.
The thing to remember is that this is not a "comeback album" or their
final remarks. It is all just part of their evolution as a rock band that is
doing things their own way. But that tequila song has got to go...
Kayceman: At first, I was very disappointed,
and even a bit pissed, but after a few listens I've lightened up a little bit.
The opening, sleek guitar line of "Pebbles and Marbles" has definite
potential for the live venue, but the ballads are enough to make we wince. It
was the soft side such as "Velvet Sea" that caused me to find my fix
elsewhere, and when I am staring at "Anything But Me," "Friday,"
and "Thunderhead," I fear for the future. But alas I fall back on
the hopes of "Seven Below," "Walls of the Cave" and "Waves,"
praying for a return to the edge. All in all I hope that the studio does not
reflect the live, because if the poor vocal harmonies of "Round Room"
and lack of raw "guitar god" mayhem dominate come show time, I will
find myself still searching.
MP: As a whole, Round Room is far
from Phish's best studio effort. Though they've made a strong showing in past
studio releases - overall their albums stand on their own as quality projects,
independent of Phish's live shows - their latest release leaves me hoping that
these tunes will sound more inspired once they're played live. However, in case
anyone's wondering whether these guys still "have it" after their
two year hiatus, the handful of gems off Round Room should alleviate
some concern. By far the finest track is "Waves." This song soars
with a beautiful, lilting melody (featuring fine piano work by Page) and lyrics
that evoke classic Phish water imagery and metaphors. The slower songs don't
grab me as much, except for the plaintive "Anything But Me," which
is a better example of Phish in its more introspective moments. Even "Pebbles
and Marbles" is not my favorite song in the least, although it features
some lovely instrumentation. But some of the album's more rockin' tunes are
real winners, especially the groovy "Seven Below," the rollicking
"46 Days," and the slinky "Walls of the Cave." These are
quality songs, and you just know they're gonna rock them out live. Clearly
Phish is excited to perform together again, so rest assured they'll breathe
life into the new songs from Round Room, and hopefully conjure up some
interesting new segues between these and our traditional Phish faves. ("Roggae >
Waves," anyone?)
Andy: I really enjoyed Round Room
the first time I heard it, and it has grown on me each time I've listened. I
feel like it reflects a lot of what made me fall in love with this band many
years ago. It has some intensely powerful epic moments, soulful melodies, melodic
grooves, goes down the silly path at times, and even delves into some complex
compositions. More than anything, I've got that familiar buzz back, and it shows
me that these guys are still extremely serious about their craft. Going back
and listening to my favorite tapes once again, I can really see where they've
come in all this time. This album has an evolved sense of patience, energy and
fluidity that really draws me into the sounds. The lyrics are both reflective
and forward thinking and stick in my head for hours. While listening, I get
that distinct feeling of good friends hanging out and getting high on the music
together after not really playing with each other for a few years. It's raw
and rough around the edges, but then again so is Phish. This is really only
the beginning, and there's no telling where it can go from here. (Waves: 12:45am
on New Years Day after the midnight madness settles down.)
A-Dubs: Round Room, a name
that suggests the cyclical nature of thought and the ever-evolving history of
one of the scene's most experimental bands, has moments of greatness while falling
short in equal amounts. Phish albums have been known to be tough swallows for
die-hard fans in search of transcendent jams and spacious grooves. Instead they
are left with diet versions of songs that can only hint as to what may become
a live show staple. In the category of potential though, Round Room delivers the heat.
The opening track "Pebbles and Marbles," with its soft beginnings,
catchy lyrics and jammed out ending shows the fun is still in the game. The
pre-released, "Walls of the Cave" takes the listener back in time
to what is perceived to be a post-Gamehenge archeological find. The lyrics speak
of "the names of those you couldn't save,You'll find them on the walls of the cave," and "The mountain here is now a hill" urging the listener to "look away, look away"
referencing the demise of the fictional Lizard people, and the crumbling of
Mt. Icculus, while proving epic in its ending. Phish have produced an album
bursting with dust-covered gems. The last track on Round Room shows that
this is not a band that slept through its two-year hiatus. A Beatle-esque journey
through sound, "Waves" is pure in its sound and versatile in its ability
to be stretched and bent into any number of directions. This is the overriding
factor of any great Phish song.
While many claim the album is "diet-Phish," I say you expect too much
from a band that has never relied on albums to generate or dictate the direction
of its live show offerings. Many Phish albums in the past have included songs
that at first listen are soft and sappy only to be rendered classics as time
slips by. While this album's "Friday" and "Mexican Cousin"
have a long way to go, counting them, and this whole album out now is a slap
in the face to a band whose dedication to their ever-evolving sounds is what
drew you to listen in the first place.
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