[.ca] Slip Stitch and Pass

Amazon.com essential recording:
For those who eschew the swinging teenage elbows of an actual Phish concert, this 1997 Hamburg date offers a comprehensive account of the quartet's breadth. Talking Heads' "Cities" is a perfect match for their brand of quirky funk. ZZ Top's "Jesus Just Left Chicago" receives a gritty 13-minute reading with ample room for Page McConnell's blues-heavy piano. Guitarist Trey Anastasio alternates between quiet, emotive passages and searing power licks. There's also an a cappella version of the ragtime chestnut "Hello My Baby." Their patented blend of nonsensical lyrics and intense jams is represented by "Weigh" ("I'd like to cut your head off, so I can weigh it... Five pounds? Six pounds?") and by unrecorded fan favorites including "Mike's Song" and "Weekapaug Groove." --Marc Greilsamer

listen to it man:
song by song overview because it sounds lame to tell someone hey this sucks or i love this cities - funny, groovy and has a cool wah rythym to it good song to chill to and 'get some thinking done' wolfman - awesome version of the song possibly the best because unlike hoist its a little more flowing and when it goes 'broth-er' with the guitar riff after it, i get goose bumps jesus/chicago - and after a long slow paced jam with distintive bass and wah guitar we find our selves at a beat-slow slow-beat blues cover of jesus left chicago with a sweet solo in the midst of it weigh - an alright song not my favorite but,give it credit for being mike's highlight on the album, not to much improv here but it does give a nice interlude to mikes' song and this song is really, i guess you could say, overall, phishy mike's song - wow best part of the cd maybe, take mike's song and add a out of control sweet tension build up,' the end theme ', 'careful with that axe screams' and finish with a factory jam until we get to a 'and he walked down the hall'(morrison) to the next ... lawn boy - good song with some nice page vocals and a smoothe bass riff by mike, also some nice feed back weekapog groove - cool main riff with more 'the end' referencing, it's a groove, a monster groove, so don't think to hard just appreciate it all at once as a whole flowing enima, can you dig? hello my baby - it's cute and funny but also quiet and that ticks me off just a wee bit, i have to turn up my stereo to hear the individual words, this track closes the album in a sense and prepares the listeners for a climax on taste taste - great closer, if it weren't for this song i wouldn't probably be writing this review and screaming to all to buy it and listen your ears off and don't be to quick to judge overall awesome, only four stars because of hello my baby is quiet and weigh is not the greatest song inmy opinion, but hey who am i, if you like phish and want to know what live phish is all about or just like jam bands or just like music get it and embrace it 'express yourself but listen to others' - fishman

It's good but prehaps a bit overated.:
I have been a phish head for about 3 years now, and I finally bought this one used a few weeks ago. My two friends told me it was their favorite Phish cd. I love Phish's live stuff, don't get me wrong, but while this is a nice one to have, it doesn't feel like the best live Phish I'd ever heard. Honestly, it seems a little weak, and I can't figure out why. I really like Mikes groove, and it is a good Mike's groove but it feels like it needs more. I just can't put a finger on it. This is a good CD to have and I do listen to it offten but I never am quite satisfied with it. It just needs more. It feels like the band was playing well but didn't have a ton of energy.

Go phishing!:
Wow!A great live album. Funky, bluesy,jamming music that shifts tempos beautifully. The version of the Talking Head's 'cities' is a great lead off song followed by a 13 minute exploration of 'wolfman's brother' right into the mellow slow blues of ZZ Top's 'Jesus just left chicago'! Did I say wow already? I am not a phishead, but enjoy phish's muscic immensly. I have heard Phish was a great live band (never saw them) and this must be the perfect snapshot. Phish in order of my preference: Farmhouse - Slip,Stich, and Pass - Rift - Hoist - Billy Breathes - A live one -. Bait up and cast away!

Give it up for the covers...:
Phish is an amazing band, no question. This release is one I keep coming back to for "Taste," the final track on the disc, and the two covers, "Cities" and "Jesus Left Chicago". The latter is one of my favorite tracks on any album, period. It shows Phish tackling a genre they usually don't approach so directly- the blues- with a style and grace that almost convinces me they are a blues-rock band masquerading as a prog-funk outfit. I am amazed that Trey can nail that sound so well, when he seems to practice it so rarely. It speaks volumes for the versatility of Trey and the band as a whole. The rest- good- but "A Live One" is better overall as it is "edgier" and sounds more fresh. Still, you can't go wrong here.

Don't believe the hype!:
Phish is one of the most overrated bands ever, their original songs lyrics are usually really dumb inside jokes that you won't get unless you have wasted a large amount of your time listening to these guys. The only good parts are when Trey and Page rock out hard on other peoples songs (Jesus Left Chicago, the Keith Richards' riff from Can you hear me knockin, and Doors the end rift with Careful with that Axe from Floyd). The bottom line-this is still better than 99% of commercial music and there is some virtuoso playing to be heard here but spend your money on some Hendrix, Galatic or the Doors instead.

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