Search - Phish :: Live Phish Vol. 4: 6/14/00, Drum Logos, Fukuoka, Japan

Mature Phish jamming TOGETHER

Moses Alexander | Alabama, USA | 12/11/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is one of the better Phish shows I have heard in a looooong time. The thing that strikes me right off the bat is that they are jamming together on this more than just about anything I've heard by them. As much as I love Trey totally going off on guitar, this has such a high level of cohesion that its unreal. This disc also also blew my pre-conceived notions right out the window. With only 15 songs and a more or less "boring" setlist, this show isn't anything like it casually looks. The jams out of "Twist" and "Back on the Train" are so much better than the "Split Open and Melt" on this disc. I never thought I would say that, but its true. The two so-called "Fukuoka Jams" are unreal, truly a mindbender. The "Gumbo" jam is tight, "Carini" is a monster as usual. The only problems I could find with this show were one flub in "The Curtain" and annoying feedback at the beginning of "Fee" (and that was a technical problem and not their fault!)While I would of course rather hear "Antelope," "YEM," "Bowie" or some other jam heavy songs, this show is consistent and just great. It also made me think that the later, shorter songs (off of "Farmhouse", "Ghost" "Billy" etc) may actually be more condusive to jamming than earlier tunes. I say that because they are shorter and looser with more freedom to open up. Some of the earlier songs contain many heavily composed sections that restrict their ability to "go off" sometimes. But these simpler songs may actually allow them to go in different directions.This disc, along with Volume 6 are by far the best ones yet. I really look forward to this ongoing series."

One of the best official releases yet, but only IF...

Evan | Los Angeles, CA United States | 10/10/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"OK, I'm a reformed Phish-head who rarely even listens to the band anymore, but I held onto this show for good reason. It is, in my opinion, the best playing Phish has to offer-- cohesive, adventurous improvisational music where the musicians involved are clearly listening to one another and working to create a unified hole. It's the type of thing you hear in Miles Davis' best bands, and (at least to my ears) not in the majority of popular "jam bands." Frankly, I find endless guitar shredding beyond boring, which is why I prefer James Brown to say, Santana, but I love rhythmic, spontaneous jams and there are plenty to be found here. There's rip-roaring rock, ambient, textural exploration, funk, and countless shades in-between.



Still, it's not for everyone-- there are as many different types of Phish fan as there are Phish songs, and while some people love hearing Trey spit endless pentatonic licks over "Antelope," I prefer his more subtle, textural playing. If you're a fan of electric-era Miles, Can or Yo La Tengo, you might be surprised to discover this side of Phish. If you're a Phish fan who still gets excited when the band trots out "Fee" or "Fluffhead," maybe you should look elsewhere."

Live 04 is unbelievable.

Nick | meeeshigan | 10/19/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This show is just amazing. Looking at the setlist might not wow you, but you simply must buy this album, put your headphones on, turn the lights off and just listen. Its hard to explain how incredibly locked in they are on every song. It almost sounds as if its a studio album, thats how perfected it is. I'll do the song by song thing.
set 1: CARINI, the best version i've ever heard, it rocks so hard with trey really tearing it up. THE CURTAIN is nice and cuts into a quality CITIES. next up is an absolutley orgasmic GUMBO; the jam that comes out of it is soo good, so patient but builds energy so beautifully. you seriously have to hear this gumbo, which busts into a pretty standard LLAMA. followed by a classic FEE. HEAVY THINGS is played very very well and keeps me smiling everytime i play it, which has been prolly over 40. and to close the set is my favorite SPLIT OPEN i've yet to hear. at 15 minutes, it just jams so well, everyone gets locked in. its one movement, they all stick together. Set 2 starts with a great BACK ON THE TRAIN which is just pure groove. Next is a monster TWIST that gets Soooo ambient, its like swimming in a sea of ambience. its almost as if trey disapears for awhile and slowly comes alive to close out the song. next is an amazing FUKUOKA JAM #1. you just have to buy this and listen to how they create a mood and build on it from scratch and flow seamlessly into WALK AWAY which is rockin, followed by another awesome FUKUOKA JAM #2 which is just relaxed and peaceful until fish launches into an incredibly funky liquid 2001. cactus holds this one down with such a think funk, as fish matches his beats, and trey and page add just the right layer to accompany the liquid funk. SLEEP and a beautiful COIL outro by page end the night. if you read the whole thing, thanks. just buy this cd set immediately and then thank me."