Search - Trey Anastasio :: Trey Anastasio: Shine

Infected with a virus!!!!

dgos78 | Atlanta, GA | 11/10/2005

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Sony's DRM (Digital Rights Management) copy protection software is installed upon insertion of this "audio" cd into your computer. The software is malicious and can ruin your pc to the point of having to format and reinstall everything. This software also sends information about your pc to a Sony server. Do you want Sony to have ALL your information? The so called "patch" that Sony makes available to fix this software does nothing! The software also allows for virus, spyware, and other malicious programs to hide themselves and operate without detection. Currently there are no virus scanners (Norton, Mcafee, etc.) that can detect this software or the viruses it can help hide. The same goes for spyware."

Simple but Transcendent vibe

Harpua | Allentown, PA United States | 12/08/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Many of the reviews assume that no true fan of Phish could possibly like Trey's new album. Well, I wasn't at Amy's Farm, but my first Phish show was in the spring of 1993. I remember when "Hoist" came out and everyone on the Phish listserv figured Phish had sold-out (My favorite response was and is "Oh well, I guess I'll always have the Dave Matthews Band.") I think I have some credibility as a true Phish fan, and I like this album.



No, there aren't any intricately composed instrumental sections, like on Divided Sky or Reba. Trey doesn't lock in with his fellow musicians the way he did with Mike, Page and Fish. Nevertheless, Trey's fantastic ear, sense for music-craft, and (most importantly) the transcendent vibe of his guitar, which was mostly absent on his self-titled "debut", are all here. Indeed, in some ways its a return to his orignal sound--before the horns and the African grooves and the loops and the grinding tension that marked some of Phish's recent releases. Trey is obviously having fun on this album, and that's a joy to hear.



Trey has said in interviews that he wanted to work on his vocals--which sounded to many Phish fans like Mike Tyson saying he was going to work on his vocabulary. Trey will never be mistaken for James Taylor, and he doesn't display anything near a wide vocal range on this album. What you do find here is a sense of sincerity and passion in his vocals. In the past, Trey seemed to have two voices: the goofy stoner myth maker ("Lizards," "Esther," "Llama," etc.) and the maudlin sensitive stoner ("Fast Enough for You", "Waste," and "Secret Smile"). On Shine, Trey delivers his vocals in a voice that is direct and "earnest" (Pun intended). In most cases, this saves the lyrics, which are dreadful in places (But for those of you surprised by Trey's lyrics, let me remind you of one thing: "washufiziandrivemetofirenze"). Put another way, it doesn't matter if you find the line "Love is Freedom" compelling. Trey obviously does, and his belief makes the vocals compelling



As for stand-out tracks, I like many of them. "Tuesday" has a huge hook and an in the pocket guitar solo. "Come as Melody" is a tightly constructed rocker and soaring vocals. "Love is Freedom" has one of those leaping guitar choruses that sound so good on Trey's Languedoc. "Spin" is another keeper, perhaps the Phishiet thing on the album. Finally, "Love that Breaks All Lines" is a tender ballad that may be Trey's best love song.



All and all, Trey sounds like he's trying to reconnect with thirtysomething Phish heads(like me)who gave up touring, got straight jobs (though usually ones that attempt to make the world a better place), got married, and had kids. I used to lie around my dorm room, speak knowingly about musical palindromes, and lock into endless jams on concert tapes (back when you had to talk with a person to get them rather than click on a weblink). From time to time, I'll get lost in the complexity of Trey's longer compositions and jams, but usually my daughter comes toddling up to me in the middle and interrupts. The concise and direct sound of "Shine" fits me better. The album is full of passion and pathos, which I think is a real triumph in an age when pop music is dominated by "musicians" who play to the basest emotions of the "in-crowd.""

Shiny happy Trey!

Eric Hill | Standish, ME USA | 01/14/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I have tried to ignore Phish. I am a Pop rock fan by way of Big Star and Badfinger. The endless jams and doodling I didn't like about Phish. However, they have always drawn me in with their studio pop songs. Chalk Dust Torture, Sample In a Jar, Free, The Connection and others I have really enjoyed enough to go out and buy some of the albums that annoy some Phish fans. I like Hoist, Billy Breathes, and Undermind which some of the hard -core hate. Well, if you are that kind of observer of Phish like me, you will LOVE this album! Concise 5 minute pop songs you can't get out of your head. I can't stop playing this CD! I even love the DVD part.Trey seems to be a complex guy, but I really love his simple pop side and its obvious he has a little Big Star in his heart. "Shine" alone is worth the price of the CD. Buy it now. All the cuts are strong and memorable."