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Phish - At The Roxy
| Rollingstones |
| Recorded in 1993 during a three-night run in Atlanta, this mammoth eight-disc box captures Phish right when they were putting a spit-shine polish on the live improvisation that would make them kings of the Nineties jam-band scene. At the Roxy is a must-have for one reason: the second show on February 20th, where Phish unleashed their most experimental set to date. On Disc Five, guitarist Trey Anastasio, keyboardist Page McConnell, bassist Mike Gordon and drummer Jon Fishman play for 60 nonstop minutes, weaving sharp funk grooves ("Tweezer"), virtuosic bluegrass-esque ditties ("Glide"), mellifluous instrumentals ("I Am Hydrogen") and goofy covers (Kiss' "Rock and Roll All Nite") into one big, glorious mess. There are moments of genuine transcendence: Dig Anastasio's soaring solo on the modal jam "Reba" and the effortless way Phish weave "Tweezer" into the organ-powered groove of "Mike's Song." Phish tried to pull off a similar feat the next night, with a set anchored around the bebop-inspired "Stash." But that performance never reached the same heights — proof that the best jams are the most spontaneous ones...full text |
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| Expressnightout |
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AFTER PURSUING SOLO interests for the past four years, the members of Phish will reunite in Hampton, Va., in March of next year. On your local Craigslist, tickets are selling for hundreds of bucks. Excited as the fans may be, this reunion's only going to work if Phish can overcome whatever it was that sagged down those musically lifeless years just before their breakup. In short: Post-millennial Phish pretty much sucked. Ridiculous scalper fees might be worth paying if the band uses their latest archival release as a blueprint for their comeback. "At the Roxy" (JEMP Records), which documents three consecutive concerts the band played in Atlanta in 1993, reminds us why Phish ruled the 1990s jam band scene. It's all energy. From the opener, the Rolling Stone's "Loving Cup," to the closing bluegrass traditional "Pig in a Pen," the band sounds just as hungry as the crowd. Playing with a palpable giddiness and ferocious chops, Phish freewheels through all of "Roxy's" eight discs, delivering hall-of-fame versions of nearly all their songs that are worth hearing....full text |
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| Starpulse |
| Comprising material from a trio of shows in Atlanta, this eight-disc box set captures Phish's ascent to jam band glory in early 1993. The group had begun touring national amphitheaters one year prior, joining bands like Widespread Panic and Blues Traveler for the first annual H.O.R.D.E. Festival. 1993 brought about the band's first amphitheater-sized headlining tour, and At the Roxy captures the young (yet seasoned) musicians on their way to iconic status. Given this box set's length -- 78 songs, eight discs, and multiple hours of noodling improv -- At the Roxy is a fans-only affair; newcomers looking for a primer to Phish's concerts would do well to seek out the three-disc New Year's Eve 1995 instead. Those who crave a boatful of Phish will find this to be an indispensable collector's item, though, for the history it provides as well as its unique track list. Phish had yet to release a live album in 1993; accordingly, the band was still a relatively underground phenomenon, celebrated in some circles but relatively unknown in the mainstream. There's something pure about that, and the fact that Phish sustains its energy over these eight discs -- which brim with cover songs and musical cameos, including an unexpected sit-in with Gene Simmons (!!) -- only further justifies these shows' legendary reputation amongst Phishheads. Andrew Leahey, All Music Guide...full text |
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