I feel like I’ve seen two The Connections. I know for sure they played it in Miami 09, and I feel like they played it again at Deer Creek.
Just looked it up. I was right, but I had them flip flopped.
he Connection’s" debut performance came almost exactly five years after it’s studio release when the reunited Phish played Deer Creek on6/16/09; it was reprised once more that year on 12/29/09 in Miami. The live performances were roughly twice as long as the album version and included much more flowing and melodic solos from Trey. Then on6/29/10 in Canadaigua, NY “The Connection” opened the show and was even further expanded with a nice piano solo by Page in between Trey’s two solos, rounding out the longest and sweetest version to date.
For all my analysis, I gotta say I really like it overall. Fuego has lived on my turntable all week. Had to put it away this morning, cuz it seems to collect dust easily - I keep cleaning the needle off, keeps racking up mad dust. Of course I could like, clean the place, but why not just put the record away? Must faster.
So my orange Fuego skips on one record player, on just a couple songs. I wonder if it’s the vinyl, don’t have this problem with other records. It does not skip on my other record player.
And, is the orange edition sold out? I noticed Phish.com has only the black vinyl for sale now.
Yeah, it’s sold out.
I haven’t put the vinyl on yet, I’ll do that today to see if mine has any issues.
First listen through. Maybe it’s because I’ve never been much of a lyrics guy but, overall, not impressed at all with the lyrics. Musically, this album is pretty good. The production is great and everyone is so crisp and balanced well in the mix. Probably helps I’m listening on a pair of Sony noise reducing headphones too.
The two jam segments in Fuego should play out well in the live setting.
Halfway to the Moon is about the only song I enjoyed listening to the lyrics but that’s likely due to Page being the lead instead of Trey.
Sing Monica seems like a perfect late first set or encore song. The harmonies sound good and the guitar riff has a nice Chalkdust/Kill Devil Falls catchiness to it.
- Can never get enough Gordon sung songs. The repetition of the 555 gets somewhat tiresome but the rest of the song is fantastic.
Waiting All Night might be my favorite song on the album. Trey does a great job with singing the backing chorus and overall it has a very mellow and even hypnotic groove throughout.
The Wombat music is wasted on such terrible lyrics. On top of that, they fade out before it even has a chance to go somewhere! For shame, Phish. Unless they expand this in the live setting it’ll be quite a wash of a song.
Does Wingsuit really need three guitars in that final jam?
^Yes Wingsuit needs the epic guitar ending.
I agree with you that while musically, this album is far superior, Joy had better lyrics. They should have brought in Tom Marshall more.
I dunno, Joy had plenty of lyrics that were tough. “I’m left in the now with a wonderous glow”?
I think it’s pretty reasonable to say their lyrics were way strong, whether serious or silly, throughout their early days … and that you probably can’t simply be creatively great by way of pure intention.
They just don’t have that same mojo no mo.
Probably worked their asses off on these new shitty lyrics.
Trey - We need something that rhymes with Icculus?
Tom - How about read Icculus?
Trey - Rediculious!
Best albums lyrically:
Rift
Billy Breathes
Round Room
Undermind
Story of the Ghost
That’s some hot Fuego talk.
I think Junta tops my Phish lyrics list. Not even jokin’.
^ Fee and Esther are amazing. I would have to say overall Rift and Billy Breathes would be my top picks as far as lyrics.
It’s been really nice to hear all these new songs live, but it has me thinking based on some early observations.
They love Fuego 
Devotion to a Dream and The Line don’t seem to fair well on the live side. I like DTAD on the album. I’m still undecided on the line, but I think prefer it studio. I don’t see them dropping the line, but what will become of Devotion?
Will they at some point take 555, Halfway, and waiting all night for a long walk
Sing Monica has gotten little play, will this one go to the shelf? I love this song btw
I’ve heard it twice now and I can’t get enough of Wingsuit! Cause It feels good!
Wingsuit is so good in every way imo.
Fuego’s lyrics are terrrrrrrible but with sweet music. I cringe a little, but oh well. I could criticize DtaD but I don’t need to spend energy on that. I love that song not for the lyrics but the music is good and the jam rocks. I wish they would really rage it though. I want it to stay in rotation. They kind of just dance around the melody but I wanna hear it really hit some skyrocket peaks that blast the eyes out of the wook heads.
As for The Line, people are haaaating on it, especially live. I think it’s one of the best written songs on the album. It’s syncopation and overall feel is pretty Phishy to me. The way it builds from the skeletal outline into the full, rockin song. Yes! It’s a good song. Maybe you hate the "and you step to the line…(piano fill) but I’ve gotten over the adult-contemporary rock-feel of this song and grown to appreciate it. At DTE I was real up close for Rift and The Line and I was really happy that I got to see that kind of music up close, versus a long type 2 jam where I don’t really need to see it. I love to see the technical and more composed songs get played up close. I’m not trying to say that The Line is as well written and composed as Rift; but the arrangement of The Line is pretty stellar!
Agreed, I did not like it at first, but like I said above. I can’t get enough. CAUSE IT FEELS GOOD
Well maybe thats what us wooks need them to do! But yea it just seems as they just go through the motions when playing it live. I could see it as being like a ocelot as far as we seem to like it more when we can see what they CAN do with it, rather than just playing it straight up.
For one I think It becomes the popular thing to do when once people start dissing on it. For me, maybe it’s the times I have heard it and the placement in the setlist. I am starting to like the song a little more on the album, and I think the lyrics are great too, I just wish I didn’t think of basketball everytime I hear it. I usually will try to use the lyrics and adapt them to another situation/part of life which usually works, unless they straight up tell you what the song is really about
Just got the album and put it on loud throughout the house after Marie went to the beach and I started some cleaning. So far, and I’m only up to 555, and the only song that couldn’t keep my attention was Fuego.
Don’t mean to undermine the whole album over one song. Most of it is really nice and I’m glad to hear it. But Fuego will be the song that teaches me something new, like Tweezer did, and Axilla, and Llama, and about a dozen others taboot.
I’m sure I’ll have more to say about it, when I’ve done two or ten more listens.
Got distracted and had to stop listening to the entire album, but I began anew this morning…
Fuego, still not into it.
The Line, good tune, but sounds derivative of other Trey solo stuff.
Devotion To A Dream, always like the light country tempo. Similar in my head to BDTNL.
Halfway to the Moon, has to be my favoritest Page song to date, and my favorite of the album so far.
This music reflects a good place that the band is in, and probably why this recent tour was resoundingly good. They are enjoying playing with each other very much and these new songs are either a result or a cause or both. In any case, it’s great to see this band happy and motivated to play.
More to come.
Actually, I’m back because I just fininshed my first complete run through the album, and all of that above still stands at this point. But I wouldn’t ever take me seriously about music since my opinions change from moment to moment sometimes, and, I have yet to hear the Halloween performance of this stuff, so who knows what I’ll think after that.
Winterqueen - holy moly does it sound exactly like another song of their’s but I can’t put my finger on it. Like the melody in both places.
Sing Monica - not bad music. Overall I agree with the criticisms about the lyrics on this album in that they are a little thin.
555 - Not a bad Mike song, not a great one either. Can see it easily being a big tune.
Waiting All Night - liked it, but found myself dozing off at times. Definitely more time with this one.
Wombat - no comment. A song to play with on stage, like they do with Meatstick, and that’s OK. Think they might have picked another song for a studio release.
Wingsuit - really liked this live at Randall’s II, but kind of drags for me on this album. Will have to spend more time with this one too.
Overall, this album as a whole lands securely in the middle of my list of Phish studio releases, better than some, not as good as others.
If catchiness is any indication of a song’s impact, I find myself hearing The Line and Devotion to a Dream in my head more than any of the rest of the songs.
OK, another brief installment…
Warming up to the whole thing. This is probably the best produced studio album in a long time. Vocals and horns are really tight and the mixes are right on.
Also noticed that Trey is much more involved on the songs that he didn’t write. In the past he’s been kind of ‘disinterested’ musically on many songs written by other members of the band. I guess that’s understandable in a way if the music doesn’t do anything for you, but that’s not the case here. Goes back to what I was saying about how the band is really playing well together and enjoying themselves in this new process.
Congratulations to Phish for achieving the new paradigm that we hoped they would achieve years ago.
So it’s been one year since NPR had that “first listen” of Fuego. How has the album aged?
It seems to have lost its only jam vehicle as Fuego seems to have devolved into a straight forward rocker, seemingly retained nothing of the few monster Fuegos we got last summer. Will we see a Fuego that comes close to the one from the Mann last year? For sure we’ll be seeing it far less frequently, unless every city gets a Fuego continues in 2015.
Some other songs also have potential. I’m looking at you Wombat. We have one epic version of you from last year. Still waiting for a monster funk throw down of a Wombat. We’ll have to see if that is a possibility.
Any other songs that could become jam vehicles? Doesn’t seem hopeful.