^^ I agree the guy is a douche. But in all fairness, if the prerequisite for criticizing music is being able to write something better, then there would be very few people able to talk/critique music. I mean just in this thread, we all bash MGMT (for good reason), but I doubt any of us could be as successful at writing music as they are.
As someone said already, its just one guyās opinion.
And just because he said it to a magazine doesnāt make it anymore than just an opinion. Funny semi-unrelated story, back in early '08 before the election, Rahm Emmanuel was interviewed by GQ for some reason or another, this was back when he was working out of Chicago. Well, one of my friends dadās was running for Congress at the time in Iowa as an R. At some point during the interview, Rahm was talking about his job of helping the local Dās get elected and just out of nowhere started ripping on my friends dad because that was a pretty contested seat at the time. He was like āMike Whalen, that rich fat, cocksucking bastard.I fucking hate him.ā Mind you this is an Iowa house seat, so not really a big deal on the national scene, so I was extremely surprised to see my friends dad get mentioned in GQ. It was really funny to see though but definitely uncalled for on Rahmās part. It was just unprovoked name-calling randomly thrown in the middle of an otherwise boring 5 page interview. It was like boring interviewā¦ boring interiewā¦ Insults my friends dadā¦ boring interviewā¦ boring interview. So I thought that was kinda great in its own way.
Anways, point of the story is: just because itās being put to print doesnāt mean the MGMT guy canāt say anything negative about phish or that its not just an opinion. Another takeaway point from that story, Rahm Emmanuel is a flaming asshole.
But mostly, I was just reminded of that story and wanted to tell it as it has very little to nothing to do with this thread. 
To be fair, Mike Whalen is a rich bastard. I donāt have any personal information on whether he sucks on menās phallic members or not. I do know that heās not much of a boss; coming from people who have worked for him.
All-in-all, I was perfectly happy to vote for Braley over him, and did.
Very well done! LOL, we ::doffed a many find folk in Cincy::
^ 
Personally, I love TTE and always have. Properly placed (ie end of set I), it rocks!
Now, just a side note, I find it rather amusing that when they played the end part of it on Phish.com, people fell in love with it instantly (of course, Im sure that the fact that it was the first new Phish in a couple years had something to do with it) Then, once people were able to DL the entire song lots and lots and lots of people thought that it was just an amazing piece of work.
But now it seems that itās pretty divided amongst the fanbase. Love it or hate it. Again, just find it kinda funny.
As for this dude, well heās entitled to his opinion. Just cause he thought TTE was awful doesnāt mean he hates Phish. As said before, Opionions are like assholes. Everyone has one, and everyone elseās stinks! 
I remember the Late 90ās when BOAF, Heavy Things and Farmhouse all got some fans grumbling (like it was a Curse to get these songs at your show)ā¦To each their own I supposeā¦
From the 1st time i heard TTE (the single) I loved itā¦The Barn Demo was badass and I really love the Orchestrated version quite a bitā¦I have listened to every live version at least 10 times and am amazed each time in the complexity of the pieceā¦Just listen to Fishman during the song, it almost rivals some of Zappaās most challenging Percussion arrangementsā¦Too most ears its just too much too take in, so many lyrics,time changes and most of it just does not have a danceable groove to itā¦Then again Zappa used to have audience members come onstage and try to dance to āThe Black Page Pt 2ā, a song so dense and complicated, its IMPOSSIBLE to dance tooā¦ 
It kinda reminds me the same way some of my old school Deadhead Tape Traders spoke of Full Weather Report Suite when it came out at shows in the early 70āsā¦Lots of Heads grumbled that the WRS (Prelude and Part 1) was boring and they just need to go into Let it Grow immediatelyā¦Well, I guess the band got the hint, after 74ā, Full WRS>LIG was gone and stand alone LIG was in itās placeā¦
In the end, its all just notesā¦No big dealā¦We should consider ourselves lucky to be having this discussionā¦
The MGMT guy is a douche. Nuff said.
Lets give him a Swirly! 
Agreed (although not necessarily with the Zappa drum parts being almost rivaled, even though Fish does do some really creative and challenging things in TTE). The tune was the first glimpse of Phish after the breakup, and Iāve loved it since the beginning. I was overjoyed when they decided to play it at Fenway.
Itās really amazing how many people grumble at tunes they think donāt fit with the band. But the band likes playing them. I find a some of those poppier tunes very refreshing in the midst of a lot of long jams or psychedelia.
There are tunes I donāt dig as much as others, but itās always great to follow a band who wants to play music for themselves first.
Exactly. Itās no big deal at all. Itās a song by a band. Some of us happen to dislike that songā¦ mr MGMT guy doesnāt happen to either. Why is THAT a big deal? I donāt get it.
Thereās this weird almost obligatory sense that if youāre a ātrue phanā you HAVE to like ALL Phish songsā¦ or at least not criticize any of them openly. (Iām not directing this at you Jud, but your last line I quoted above nails it - whichever side of the TTE debate you happen to be on!)
Hasnāt this debate happened once or a million times before?
Iāll keep beating the horse though because if I donāt Iāll have to get back to work, but I used to be ātoo coolā for new Phish songs back in the day. In actuality I just feared change (cue picture of Garth with headset on). Or maybe it was a case of hearing the song so much it lost itās oomph. It would take me a few years, then Iād realize āhey, that song kicks assā. The most glaring examples I can think of right now are Limb by Limb, Roggae, and Sand. I used to not like those songs very much, probably because they sounded ādifferentā and I didnāt want different. But now I love those three songs to death and think theyāre great pieces of music.
So that being said, I try not to fight the new material and enjoy it for what it is, regardless of how I feel about it. Because chances are, at some point Iāll appreciate it a lot more so I might as well start enjoying it now.
Okay, your turn:
āhey, there he is, beatinā that dead horse!ā
[attachment=0]beating-a-dead-horse.gif[/attachment]
If it all isnāt such a ābig dealā why should our criticisms of some indier-than-thou band who wonāt even play one of their most popular tunes be such a big deal either? I say let all criticisms fly! He cast the first stoneā¦
Respectfully,
No Big Deal in King Of Prussia
Huh?
Did I make it into a big deal by posting something out of line? I donāt understand what youāre getting at.
^ No. Itās all good in discussion. 
Now, whereās that horse?
Need a bat? As this in one of those no wins situationsā¦
Iāll take a 5 minute throwaway like Sample in 2010 over a 17 minute throwaway any day of the week.