Mule is funny, but Maze is epic. I’ve always loved the Maze lyrics … not a huge Tom Marshall fan, but this one has some great imagery and cool word choices … and the main quiet groove that the song starts off with is so brilliant … each of the four play such a uniquely cool part, and it all locks into this amazing, one-of-a-kind piece of music that can only be Maze.
I love Scent of a Mule too … I love the freakin’ laser beams thing. When you take the chorus out of the context that the verse puts it in, it makes even LESS sense!! And it’s great both live and in the studio too. Live you get the russian dance segment, studio you get banjo.
But Maze, for me, is what makes Phish truly awesome. These kinds of Phish songs are like genius paintings, complete with optical illusion and expert detail.