choo-choo-charlie

It's really good. I've spun it several times this week. Gimme Fiction was my introduction to the band, followed by Girls Can Tell and Kill the Moonlight. I like GaGa and some of Transference, too, and haven't really listened to their early material. Has anyone ever heard the theory that Gimme Fiction's actual track sequence is reversed? In other words, you're supposed to start with "Merchants of Soul" and end with "The Beast and Dragon, Adored." I think I remember an interview where they dismissed the theory - but it's still a fun listen to play it that way.

I guess I misunderstood your post...I interpreted it as "I fell out of favor with them from 1996-2006," which would rule out that 1999 masterpiece.

Phish does have a lot of terrible lyrics, but after spending time listening to a lot of other artists whose lyrics are more...sophisticated [?] it's somewhat refreshing to listen to some stuff with nonsensical lyrics. I don't need to be "lyrically stimulated" all the time. A lot of Phish lyrics conjure up strange images in my head and I enjoy wandering down that mental path while getting lost in the band interplay. I think a lot of Phish lyrics were chosen for the sound, rhythm and cadence of the words, and how they fit together inside the melodies, rather than what they mean -- something I he

Not a fan of The Soft Bulletin?

I am really quite certain they should have done a Magical Mystery Tour cover/tribute instead. That album is even weirder and more apropos to the Lips.

Dang, missed the webcast. Was battling my three-week-old to get him to bed. Setlist looks like it contains a handful of bust out tunes! Looking forward to the Dick's run later this month.

That's a heck of a first show to be at. Lucky you! I agree that the latest run of Phish is better than the post-hiatus tours in 2002-2004. I like some of that stuff, especially 2-28-03, but it just doesn't sound like they're all there...

I remember his old avatar!

The Fuego tunes sound great live, too, IMO. I'm hearing great things about the 20-minute Fuego from earlier in the summer tour...

I wasn't seeing shows or even listening in the "golden years" of 93-97 - I showed up later in the game. But I definitely recognize the brilliance and the fire of the early years. That came from musicians who were young, hungry and had a lot more energy. Now they're older - but I think there's still a lot of creative spark and brilliant playing going on. I appreciate the merits of each era and still spin older recordings along with the new shows. It's great to be a fan of a band that can churn out such quality playing over a long period. 30 years! I've started to peek around the threads over

I prefer DwD and Wolfman's in their live jammed-out incarnations. I had cassettes of Hoist and Rift as my introduction (copied from my brother's CDs) and then bought Billy Breathes and Ghost next. Love those the most. Enjoyed Farmhouse quite a bit and it came out while I was in high school, so I always associate it with that fun time. I was in a band that played some pretty awful Phish covers but we had a good time. Anyway, never got into Round Room or Undermind, but I dig a lot of those tunes in their live settings as well.

The setlist looked pretty good last night, including an "If I Could" cool down after CDT. One of my favorite Phish ballads! Haven't seen that in a set list for a few years.

Sometimes better seats are available in the general on-sale than the pre-sale...

The Tahoe Tweezer is insane.

I got into Phish in the late 1990s and dabbled in some live shows, but mainly listened to the studio records. (Ick, I know). I loved Rift, Billy Breathes and Story of the Ghost the most, and fell off around the time of Round Room. This spring/summer I've had a huge resurgence in my interest in Phish, and have been working my way through the LivePhish releases. I prefer the funky, spacey, ambient shows from 1997-1999 and a couple of the sets from 2000 more so than the 1993-1995 performances. And really I love the way the band sounds now. I've downloaded a few shows from the summer tour and

HE MEANS JEFF

Holy smokes, what a bill.

If I had to make a top 10 list it would probably look something like the following: Misunderstood Sunken Treasure She's a Jar Shot in the Arm Via Chicago I Am Trying to Break Your Heart Ashes of American Flags Poor Places Spiders (Kidsmoke) Handshake Drugs These tracks in my mind represent breakthroughs or significant leaps forward in terms of songwriting, lyrics, production and live performance. Not necessarily my favorite or most frequently played tunes but those that represent Wilco's growth and peaks in the aforementioned areas. These songs anchor the albums on which they appear.

I gotta say I'm surprised how many people selected "When You Wake Up Feeling Old" for their Summerteeth choice.

I had that book as a child. Great story. Haven't thought of that in years.

Brats, first boiled in beer and then finished on the grill.

Mine too. The whole thing is so Beatle-y and awesome. And I love the really weird video. I was gonna say "Blank" from ST, but I knew it wouldn't fly. I'm glad I didn't put it down and avoided possible incarceration.

Oops, I misread your post. Thought you were saying you paid $35+ for shipping [alone] rather than for everything. Carry on...

AM - That's Not the Issue BT - Why Would You Wanna Live ST - My Darling YHF - Reservations AGIB - Less Than You Think SBS - Leave Me Like You Found Me WTA - You and I TWL - Capitol City

Unless you're shipping international, I'd look into that shipping cost. Someone got into a conversation with Wilco/Kung Fu on a Facebook thread yesterday because they were shipping domestically and were paying somewhere around that amount (or greater) for an LP. Kung Fu took note and said it clearly was a mistake and resolved the issue.