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Phish Lesson 4 - You Enjoy Myself & Divided Sky Extra Credit: The Lizards
Phish Lesson 4 - You Enjoy Myself & Divided Sky Extra Credit: The Lizards
On to the meat of the conversation (no, not Meat):
At this point in the curriculum, if you have any phans who are phriends, they probably have strong opinions about where to go next. My good buddy James thinks we should explore some of Trey's more recent work, as his lyrics have taken on greater, deeper meanings, and are now often the driver of songs, rather than the music, which has traditionally been the case. But this is Phish 101.1.0*, and it's time to dig deep and find some roots in the music and technical aspects of their prowess. It's time for the classic compositions, those deep Phish grooves that have helped vault them to the lofty jam band status which they occupy today. The two songs that follow are largely composed, contain 20-30 separate sections, and are beloved fan favorites of all time. Ready?
You Enjoy Myself (YEM) - if there is one song that epitomizes Phish, this is it. Old school, off their first album, Junta, this is a song that 100% of the Phish community loves. Extensive technical work on arpeggios, loud moments & quiet moments, moments of bliss, of splintering tension, quite the roller coaster ride, and a release that is second to none...this is Phish in a nutshell. Often a 20 minute nutshell, which we love. It's got the technique, it's got the jam, it's got the funk, it's got just about everything....including a choreographed trampoline dance section. There are lyrics: "Boy, man, god, shit" and.....well, what do you think they're saying? The mystique around the genesis of the lyrics is so strong, it even spawned it's own acronym - WATSIYEM (What are they saying in You Enjoy Myself?). The version I share here is probably not the version I want played at my wake (that's 6/11/94), rather it's from a show in Berkeley I attended about 10 years ago. This is one song I never thought I'd learn on the ukulele, and while I may not be able to arpeggiate like Trey, I can hold down the Page sections pretty well. There's so much more I want to say about this song, but I'll leave it at that.....for now. Extra credit: document in real time your YEM listening experience!
Divided Sky - their melodic masterpiece that has persuaded so many people to love the Phish. Also off Junta, this is the song the Lizard people of Gamehendge would sing to the gods. Heavy on the instrumentation, this song has a lovely beginning overture (that my band, Graham Crackers Everywhere, played in college) then transitions into a musical palindrome section (yes, an actual musical palindrome - gives you a little insight into Trey's process, eh?). There's a quiet melodic part, a truly silent moment (often lasting minutes in concert) and an epic, majestic, overwhelmingly beautiful finale that often lasts 10 minutes or more. Before my first Phish show (Red Rocks 8/20/93) it was raining a torrential downpour and there was a threat that it'd be moved to nearby McNichols Arena. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, the rain stopped. It didn't just taper off, it CEASED. And the band opened the show with Divided Sky. Like YEM, I could go on and on about this masterpiece, but it's time you hear it yourself. The Red Rocks 93 version isn't on Spotify, but this one is an epic, and also a show opener from August 1996 (a month in which I had my first 4-night run at Red Rocks).
Extra credit: because we're all interested in Gamehendge. The best way to learn about Gamehendge is to listen to a show in its entirety. But being respectful of your time, and acknowledging that you've got about 40 minutes of melodic bliss in the previous two songs, I'll start at the beginnign - with The Lizards, the opening song in the Gamehendge saga. Lizards tells the tale of Colonel Forbin, who has been transported to another time and place, and finds himself meeting a knight named Rutherford the Brave, who tells him the story of his people, the evil traveler Wilson who has imprisoned them by stealing their Helping Friendly Book, and the revolution that is starting......Lizards is also a tune that turns people on to Phish. Like your experience with Stash, once you hear the melody that starts about 2/3 through and goes until the end, you'll swear you've heard it before. This version is from that epic New Years 1995 show with Reba and PYITE.
* If you ever want to find yourself in a spiralling hole of esoteric inanity, start an argument with a Phish group about 1.0 vs 2.0 vs 3.0 - allow them to be vicious and cruel, you'll just go on an oblivious fool.
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