On this, the eve of the release of Big Boat, Phish's 13th studio album, I decided to go back and listen to the last one, Fuego, and really dig into it. I wanted to hear it with the perspective of now having heard these songs dozens of times live and with the sound of the record fresh in my mind to compare to the new one tomorrow.
The sound still is, indeed, excellent; and it damn well better be - Bob Ezrin is a legendary producer with a fantastic ear for sonic space. He makes the music deep and layered without making it sound cluttered, and has the ability to make things sound big without sounding loud and exhausting to the ear. He did it with classic albums by the likes of Kiss, Pink Floyd and Alice Cooper and it is wonderful to know he is back at the helm with Phish for a second go-round with Big Boat.
In listening to Fuego now, I have come around on some things that disappointed me in 2014, namely the title track and "Wombat". Compared to the huge energetic bombast of hearing "Fuego" live, the studio version originally felt flat to me, with its live-to-tape feel in the instrumentation. If one song deserved some big overdubs, it was "Fuego". But patience is rewarded with the studio track and the deeper into the jam one gets in the back half of the song, the more enjoyable it becomes - and the ending Phish has all but dropped from its live shows is great to hear again.
Compared to the original hot, dance-party version from Halloween 2013, the album version of "Wombat" seemed more goofy and less funky at first listen. But to appreciate the song now is to explore all the elements. The slower, more deliberate pace lets you hear each excellently placed hi-hat note from Jon Fishman; the horns and Trey Anastasio's classic delay loop after the awesomely huge explosion are a delight; and it is hard not to love a bunch of female backup singers belting "Herbivorous! Crepuscular!"
Speaking of horns and backup singers, "555" still sounds is slippery greasiest on the record thanks to them (plus, the solo section is fantastic), and the horns add tasteful nuance to the beautiful "Winterqueen".
"Devotion to a Dream" and "Sing Monica" - the two closest things to outright pop songs Phish has ever recorded - felt like friends I had not realized I had missed. They are woefully underplayed in concert, partially evidenced by the fact that I was trying to sing along and realized I did not know all the words (which are written by Tom Marshall, and fantastic) so I had to consult the lyric booklet. The vocal harmonies sparkle on both of those tunes and for a little while in early 2014, it sounded like the band was putting more effort into that live. Not so much these days, unfortunately.
The hypnotic groove of "Waiting All Night" does not change much between the studio and live versions (thankfully) but it is nice to hear the vocals up front and crystal clear. And while "Wingsuit" can definitely soar live, Ezrin puts his Pink Floyd stamp on the coda, making Trey sound like David Gilmour wailing away on "Comfortably Numb". And call me crazy, but the "Time to put your wingsuit on" part sounds like Yes to me - in all the best ways. But then, I also think "Fuego" sounds like Red Album-era Weezer, so maybe I am crazy indeed.
So far, Fuego seems to have stood the test of time, but who can say for sure, especially since the release of Big Boat marks the shortest turnaround time for a Phish album since Undermind in 2004?
I get the feeling that the new album will act as a companion piece, rather than push Fuego aside. A one-two punch like that would be an excellent feat for a bunch of guys that are more than 30 years into their musical careers.
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