Hampton Comes Alive

There is a level of trust given to Phish by their fanatical audience that is quite liberating to the band. The folks stroll into the venue and give themselves up to the band, allowing the musicians complete freedom to take them wherever the moment dictates. Anyone who saw Phish during their club-playing days can attest that the quartet has always operated under that principle: Fishman was singing "Purple Rain" and playing vacuum cleaners long before fan devotion and major-label support bore them out. Herein lies the key to Phish's appeal, a precarious balance between artistic integrity and self-deprecation that allows them to blow fans away musically while convincing them that they're just regular goofy guys--valedictorian and class clown in one package. So then, what to make of this creatively packaged six-disc set, which collects in their entirety two back-to-back shows recorded in Hampton, Virginia, in November 1998? Well, for one, the range of covers is vast, including Gary Glitter, Bob Dylan, bluesman Son Seals, Ween, Will Smith, the Beatles, Stevie Wonder, bluegrassers Hot Rize, Jimi Hendrix, the Beastie Boys, and Chumbawumba. The original tunes are equally as eclectic and span the whole of Phish's career, many of them making their initial official appearance on CD. The real joy is in hearing it all magically and seamlessly unfold as they move from intense focus to astute parody to sheer buffoonery. Make no mistake: Phish requires effort on the part of the listener, not to mention patience, open-mindedness, and flexibility. Those unwilling to invest the effort will inevitably be disappointed. However, those who are either trusting or carefree enough to write them a blank check are just as inevitably rewarded. Or to quote from the movie Airplane: "They bought their tickets. They knew what they were getting into." --Marc Greilsamer