Grateful Dead Music Forum

I never tried to understand the connection. Hated when the Phish kids started hanging out on the lot,they really put a bad seed out there...

But to answer the question, hell no you are not the only one

Phish covered about half a dozen GD songs... and all 4 of them have had some significant contributions to the post-Garcia GD music scene (especially Trey)

for that reason alone I think deadheads are obligated to respect them at the very least.. personally I love a lot of their music... some of it is too "out there" for me.. but then again there are some Dark Star's that I will fast-forward through too!

and I agree that the Dead vs. Phish subject needs to be put to bed... after this post that is

Well I gotta through my chips on the table, even if ya' hate me for it. Personally, I love Phish, and am also a HUGE fan of Trey (though can't bring my self to fall into the "ph" cliches like "phan"). I would say - as I believe I have the right to after tons of Phish listening - that all the members of the group are extremely talented musicians, and that they definently know how to jam and how to play. Although there "antics" such as the aforementioned trampolines and vacuum cleaners may seem childish, I do thing they are also quite good entertainers.

As far as not liking Phish, I can understand where people are coming from (especially non-musicians), because Phish has been known to often go off with obscure chord changes and throw in odd little musical flourishes. Another reason that they turn some people off is that the band members start having almost TOO much fun on stage and will carry things on for longer than most people can handle. It is my personal believe that half the time they are just playing for themselves, and not to there audience, and us musicians know that when you play for yourself you are bound to get very creative, wierd, and occasionaly repetetive.

Now, on the matter of Jerry vs. Trey, Phish vs. the Dead, I don't think it is really fair to try and draw too many paralells. I will say that Phish is obviously quite influenced by the GD, as is apparent in there love for long extended jams, interaction between musicians, playing as one, and getting the crowd really into the show. Those factors (among a few others), I believe are what lead us all to classify bands into the "jam band" genre (which is quite a loosely defined genre, it even a genre at all). I think all else aside, the main similarity between the Grateful Dead and Phish (and SCI, Widespread, Umphrey's, Bisco, moe., ect.) is there ability to make people feel good, like they are really part of the music that is happening, and that is a great thing.

But when it comes down to it, which groups you are into is neither here nor there, because what you like is not really anyone elses buisness, or at least not there buisness to tell you what you should or shouldn't be into. Its up to you to decide what you like, I just don' think that anyone should go around bashing a person or a band without truely understanding there music and there scene.

Thanks if you took the time to listen to what I had to say. This is really a fun thing for me to talk about, so I hope you got something out of it

I never got the Phish GD connection either. In many ways Phish was a benefciary of good timing. The GD had their greatest surge in fan base with the touch of grey era. After the demise of the dead that group seemed to migrate to phish but I do not really think their music is comperable or coming from the same tradition. That being said I have nothing against them. Last year I even went out and bought their live in brooklyn cd to ry and understand but it really did not do all that much for me.

xero92 wrote:Well I gotta through my chips on the table, even if ya' hate me for it. Personally, I love Phish, and am also a HUGE fan of Trey (though can't bring my self to fall into the "ph" cliches like "phan"). I would say - as I believe I have the right to after tons of Phish listening - that all the members of the group are extremely talented musicians, and that they definently know how to jam and how to play. Although there "antics" such as the aforementioned trampolines and vacuum cleaners may seem childish, I do thing they are also quite good entertainers.

As far as not liking Phish, I can understand where people are coming from (especially non-musicians), because Phish has been known to often go off with obscure chord changes and throw in odd little musical flourishes. Another reason that they turn some people off is that the band members start having almost TOO much fun on stage and will carry things on for longer than most people can handle. It is my personal believe that half the time they are just playing for themselves, and not to there audience, and us musicians know that when you play for yourself you are bound to get very creative, wierd, and occasionaly repetetive.

Now, on the matter of Jerry vs. Trey, Phish vs. the Dead, I don't think it is really fair to try and draw too many paralells. I will say that Phish is obviously quite influenced by the GD, as is apparent in there love for long extended jams, interaction between musicians, playing as one, and getting the crowd really into the show. Those factors (among a few others), I believe are what lead us all to classify bands into the "jam band" genre (which is quite a loosely defined genre, it even a genre at all). I think all else aside, the main similarity between the Grateful Dead and Phish (and SCI, Widespread, Umphrey's, Bisco, moe., ect.) is there ability to make people feel good, like they are really part of the music that is happening, and that is a great thing.

But when it comes down to it, which groups you are into is neither here nor there, because what you like is not really anyone elses buisness, or at least not there buisness to tell you what you should or shouldn't be into. Its up to you to decide what you like, I just don' think that anyone should go around bashing a person or a band without truely understanding there music and there scene.

Thanks if you took the time to listen to what I had to say. This is really a fun thing for me to talk about, so I hope you got something out of it

wise words, really, i think exactly the same

Chief5959 wrote:Last year I even went out and bought their live in brooklyn cd to ry and understand but it really did not do all that much for me.

I havent listened the brooklyn cd, but 2004 definately isn't the best year of phish IMHO. '93 -'97 phish is filthy delicious though.

phish might be reuniiting 08 trey recently said hes tryin too get everyone in for it, even phish haters have to admit phish is a whole lot more influential [good] than disco or that crap

Erictw83 wrote:

Chief5959 wrote:Last year I even went out and bought their live in brooklyn cd to ry and understand but it really did not do all that much for me.

I havent listened the brooklyn cd, but 2004 definately isn't the best year of phish IMHO. '93 -'97 phish is filthy delicious though.

i was just gonna post the same thing

and that 91 summer tour with the horns was sweet

BOUKINATOR wrote:Phish covered about half a dozen GD songs... and all 4 of them have had some significant contributions to the post-Garcia GD music scene (especially Trey)

for that reason alone I think deadheads are obligated to respect them at the very least..

I think you've been too much!

Many of the best times of my life were at GD shows and Phish shows.

My first GD show was 91 so I saw a few good years before things went downhill, but never got to see them at their peak, 72-74.

1991 was also my first Phish show so I did get to see them at their peak numerous times, including the Dark Side of The Mon show at the E Center in Utah, I think '97, and Trey often took me places that I did not think were guitar-wise possible.

gratephulphish123 wrote:phish might be reuniiting 08 trey recently said hes tryin too get everyone in for it

Where did you hear that??? Haven't read or heard anything of such.

shakedown_04092 wrote:

gratephulphish123 wrote:phish might be reuniiting 08 trey recently said hes tryin too get everyone in for it

Where did you hear that??? Haven't read or heard anything of such.

on wikipedia type in phish it's under future plans, he also made the statmement on stevens untitled rock show on fuse, if you can find tapes of that, i cant

BOUKINATOR wrote:but then again there are some Dark Star's that I will fast-forward through too!

jackr wrote:

strumminsix wrote:I like Dead, Phish but not moe Umphry's or the rest of the new breed

No string cheese, govt mule, widespread panic, disco biscuits?

Widespread Panic YES.

kevo wrote:

BOUKINATOR wrote:but then again there are some Dark Star's that I will fast-forward through too!

indeed, dark star is pretty much the be all end all of musical journeys, even the "bad" ones have their merit in a cosmic scheme, dark star is a map of the unexplored terroitory of the human mind and soul. but thats not everyones trip so...