what do some of you have against phish?

you CANNOT compare these two bands... god how i hate that... not really hate it, but come on. we all know the legacy of the dead.

 

I agree stop comparing the two. the dead isnt the greatest band either. and they have their internal problems as well. I havent seen anybody schedule dates and cancel them as many times as bobby weird has...... at least phish isnt going out and promoting themselves as a nostalgia act like the grateful dead is. and you dont think that their tickets are outrageous??

 

I would have to disagree with you there my good man, though it is all about the music, vocals count as a musical element, that I for one need them to be as strong as the instumental talent in the band, in order for me to like it. Also, I believe in presentation and preformance and I belive in many cases without vocals or any vocal element, the easy connection with the audience is lost. I also think that the presentation and performance should be there, Im not talking lame Kiss stuff (though that works for some), but If I pay to see a musician at a show, I would hope that the musician woud look like he wants to be there too.

(I do not feel tis is the case with some electronica however, when ehard while dancing the human connection comes from the people dancing with you and the energy the DJ may or may not create for you to dance with.)

 

Not to be rude, but I was trying to show that the lyrics are for the most part lame. Why search through and find the things I did like? The songs where I think the lyrics are poor are more numerous than those I find to be good.




Also, as far as my comments on the Grateful Dead vs. Phish are concerned. I would just like to say that some Im sure filled the void of the Dead with that of Phish, and I dont mind that.

 

touche. vocals are indeed important.

 

why do people have to constantly hound on the lyrics???

its stupid really......

they arent trying to write good lyrics.

its like making fun of a tortoise because he cant move fast. (theres no point)

all it is is accompaniment to the music. who actually goes to a show to listen to what poetry that trey comes up with?? seriously? its all about the music... lyrics are just nonsense, made up things just to make it more like a rock show...... take the band CAN, for instance (if you people know who they are).... they were a german experimental group (and very influential).... all they really did was create grooves and music, and the lyrics were pretty much nonsense.

 

not really....... I prefer raspy vocalists. people like tom waits, leonard cohen, eddie vedder, joe cocker. people that dont care about their voices, anyday over someone that flaunts their vocal range.

 

that's why i hate having gone through ear training. i have liked off-key singers in the past, but after having ear training forced into my head the past three or four years, in some cases i can't stand vocals that are off. don't get me wrong, like i said before i LOVE phish, i can get into a band like flaming lips too. but the singing's out of tune sometimes, and it bothers me sometimes.

 

yeah Im a huge fan of the flaming lips too........

Im just weird. vocals dont mean anything to me. all that matters is the music. hell I used to like rush for so many years and then someone said that they couldnt get into the music because of geddy lee's voice. that was something that never really crossed my mind.

 

I prefer raspy vocalists too, the key here is good, I dont care if they sing like dylan or like madonna, What I care about is if its good (of course this is in my eyes, my aestetic) You'll notice that even though Dylans voice is raspy he hits every note right for the most part. No singer I know of really sings out of key unless it is intentional (the producers usually get that fixed either through vocal training or studio magic.)



But forget that, I think lyrics and singing are an essential part to the song, what does the song OHIO mean without lyrics? What does PEOPLE OF THE SUN mean without lyrics, What does DONT EAT THE YELLOW SNOW mean without lyrics (I don think those lyrics mean anything anyway haha). I'll leave my wandering imagination to interpret classical and other such lyricless genres, but just having good musicianship is not

 

some bands are there for political messages, good for them. that is different. Phish isnt out there to put forth any messages and push any political agenda. they are there to make music. period.

and if you think bob dylan never sings out of key, you obviously havent seen him in concert. he is notorious for singing out of key or out of tune, but I think that is due in part to his drug use. and I challenge anybody to actually sing along with bobby during any of his songs. its a challenge indeed. you cant.

 

I think Trey has a great voice, he is an asshole though.


And who really gives a shit about lyrics, their instumental talents are amazing and make up for the lack of talented lyrics. I personnally dont have any problem with their lyrics, I think they are pretty unique and funny. Take a look at a band like Pink Floyd, they have their own type of unique lyrics as well.

 

exactly my point. there are bands that are just out there to make music, with little to do with lyrics. as for pink floyd, most of their early stuff is nonsense lyrics. look at careful with that axe, eugene, or several small species, or take up thy stethoscope......

and even with syd barrett, who everyone around here thinks is a genius songwriter, just look at the introspective (sarcasm intended) lyrics he had written like in scarecrow, or astronomy domine, or bike......

"Ive got a bike, you can ride it if you like, its got a basket, a bell, and things to make it look good, Id give it to you if I could, but I borrowed it......." yeah, genius poetry if you ask me.

 

Frank Zappa has no political message, Have you listend to Bobbie D's albums, never out of keys, but other than the album, he has never played any of his songs the same way twice i reckon and he is notorious for that. Gotta run ttyl though.

 

i do think trey's vocie is passive. the only song i can think of where he really gets vocally dramatic is wilson (can you still have FUUUUN!). but, yea, doesnt really detract from the band


but about trey being an asshole...what has he said in particular that is so bad? im really interested because he is my favorite musician. if there is dirt on him i wanna hear it. any websites you wanna post would be appreciated

 

obviously not to you.

the fact you would ever begin to compare the Dead to anyone else proves this.

 

frank zappa usually has a more satirical approach with social messages. of course bobby d's albums are always in key. its an album! why would they want him to sing out of key. I said he doesnt even sing in key in concert (and alot of times not in tune)! anybody producing an album can make anyone sound good! yeah, he likes to mix it up a little, but damn its way off key alot of times

 

But I am not saying that trey or any other memeber of Phish sings out of key, I am saying I dont like the tone, melody line, cadence or lyrics in phishs songs for the most part.

I am also not talking about nonsense lyrics, the written lyrical content of many of the Phish songs that I dont like is sophmoric. In early Pink floyd, you say the lyrics are nonsense but they paint a picture of an idea , instead of spelling a poor one out.

And to tell you the truth, I just saw Dylan last week , and he did not hit many wrong notes at all, jsut sung in a different way and muffled his words. ( you also have to take him with a grain of salt, he claims he has tried to sabotage his image and career for the last 20 years now.)

 

And to go with some other songs without the polictical message in songs what does YESTERDAY mean without words, what does The WALL mean without words? What does IN MY TIME OF DYING mean without words? What does SELLING ENGLAND BY THE POUND mean without em?

Great musicians are all around us, and I love them. Great songwriters that are great musicians? I exalt them.

 

What does "Esther" mean without the words? I see both sides of the argument, but I'd just like to offer up a song where I think Phish's lyrics are actually thought through and well-written