New album: Fuego
Artist: Phish
Label: Jemp Records
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Capturing the essence of Phish in a recording studio has always been an iffy proposition. To the Phish faithful, these guys are a world renowned improvisational concert monolith that must be experienced in person.
Usually the only Phish recordings that cause a stir within their fan base are live recordings, but hopefully the patchouli warriors that follow the band around the country will pay attention to their latest studio effort “Fuego.” Helmed by one of the most successful rock producers of all time in Bob Ezrin (Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, Alice Cooper), “Fuego” may be the best studio album Phish has ever made.
Even detractors of the band had to admit Phish were a group of extremely talented musicians. There will always be people who prefer three-minute pop songs to 20-minute jams, but the most polarizing aspect of Phish’s music has historically been their lyrics. What seems refreshing and new to some often times sounds goofy and pretentious to others. With “Fuego,” Phish have traded in some of their overtly quirky tendencies for a group of well-played, introspective tunes.
With the members of Phish involved in so many solo projects, the extracurricular activities may have allowed the guys to purge all but the essentials from their system. The nine-minute opening title track is the closest Phish gets to their former selves on “Fuego,” with long instrumental vamps broken up by lyrics (“I see guilty people”) that would have made Frank Zappa grin or at least smirk.
Elsewhere, Phish plow fresh ground. “The Line” — which wouldn’t sound totally out of place on a modern day Steely Dan album — may well be their most accessible song since “Free.” Accessible doesn’t always equal sellout; sometimes — as it does here — it means Phish have sculpted their assets into a song that should satisfy longtime fans and neophytes alike.
Page McConnell’s keyboard work is sterling throughout, but his Hammond organ work on “Waiting All Night” may be the most sublime playing in the Phish catalog. Even without the awe inspiring solos we’ve come to expect from Phish, they’ve gained a new strength with their new-found restraint.
Guitarist Trey Anastasio’s vocals have improved with age, with his performances on “Devotion To A Dream” and “Wingsuit” making sometimes questionable lyrics sound vital. His guitar solos are still impressive enough to make you drop your hacky sack, and surely in a concert setting they’ll be stretched to cover Vermont.
Longtime fans of Phish with an open mind should get a lot out of “Fuego,” while those who’ve traditionally wanted to wrap them in newspaper may be in for a pleasant surprise.
Classic album: Abraxas
Artist: Santana
Label: Columbia Legacy
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
Santana became stars at the Woodstock Festival in 1969. Even through their debut album wouldn’t be released for several weeks, word of their incendiary live set spread like wildfire.
Their self-titled debut album was the work of a band with a unique approach to rock music. Fusing rock, jazz, Latin and soul music into something no one had heard before, Santana didn’t need two or three albums of development; they arrived fully formed. The band’s follow-up album “Abraxas” stands with their first album as their finest work.
Guitar master Carlos Santana has been the focal point of the band over the years, but original vocalist/organist Greg Rolie was a key player from day one. Rolie’s vocals on “Abraxas” classics such as “Black Magic Woman” (originally recorded by Fleetwood Mac), and “Hope You’re Feeling Better” are the perfect mix of soul and pop sensibilities, making the music palatable to the masses and the musos.
As for Carlos Santana, his guitar tone throughout “Abraxas” is as distinctive as Abe Vigoda’s face. Hearing just one note of guitar from “Incident at Neshabur” and even casual fans can identify the source. Carlos Santana never lost his ability to make his instrument sing, but he’s rarely had such brilliant material to paint on since his early days with the original Santana band.
It would be criminal to write a review of “Abraxas” without mention of the superb playing of Michael Shrieve and percussionists Jose Areas and Mike Carabello. Together with the lyrical bass work of David Brown, they formed one of the most inventive rhythm sections of all time.
In truth, the first three Santana albums are nearly flawless. After that the map gets a little confusing, but these early albums are so good you’ll get pulled into the full vortex eventually.
Jon Dawson’s album reviews appear every Tuesday in The Free Press. Contact Jon at 252-559-1092 or jon.dawson@kinston.com. Purchase Jon’s books at www.jondawson.com.