Customer Reviews

Colorado 88

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The best thing I can REALLY say here is... THIS IS PHISH.

I used to listen to Phish and get a huge smile across my face, even laugh at times because they were just so unbelievably sick... that is what I heard. Well, somewhere along the way, like all good addictions, the music seemed to lose some of it's luster for me and not coincidentally, the band was going through their various issues. Let me just say that listening to this made me smile and yes, even laugh again, with pure joy at the what these 4 guys were able to create, and share with all of us, taking pain-staking measures to perfect every nuance in this set list, with such a limited fan base at the time. If you want to fall in love with Phish ALL OVER AGAIN and are looking for that spark(le) all over again, just like it was the first time, this is it. Buy. Listen. Remember. Enjoy. Thank you guys...

This album is a gem for people who appreciate everything the band has done over time. These are recordings made when they did a handful of gigs in Colorado after driving from Vermont with the band and all their gear in a U-Haul type truck. Keep in mind that they were still a bar band on these recordings, which makes it a hell of a trip to consider that about five years down the road, they'd be playing many of the same songs at arenas. It blows me away to think about what a treat the drunkards in the audiences of these shows were in for. I'm sure the handful of audience members are now the people going, "Oh yeah, Phish, I saw them with fifteen people in a dinky little bar when they were totally unknown." Considering that these are re-mastered bootlegs, the sound quality is pretty good--at least good enough to clearly pick out what everybody is playing even if the levels of each instrument aren't ideal. The biggest feeling I got from listening to them is that if you compare these performances to other bands you'll see in these types of settings, it's obvious that they were destined for greatness.

I cannot seem to enjoy the lifeless newer albums by Phish (since after Billy Breathes, basically), so I am thrilled to have this large collection of early Phish. It's really neat to hear some of the Phish standards in different forms (like The Divided Sky before it was The Divided Sky), and lots of gamehenge stuff too.

The amusing sequence of songs related to Fishman being late from a hiking trip always gives me grins (Jazz Odyssey!).

Amazingly good sounding given the age and likely quality of source recordings (there are still some noise issues in just a few spots).

Highly recommended to any Phish fan, especially if you have a preference for the earlier stuff.

Edit: Just bought "Hampton Comes Alive", having wanting it forever but not willing to fork over the massive dough.... yeah... don't bother. Old Phish is the good Phish, sadly... where did that band go? It's like... where did The Killers go after first album? I want THAT band, not ... uh... THIS ... thing....

I listened to this album alongside a few other recent live releases from Phish, and it stands out in an interesting way.
I've also listened to some of the earliest shows that circulate. This show is such a strange transition between the Phish that has become well known, and the Phish that was starting out.
The quality of the show is not up to par with the more recent releases, but it's entirely appropriate. There's a very different atmosphere on this recording. The band sounds alternately tight, and a little sloppier than they are now. The arrangements are, in some cases, drastically different. The version of ACDC Bag on this is really different - a whole lot more piano.
The other big difference here is that there's more banter than there is now.
I'm glad that they release this collection. It's good, and worthwhile for most fans to be aware of. I would never advise people new to Phish to use this as a starting point though.