Customer Reviews

Page McConnell

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Page McConnell's new album is what you'd expect. The song writing is mediocre while the improvisation is strong. Most songs sound like they could have been penned during the Vida Blue era or the last five years of Phish. In other words, there is no 'Cars Trucks Buses' or even a 'Most Events Aren't Planned.' The album follows McConnell's usual style of rock with flavors of funk and psychedelia. The use of electronic drum beats may be the unexpected dynamic. The issue with "Page McConnell" is that it is a solo album by a great accompanying musician. There's nothing wrong with the disc, it's simply that there are no significant stand-outs. "Page McConnell" is an enjoyable listen that probably won't get heavy rotation.

I personally enjoy this album a lot. But do not listen to this album hoping to hear a authentic phish sound because you won't. It's a very "Page" sounding album. But as anyone who is probably buying this album knows, music by an artist like Page McConnell can't be appreciated at less in the live format. I personally own SIRIUS radio and caught his live performances on air. I am really psyched to catch him this summer. The highlight on the album for me is "Heavy Rotation". I recommend giving it a listen, it's worth it.

This CD showcases Page's talent, creativity and musicianship in a way that reminds me why I loved listening to him play in Phish so much.

The songs are tight while still conveying an improvisational, jammy feel that works well. Page's piano playing is the highlight for me. On some tracks, he adds synthesizer and other fun instruments (including "toy piano") for cool, sound-enhancing effects. The lyrics are decent enough: heartfelt without being (overly) cheesy. The instrumental, improvisational reunion jam, "Back in the Basement", is a great mid-album highlight.

Despite a solid effort, there are a few weak tracks here. The album fades towards the end and I get slightly tired of Page's voice for a full album (perhaps a duet or two would have been nice).

Overall, this is a worthwhile buy and a nice branch-out addition to my CD collection.

I think that this is the best album from the former Phish members. The songwriting is way better than most of Phish's stuff. The singing is better. The songs tighter.

I appreciate that this is not just an effort to do Phish as a solo artist but is a different style.

Chances are, you already know if you're going to like the debut solo CD by former Phish keyboardist Page McConnell. You're either one of the legion of the Phish faithful, or a non-believer who runs screaming "Go away, hippie!", like Eric Cartman, at the mere mention of the band's name. This dichotomy is what all members of cult bands face, no matter how big the cult. And McConnell's tuneful but unassuming self-titled disc is unlikely to change the opinion of the Phish phobic. Maybe it doesn't have to. When you've earned a cult as rabid and large as Phish did, why not play to it, after all?

But before you click away from this review and start shouting Cartman-isms, let's scroll back 20 years and recall why Phish's upstream swim of a career trajectory altered the course of popular music. Back in the waning days of the Reagan era, most people's favored popular music came from artists on MTV that seemed like genetically engineered experiments in commerciality. The club scene, on the other hand, was filled with brash post-punk bands playing to almost no one.

Phish transcended this musical Great Divide and helped to create the jam band scene. Like a lot of 1980s college kids, they sat around in their dorm rooms feeling disaffected and wondered why music didn't sound as cool as it did when the Seeds scaled the charts. But unlike those `80s kids, they eschewed both punk and preppie trendiness and made music their own way. Sure, the Grateful Dead's unexpected surge of popularity in the late `80s helped their cause, but when has serendipity not been a factor in a success story?

That history is all implicit in McConnell's CD. The songs may be slight, but the playing and the players sure aren't. All of the other long-term players in Phish put in appearances, as does legendary session drummer Jim Keltner. Even when it's uninspired, it sounds good. It's also jazzier than you might expect. Phish wore its jazz influences on its sleeve, and McConnell made that influence even more apparent when he founded the trio Vida Blue in Phish's waning days.

McConnell, who wrote a handful of Phish tunes, writes in a melodic style similar to that of main Phish songwriter Trey Anastasio. He's more mellow, though, which can work when the writing is surprising and clever (think Ben Folds), but the writing here usually isn't. Since McConnell got his innovating out of the way already, it's understandable that he wants to kick back and make some mellow music with his friends. The opener, "Beauty of a Broken Heart", has a gorgeous, swirling melody, and some funky rhythms courtesy of both Keltner and Phish founder Jon Fishman. Yet the overall effect is less than that of the individual parts, because of the polite playing (everyone seems to be very tasteful here) and the lyrics, which are awkward and mawkish.

Had the album concentrated more on jazz and eschewed jazz-pop concoctions it might have wound up more interesting. But the funky beats on "Close to Home" and "Runaway Bride" sound forced, as do their lyrical themes.

McConnell's wispy, somewhat nasal vocals are appealing, mainly because they run counter to today's trend of over-singing. This CD will have Phish phanatics kicking back with him. Everyone else is advised to consult their Inner Cartman.

Pop Matters -- 27 June 2007

Page's latest album is just a joy to listen to. Though a bit of a departure from his Phish days, there are still plenty of familiar riffs and licks from days gone by. Presumably because he had some help from his Phish friends. There are moments of brief electronica throughout the album and usually I would be turned off by these, but somehow they work well. Buy it, play it, love it. Long live Page!

Rather than rushing shoddily constructed excuses for songs onto albums to support his heroin habit (cough trey aghhher cough) Page has devoted a good deal of time to producing a sonically enchanting album complete with funky grooves and impressive (ehh kinda but nothing spectacular next to half of what he did with phish)jams. On top of this, his voice, naturally way better than trey's finally gets the attention it deserves on a solo album. The melodies are smart and tight in his sing song type songs and the sound effects he uses give the album a very light smooth psychedelic feel. The content of the lyrics also make way more sense than trey's verbal gumbo guru tom marshall's poems. And on top of all of that he was nice enough to the phans to include all four members of the band in the recording despite the clear decline in Trey's guitar chops. Not to knock the man because as we all know he is more or less a music god to most fans (myselph included) but he just cant play like he used to. The fire/spark is gone. Or has it just been passed on to Page? Great CD. Buy it before shine/bar 17

I have been a huge Phish fan since 1992. I saw them 55 times, including many of the legendary shows. I've seen all of them doing solo projects (TAB, Mike and Leo, Mike solo, Vida Blue, JMP with Fishman, Pork Tornado, Surrender to the Air, etc) and I think I know their strengths and their weaknesses quite well...which (in my opinion) can be summed up pretty easily. Their strengths are (unanimously) their given instruments and their ability to improvise, listen, react, create and blend with each other. In the hay-day (1994-1998) they were (and still are) without a doubt the very best of the best the jam-band scene has ever seen. However, their weaknesses are (also unanimously) their voices. Not one single member of Phish...yes, I said it...NOT ONE OF THEM can carry a tune or sing worth a damn. Their barber shop quartet songs were more of a novelty than of any quality. It has always been PAINFUL to listen to them sing...I would find myself just tolerating the vocal portions of songs and praying the jams would come so I could stop cringing at the pre-pubescent cracking...and unfortunately this album is no exception. Don't get me wrong...as I said...they are ALL amazing musicians. I just wish there was less of a need for them to add vocals that add nothing but a distraction from the beauty of their PLAYING. I have always felt this way. I will always LOVE Phish and be eternally grateful for all they gave me during their run - but I can't lie and say I like this album. I don't. Sorry Page.

Page has blown my mind, man! This is easily worlds better than ANY Phish almbum. Page was the hidden backbone of Phish this entire time, it turns out.