Customer Reviews

Slip Stitch & Pass

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Wow!A great live album. Funky, bluesy,jamming music that shifts tempos beautifully. The version of the Talking Head's 'cities' is a great lead off song followed by a 13 minute exploration of 'wolfman's brother' right into the mellow slow blues of ZZ Top's 'Jesus just left chicago'! Did I say wow already?
I am not a phishead, but enjoy phish's muscic immensly. I have heard Phish was a great live band (never saw them) and this must be the perfect snapshot. Phish in order of my preference: Farmhouse - Slip,Stich, and Pass - Rift - Hoist - Billy Breathes - A live one -. Bait up and cast away!

Rolling Stone said once that Phish was perhaps the most importaint band of the 90's. I hadn't been a serious fan of the group (nor had I a full appreciation for their ability as live performers) until I got this album. The intimate, small crowd setting in Hamburg, Germany makes for a perfect opportunity for Phish to shine. The band seems very relaxed here, and lead guitarist Trey makes reference to having good memories of this particular stage. The first song on the disc is clearly a warm up, not just for the band, but also for the listener. Throughout the rest of the album however, (which I highly reccomend you take the time to listen to straight through without distractions) the band falls further into their groove, and near the end, the four musicians are so attuned to one another in that remarkable Phish way that it simply takes the breath away. This album exemplifies the talents of all four band members and shows their ability to create that wonderful "organized choas" of music that we haven't heard since the days of Pink Floyd and Syd Barret. If anyone doubts that Phish draws a vast amount of inspiration from early Pink Floyd, then look no further for your proof than the 5th track on this album(Mike's Song), which is without a doubt my favorite part of the performance. Mike's Song is a favorite of many Phish fans and doesn't have a studio version. After several minutes of jamming, the group pays homage to early Floyd when the song switches deftly to Syd Barret's psychadelic classic: Careful With that Axe Eugene. Knowing where Phish is drawing inspiration from gives me a new appreciation for their sound. Knowing that Phish is primarily a touring band, and produces a more inspired sound in front of a crowd, I also heartily reccomend that you look into their most popular live concert recording in A Live One. It's well worth a listen as well, but my favorite will always be Slip Stitch.

I'm sorry but no matter what others say this album is so tight and incredible.

Cities- Funky, cool and fresh

Wolfman's- This is probably the highlight of the show! It sounds so tight and perfect. Love it!

Jesus Left Chicago- This comes in right behind Wolfman's. Solid blues and funk. Page is an unbelievable piano player and vocalist.

Weigh- Listen to the comments between this and the last song. Fun. Just a good song. Weird lyrics.

Mike's Song- This isn't the best mike's but it definitely floats your boat. Good good good jam, especially the egyptian stuff near the end.

Lawn Boy- Sweet. A great mellow song. Again, page is so bad!

Weekapaug- My fav. song, Mike tears it up and the comments between Trey and Fishman during the intro are sweet! Great version.

Hello My Baby- They can sing a capella as well. Short and sweet.

Taste- This is the song i listen to the least on the album. It's still a very good song, very solid.

Plain and simple this album is so tight and its just music the way it was meant to be heard. Forget any negative comments. This is where it is. Phish is more musically diverse than anyone else, which makes them the best band hands down. Thankyou and peace.

I am new to the Phish arena; thus, my thoughts may not carry that much weight. Nevertheless, I am impressed thus far from what I have heard from this group. This album is the first live album I have heard from Phish, and it has only strengthened my interest towards the band. Of course, they still have a ways to go towards competing with such legendary bands as Pink Floyd; but, they are on the right track. Indeed, Phish uses their own abbreviated version of Pink Floyd's "Careful with that Axe, Eugene" at the end of Mike's Song. Mike's Song is my favorite of the album, mainly because I am biased to Trey's guitar work. However, all of the songs are great and go together in making a remarkable album. Like Pink Floyd, the albums of Phish can be played from start to end and one does not have to move around just to hear "smash hits."

Like the early works of the Floyd, I have found the songs making up Phish's albums to be incoherent as far as forming an overall theme. Pink Floyd clearly set out themes in their final works under the leadership of Waters. It will be interesting to see how Phish evolves in the future. What is certain, however, is that they are a great band. If you are new to the Phish scence, buy this album for it will make a believer out of it. Enjoy.

Phish is an amazing band, no question. This release is one I keep coming back to for "Taste," the final track on the disc, and the two covers, "Cities" and "Jesus Left Chicago". The latter is one of my favorite tracks on any album, period. It shows Phish tackling a genre they usually don't approach so directly- the blues- with a style and grace that almost convinces me they are a blues-rock band masquerading as a prog-funk outfit. I am amazed that Trey can nail that sound so well, when he seems to practice it so rarely. It speaks volumes for the versatility of Trey and the band as a whole. The rest- good- but "A Live One" is better overall as it is "edgier" and sounds more fresh. Still, you can't go wrong here.

"slip stich and pass" is a must have. rarely does an album encompass so wide a range of musical interest. if you enjoy phish, you'll love it anyway. but to the casual listener, or someone looking for something new, you have just found what you're looking for. this recording from an intimate nightclub in germany contains the talking heads "cities" played with george clintonesque funk, zz top's "jesus left chicago" as if miles davis were on stage, and a barbershop quartette parody of "hello my baby". the versatility of phish is overwhelming as they glide in and out of a melodies otherwise unrelated. phish has reached the top of the musical food chain as preformers. "slip stich and pass" will show why.

For a phish newbie, this is an excellent choice so that you can familiarize yourself with the live jams that set phish apart from other modern bands. The Talking Head's cover "Cities" is a funky song with great lyrics, and the CD has the best versions of "Mikes Song" and "Weekapaug Groove" I have ever heard. Overall, a great choice for a phish head or anyone interested in finding out what Phish is like.

I would call this album the best singular explanation of the sound of phish. The most squared out album of rock, blues and green grass acid hippie carrie outs. A great album for a first time Phisher to get, I think. The greatest thing about it is the shared spotlights of the members of the band. Best Tracks that I see are Lawn Boy and Mike's Song. Have A Listen!!#?!

wow.i've never heard of sound feel like it. it's drug. make me crazy complitely.and it's can compare with allman brothers's fillmore only one.

song by song overview because it sounds lame to tell someone hey this sucks or i love this
cities - funny, groovy and has a cool wah rythym to it good song to chill to and 'get some thinking done'
wolfman - awesome version of the song possibly the best because unlike hoist its a little more flowing and when it goes 'broth-er' with the guitar riff after it, i get goose bumps
jesus/chicago - and after a long slow paced jam with distintive bass and wah guitar we find our selves at a beat-slow slow-beat blues cover of jesus left chicago with a sweet solo in the midst of it
weigh - an alright song not my favorite but,give it credit for being mike's highlight on the album, not to much improv here but it does give a nice interlude to mikes' song and this song is really, i guess you could say, overall, phishy
mike's song - wow best part of the cd maybe, take mike's song and add a out of control sweet tension build up,' the end theme ', 'careful with that axe screams' and finish with a factory jam until we get to a 'and he walked down the hall'(morrison) to the next ...
lawn boy - good song with some nice page vocals and a smoothe bass riff by mike, also some nice feed back
weekapog groove - cool main riff with more 'the end' referencing, it's a groove, a monster groove, so don't think to hard just appreciate it all at once as a whole flowing enima, can you dig?
hello my baby - it's cute and funny but also quiet and that ticks me off just a wee bit, i have to turn up my stereo to hear the individual words, this track closes the album in a sense and prepares the listeners for a climax on taste
taste - great closer, if it weren't for this song i wouldn't probably be writing this review and screaming to all to buy it and listen your ears off and don't be to quick to judge

overall awesome, only four stars because of hello my baby is quiet and weigh is not the greatest song inmy opinion, but hey who am i, if you like phish and want to know what live phish is all about or just like jam bands or just like music get it and embrace it
'express yourself but listen to others' - fishman