All the buzz around Phish is now about their new flash site that has them killing off albums until the last one remains. Supposedly, the last one remaining will be the album that they play for their musical costume on Halloween at Festival 8. The site has 99 albums, and so far, they’ve killed off 15 of them.
Phish has always been a band that likes to mess around with people. I don’t buy this whole “last one standing” bit they’ve got going. After all, the previous Halloween shows they’ve done were surprises to the audience. I, for one, want it to be a surprise. It wouldn’t be as much fun if we all knew what they were gonna play. That’s the fun of a Phish show. What I do think they’ll do is play the first song or part of the first song off the last album alive and then play something completely different that’s not even on that list (or perhaps one of the albums that died).
The list of albums includes some great albums, some albums I’ve never heard, some bands I just don’t like, and some true classics. It ranges from Bob Dylan to Radiohead to Frank Zappa to MGMT to Kiss to the Violent Femmes. They’ve played songs from some of the albums. Some of the albums are from bands they’ve used at previous Halloween shows (or that special Dark Side of the Moon show). Jamtopia has a great post with the albums and a day-by-day list of the albums that have been killed off.
My thoughts are pretty similar to the thoughts of many. The band will not play an album from one of the bands whose albums they have covered in their entirety. That knocks off The Who, Pink Floyd, the Velvet Underground, Talking Heads, and the Beatles. They’re not likely to play an album full of mellow songs. This knocks out Radiohead, which a lot of people seem to want to hear. I’ll admit to not being a Radiohead fan. I just don’t like Thom Yorke’s voice and the music is way too mellow for me (though I like that song “Creep” that came out in the ’90′s and In Rainbows isn’t a horrible album). I don’t think they’ll play Frank Zappa. Too many people have been hoping for it. They’ll really want to throw people for a loop.
One of the things I don’t think they’ll do is play an album that people don’t recognize. While it may not be as mainstream as The White Album, it won’t be as obscure as some of the albums on the list. I also don’t think they’ll play anything from a current group, knocking off MMW, MGMT, Arcade Fire, and, again, Radiohead. Also, some of the albums on the list are so out there that they’re only on that list as a joke. I’m looking at Chicago, Kiss, Hall & Oates, and the Bee Gees.
My real hope, if they play something off the list, is that they play Appetite for Destruction. Everyone knows the album, but no one will be expecting it because it’s such an oddball choice, but not too out there. It’d be fun. The crowd would go absolutely nuts. Many of us will piss our pants in excitement.
What I think they’ll do is play an album from a California band, which includes GnR, The Eagles, The Beach Boys, the Dead, etc. Playing a Southern California band would be even better, especially one that fits the whole desert scene, like the Eagles.
My ultimate dream would be for them to play Bat Out of Hell from Meat Loaf. I doubt it’d happen as Meat Loaf is one of those acts that many people hate. I, on the other hand, love Meat Loaf. While he didn’t write most of the songs, his partner, Jim Steinman, is a great writer. Meat Loaf’s voice is powerful and the songs are epic and fun. I think Phish could pull it off and it’d be awesome.
Update (because I forgot this part): I forgot to add in the original post that watching them play the Grateful Dead’s American Beauty would be sick. They’re playing an acoustic set on Sunday. I would not be surprised if we heard some Dead tunes then.
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