Every Phish Original: WTU to YEM
(To ‘unwind’ after finishing the 33–1/3 book I wrote this low-stakes listicle, commenting on every single Phish original (555 to You Never Know). This is an excerpt: some of the W’s, and a Y.)
What’s the Use?
Betrays its origins as a studio accident. Like Sanity, less interesting in itself — it’s a purely textural interlude — than for what it portends: the band locked in and bound for the deep places. The studio vocal reminds me strongly of Vultures and Rebirth (the creepily groovy vocal version of the Happy Whip & Dung Song), though it obviously received a lot less attention than those tunes. I’m all for post-apocalyptic art, though I’d rather that the apocalypse in question not be the disintegration of my favourite band. A++ would listen again, mournfully.
Wilson
If only someone would time travel to the late 60s and teach Sabbath this song, with ‘Satan’ substituted for ‘Wilson’ and ‘Hades’ in place of ‘Prussia.’ If only.
Windy City
Y’know, I liked this one! The built-in MLB jam really suits them, not that they followed it out, because why bother? It’s not like every jam band in history hasn’t landed on that progression three times a week since the 60s. But. I did like this one.
Wingsuit
If they ever steer the outro jam to a Fuego-style diminuendo and tidal recession, I and everyone else in the fandom will be lifted up to the garden in Paradise. Until that glorious day, this will have to be merely the second purest expression of Phish’s Fuego-era identity.
Winterqueen
Couldn’t this be their Dark Star too/instead, though? It’s certainly got the psych-esque lyrics for the job, and as the loping jam departs its source material it takes on its own momentum (cf. the extended Charlotte version). The band could definitely accomplish a lot with Winterqueen’s texture now. And while we’re on the subject: why haven’t they brought Trey’s horns onstage for an open-ended modal excursion? It’s time for everyone to take that step, right? Summer 2015, after Fare Thee Well — isn’t this the moment? Calling a tour-opening Winterqueen with horns right now. You heard it here first.
Wolfman’s Brother
My favourite one-two punch is the 12/30/97 Sally > Taste, as God intended. (Didn’t She?) But the race is tight: exactly one month earlier they’d opened with the best ‘straight’ Funky Bitch ever, and a half-hour Wolfman’s Brother. It’s my favourite Wolfman’s, preferable even to the BEK-ish 7/24/98 version, the classic from the Went, the grooving throwdown on 6/25/04, even the journey into dark from the E Center from the beginning of Fall 97 tour. Here’s how good the Worcester 97 Wolfman’s is: the last ten minutes are completely unlistenable on tape, and honestly they’d gotten a little boring in person on the night. But the first twenty minutes are good enough on their own to make this one of the mightiest of all Phish jams. When folks make fun of my Fall 97 boosterism, I just point to that jam and shrug and mention, quite casually, that there are adozen jams from the tour every bit as strong. Insanity.
Wombat
Good for a laugh, or a dance. Works best uptempo. Chicago is the one to hear, so far. Nothing else to say.
You Enjoy Myself
This is Phish, first and last. If they only play one song for the rest of their career, let it be this one.
