Thursday 11/07/2013
by bertoletdown
PHISHING POLL THURSDAY, VOL. 10: BEST OF WINGSUIT
And we're back! Did you miss us? Let's go right after the elephant in the room, shall we?
Below the fold, you can use your thumbs to tell us what Wingsuit tunes you think most deserve a permanent home on the new album and in the repertoire. The staff here definitely has our own favorites, but this is about you, so get in there and get dirty. The action's in the comments...
[ranker width="450" height="711" title="Phishing Poll Thursday, Vol. 10: Best of Wingsuit" id="1062116" link="http://www.ranker.com/list/phishing-poll-thursday-vol-10-best-of-wingsuit/phishingpoll" /]
You can listen to the whole Halloween show here: http://www.phishtracks.com/shows/2013-10-31.
Comments
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Phish.net
The Mockingbird Foundation
Wingsuit: solid late set slow-it-down replacement for your Show of Cheese / Joy.
Fuego: early second set barnburner. This is gonna be opened up into some 15-20 minute monsters. Like a modern, more easy to follow (for the band) Melt in terms of feel.
The Line: Fun 1st setter, gonna get some XM play for sure on non-Jam On stations.
Monica: Post 1st set acoustic, ala their current a cappella options?
Waiting All Night: At first I thought this was a downer.. and lyrically it still is. Should be fine mid-1st set for a breather. Good bouncy melodies in the background.
Wombat: We can only hope this is the new, longer Tube - MOAR FUNK JAMZ PLZ
Snow: Either needs to be an instrumental, or simply not played live. Mike can't sing this.
Devotion to a Dream: A little poppy but I think this can actually be a RnR-esque launchpad for soild rock jamming. Time will only tell.
555: Major jamz potential. Fun gordo uniqueness without getting too unaccessible.
Winterqueen: Should probably be kept with TAB... basically just another Ocelot with different words, more guitar melody.
Amidst the Peals of Laughter: Best kept as a deep cut and out of live shows.
You Never Know: Like The Line, good first setter.
Very much looking forward to the MSG run.
2 - The Line
3 - Wombat
4 - Wingsuit
5 - 555
6 - Monica
7 -Waiting All Night
8 - Amidst The Peals of Laughter
--------------------------------------
the rest I don't expect to hear much more of, but these 8 songs are wonderful new additions.
Fuego is my second least favorite of the bunch. I don't get why everyone like it.
I see a good bit of potential in The Line, Monica, Waiting All Night, 555, and even Wingsuit (for melody, not lyrics). Amidst the Peals is a good tune but the nursery rhyme and chorus are kinda sugary for me. Winterqueen is kinda boring to me. I did not like Devotion to a Dream as much either but its not bad per say. You Never Know has good melody but weird words and story behind it. Snow has great melody but vocals and projection need work.
My .02
1. Wingsuit
2. Fuego
3. Monica
4. 555
5. Wombat (they need to prove to me that the first part of this song isn't terrible)
6. Devotion to a Dream
7. Amidst the Peals of Laughter
8. Winterqueen
9. The Line
10. Waiting All Night
-----noticeable drop off--------
11. You Never Know
12. Snow
For me, I'd rank the songs as follows:
Waiting All Night
Fuego
Wingsuit
Wombat
and then everything else I like (for real), but those four stand out strongest.
and waiting all night sounds like yem in the beginning a bit doesn't it? with the arpeggiation (making up a word here LOL)?
and whats with the tweezer reprise lick inserted into 555?
uhmmm thats already a song that needs no revision and already has a reprise
my commentary is based simply on how much i like the melodies and lyrics, and not how much i think these songs sound like old phish, though i did like songs more if they sounded like something phishy. most of these songs seem a bit more radio friendly and poppy, which is not my favorite phish, but i welcome new phish always as i love to watch the evolution of my favorite band in the world. i too am growing and changing.
when i first heard the album and realized what they were doing on halloween while streaming, i figured it was a prank and they would cover some album at some point... still not sure how i feel about the presentation of this wingsuit album, in lieu of a CLASSIC album, and BREAKING TRADITION, which is big to me and other fans who traveled to the show. that shocked me. i wasn't necessarily happy with that, though i've gotten over it since and have learned to appreciate some of the material now through time and re-listens
more of my .02
"Expectations" have ruined more shows than any glowstick war, woo chant, or whale calls combined. (For the record, i love all of these things.)
One of these days they're going to repeat a setlist too, and people will freak out, and I will be overjoyed--phish, just breaking the rules (meant to be broken) as they always do.
Glad to hear it's growing on you!
no one wants to be hoodwinked into thinking tradition will be upheld, and it takes a lot of balls, ego, or lack thereof to present your own new album in lieu of a classic album.
it was cool to be different, but another night would have been better in my opinion.
"but thats just like my opinion, man"
1. Wingsuit
2. The Line
3. Monica
4. Winter Queen
5. You Never Know
6. Amidst the Pearls (Taken out once every other year on Mother/Father's Day)
The following don't strike my fancy
Half way to the Moon (Kinda of get bored with that song in the beg, middle and end)
555 (Meeh, sounds like an amalgamation of all of Mike songs)
Devotion to a Dream (Lyrics are interesting, composition isn't)
Snow (Just terrible)
Wombat - Really, middle age white boy rap? Come on, admit it, you're all in love with the name and the character and concept of a Wombat, but not actually the song.
I know that I'm getting voted down for this, but I need to be blunt: Wingsuit was one of the single worst songs I've ever heard in my entire life by any band. I would MUCH rather be TTE'd. Trey is sitting up there crowing "it feels good" over and over again and I just wanted to exit the building. Given, I was a little disappointed in the "costume" choice upon entering the building, but FULLY changed my mind when they dropped into Fuego and a little encouragement from another fan... Still, Wingsuit was ridiculously torturous for me. Glad to hear others disliked it less, but I still stand by my initial feeling.
Anyway, I thought the show was amazing from my living room couch. I appreciate that they continue to challenge themselves as artists and us as fans (expectations). I really liked: Waiting All Night, Fuego, 555, Monica, and Wingsuit. I thought Wombat was a joke/antic for Halloween. I liked the funk, but...it's just...I don't know, I cringed a little watching it live. But I also laughed, so...I don't know. It's a new level of tension/release (cringe/laugh), lol.
Following that with Wombat... Let's just say I have no idea what the fuss is about. It has a nice groove, and I can see it would gee up the crowd nicely, but apart from that it seems to be four guys shouting at me over one constantly repeated chord. Boring!
But seriously, how has NO ONE mentioned the lack of STEAM!? I'm psyched that Trey mentioned "Halfway to the Moon" and it's possible/likely inclusion, but what about Steam? I will be SO bummed if it's not included. Such a rad tune imo
I was driving up to the second night of Worcester with one of my best friends from Rutgers that I've known for the last fifteen years. We used to be in a band with another friend back in the day, and on our drive up 287 through New Jersey, we passed the exit for his hometown. We started talking about him and I mentioned how he lived in the same neighborhood as the actor Abe Vigoda. Apparently, Abe is good friends with his family and would eat Thanksgiving dinner at his house every year. Fast forward a week and suddenly, of all the people in the world, Abe Vigoda is on stage with Phish for Wombat. For this alone, Wombat instantly has a place in my heart, (not to mention the awesome Godfather parody at the set break).
Fuego! I fell in love with this song right away. I think Waiting All Night and Winterqueen are the two songs most likely to get type II in the near future.
Agree that The Line is ridiculously catchy and I like it alot. But isn't that how most people felt about # Line when they broke that one? Just an observation. I happen to dig # Line and not to go too far off topic, but everyone always complains about its placement. LOL, no matter where they place it, people are gonna bitch!
Like others have said 555 seems to have the great potential to go deep.
Also, I hope Yarmouth Road makes it onto Wingsuit.
Every Song Is Someone's Favorite Song
it's amazing some people love songs that others dislike and vice versa.
remember that the next time you are at a show or listening at home and a song comes up that you don't go for, think of the happiness it brings others and try to find joy in that. appreciate what that song can do for others
oh and i was at halloween and i loved every minute of it. i was happy, relieved, ecstatic they were playing new material, before it even started. and from the first notes i knew it was on
winterqueen is probably my least favorite "song" but there is a jam at the end so if we get another one live it could rip. but not one i prefer on the album…
snow was the toughest live but could be great in the studio. i saw fikus my first show, man i would love to see that again but i just don't think it will happen. i feel very similar about seeing phish perform snow, this is one we may never see live again.
all the others are wonderful. this is by far the most i have relistened to a live set in a long time.
i am excited about new phish!
Imagine Halfway to the Moon 3rd song. fits perfectly in the cycle there. This album is really special, even if not all songs have yet come into their own. This is the current state of the creative energy that is Phish. Very great.
Also I like the title track, not sure why it has gotten hate.
Have to have that. You Wombat. Had that.
As one friend webcasting recounted to me - "Fishman rap = ultra win"
I also strongly second @vollski "MOAR FUNK JAMZ PLZ"
@frsbeeman said:
Keep on Keepin on
I also have a curiosity about "you never know" and wonder if the line about "maybe that bird needed a cage after all" is reflective of Kafka " I am a cage, in search of a bird". ( one of my favorite Kafka quotations )
I love fuego because I have in my mind created a permanent association connecting it to one of my friends with whom I attended this show. so this song to me will always be about said friend.
wombat is a real winner and I can't wait to hear it again live one day.
in the above poll, you guys did not include "snow" as an option for thumbs up rating.
I have been driving around in New York City and riding the subway listening to the recording of this show from beginning to end and then over again and I enjoy it greatly as a record, all songs included.
I read a lot of complaints about snow, though I have listened to it several times and imagine it was a very difficult song to execute under the live audience circumstances. it would be an excellent instrumental, though a studio recording would yield a more clear vocal result. I personally, like the result presented at ac live. people need to check themselves and not harsh so mean on the cactus. I wonder if you met Mike Gordon in a cafe and could say a few words with him, would you say " yea your song "snow" is like poop in the center of a perfect buffet", or whatever. why do people say mean things on a forum that they could not have courage to say directly to an artist if they met in person?
I enjoy the record "wingsuit" as is and would hope Phish records all songs in the same order as the record with the only change being inspired adjustments instrumentally and the addition of more songs to the record if such inspiration happens. I say this after listening and listening multiple times since retuning home from ac. the record is a suitable soundtrack for a New York pedestrian in motion through urban landscape.
Keep it rollin'
Thanks.
2. 555
3. Wombat
4. Fuego
5. Wingsuit
6. Waiting All Night
7. The Line
8. Monica
9. Winterqueen
10. Snow
11. Amidst the Peals of Laughter
12. Devotion to a Dream
1. You Never Know
Phish are writing this album from the heart and, for the first time, asking their audience to take their lyrics seriously (or at least with a smaller grain of salt than usual). The new music is so sincere and the writing has been handled with such care, i was actually genuinely proud to be a fan. Proud of Phish for finally casting off their typical and often endearing whimsy in favor of mature and concerted songwriting. The more music a person has listened to, I think, the less endearing the zany lyrics. I think in their heyday their sheer technical prowess as musicians allowed them to get away with a lot of strange subject matter; today the band has had to change gears. The new album will de different from in the others in that you'll be able to put it on at a party and have someone say "who is this? i dig it." instead of something like "wtf is going on in this song, man? put on some Litte Feat or something." "You Never Know" is great because it is a story song and it is set in the real world. Country and Western as well as Folk fans love great story songs. Think of Bob Dylan's "Black Diamond Bay" or Mearle Haggard's "I Am A Lonesome Fugitive." Phish's twist on the genre is their uncanny and practiced ability to straddle vagueness with their writing. The listener couldn't create a timeline of the story that's being told, or even name or describe the characters, but the idea of being robbed in Mexico is implicit and vivid enough that one's imagination creates the imagery and plays with the scenes. "landed the jet with the limo runnin" "but i just met two guys with piles of cash" and other scenes have strong imagery and the context of the song, delivered by Trey before the song, only adds to the intrigue, just like any good autobiographical country song (Johnny Cash's "Man in Black"
2. 555
Has anyone else listened to Mike Gordon's solo albums Inside In, The Green Sparrow, Moss, Clone or Sixty Six Steps? Mike is a talented songwriter in his own right. If you haven't, check out "Horizon Line" "Idea" "Another Door" "Couch Lady" "The Beltless Buckler". Not to mention his stint with guitar legend and songwriter Leo Kottke. I wish Phish would hand the reins to Mike. Trey is cuddly, but Mike is muscular. Mike's lyrics have more interesting content and less pure emotional expression. If you aren't that into Trey's epic emotional ballads ("Drifting" "Dirt" "Waste" etc) then you should be for more Mike input. Acaster wrote a great history for this song. It's a song about a dharma bum being robbed and leaving town on the train -- aka an experience perhaps many old phish fans could relate to. Anyone else get a "Sloth" vibe from this tune? Dark lyrics and great imagery: I really hope Mike writes as much as possible for the new album. And, on Halloween they didn't even give the song a proper jam, just a trippy fade-out for a trey ballad "winterqueen."
3. Wombat
Pure fun. Comedic relief and chunky tones from Paige, gotta love it. The tune actually has great potential for jams. All of Trey's pedals sound so fucking good lately and he could easily bring in a ton of different sounds for this song. More wah, more phaser, more delay and small loops, please. Boomerrang it once in a while, Trey, geeze... My gripe with this tune is that on Halloween it was used in combination with the dancers and VigodaBat aka more phish antics. Am I the only one who would rather just have no antics shows, with less lights? Phish should play indoors at small clubs more. Nevermind, I'm just rambling... Fucking great song to have in their repertoire. loved it.
4. Fuego
great lyrics, but they shouldn't say "rollin" so much. For real, only do it a few times and it will be better. too much and it gets corny really fast, imho. great music and composition, though.
5. Wingsuit
Sonically smooth and contoured. It's a real groover and scratches the same itch as "Roggae" "Moma Dance" "the Wedge" and "the Mango Song". I'm a fan of slower Phish so this appealed to me. It's the "Stir It Up" of Phish tunes.
6. Waiting All Night
Dark and sombre ballad. Page sounds great.
7. The Line
More songwriting set in the real world and, as Trey said, about people. Cool premise but they overdid the "...clinging to the notion you'll be..." repition in the outro blemished the song in my opinion. What a great opening and first couple verses; if you didn't know the song's context this song could be interpreted in a wide variety of ways and that is a characteristic of great songwriting. Heavily repeating the lyrics just felt so juvenile and honestly the first time i listened to it i was taken aback -- it went from a pop jazz funk groove to dumb pop in no time at all. if I were Phish's coach I'd say cut that shit out and stick with a tight short jam.
8. Monica
Anyone else think this sounds like a Dead song? Regardless, the lyrics and wordplay are fun and the tune is uplifting. Acoustic guitar is more evidence of a calmed down Phish, and that's cool with me.
9. Winterqueen
Great imagery, but it is a Trey ballad and I just Mike's writing is so much deeper and more interesting. This should be a TAB song. For some reason I think that Trey's daughter spoke "i wish that i controlled the skies" and it stuck with him? Trey's family has influenced his writing a ton and sometimes it's good and sometime's it's decent.
10. Snow
Mike's work in progress, I'm assuming. I liked but it just needs to be developed and approached in a different way. Mike's time spent with Leo Kottke is showing in this tune I think.
11. Amidst the Peals of Laughter
Down with Phish whimsy. I'd be embarrassed to put this on during a party among people unfamiliar with Phish.
12. Devotion to a Dream
I like the lyrical content but the song is radio friendly and not really pushing any boundaries for Trey. It's last place because "all it was was a fairy tale and devotion to a dream" is a dumb lyric. Trey is married and it is painfully obvious in his songwriting and I just don't like it. It's way too personal and overtly about marriage. You could interpret it differently, but would you?
I was extremely pleased to hear Trey being so candid near the end of the album.
a sign that it's all good new material
Love this site, BTW!
and waiting all night sounds like yem in the beginning a bit doesn't it? with the arpeggiation (making up a word here LOL)?
I was at the show, my friend and i agreed it sounded like a backwards YEM. Funny someone else heard that!