We are pleased to present you with a great essay by a fellow Phish fan, Trevor Norris. It represents the kind of great writing we would like to present in our book. Here, Trevor discusses Phish's 1996 Halloween show, specifically the musical costume (Talking Heads' "Remain in Light"). We hope this encourages you to submit any writings you may have to the project.

As I exited the Omni after the '96 Halloween show, the first thought that entered my mind was, "What just happened in there?" I went to Atlanta hoping to witness a historical performance, as we all know that Halloween is likely to produce something spectacular. At the time, I could not have guessed how much this evening would change things for me and for Phish. I emerged from the show with a fresh perspective on, and a deeper appreciation of, Talking Heads, Phish, and music in general. I must admit that when I saw the "Phishbill," I was more than a bit apprehensive concerning the band's choice for the cover album. Remain in Light was an album with which I was not very familiar, and one which didn't hold much promise of any recognizable songs, except for "Once in a Lifetime." Luckily, I opened my mind and let Phish take me on a musical journey. One that has not yet ended for any of us. And that means you, too.

As the first set ended, and I began to think about the "musical costume," I found myself warming to the idea of a Talking Heads album. When the boys and guests took the stage, I was ready for anything. From Fish counting it off, the opening drum roll, and "Ha!" of "Born Under Punches," I was hooked. The interwoven percussive lines played by each instrument produced a tapestry of music that was nearly trance-inducing. Gary Gazaway, Dave Grippo, and especially Karl Perazzo, were brilliant. Trey soloed in a style that I had never heard from him, but found intriguing. Page colored the music beautifully with his incredible synth sounds, while Mike, as per usual, looked somewhat bored. Fortunately, his playing belied his countenance, as it was very focused and inspired. And Fish played the intricate rhythms as if they were the most natural thing in the world to him. I think having Karl Perazzo there was really exciting for Fish and Mike (see Mike's comments in his journal on the official Phish homepage). Talk about a dream of a rhythm section! They all were obviously having an incredible time, which usually translates into me having an incredible time. This night was no exception. I was so engrossed in the set, that when the boys (and other various people) walked off stage after "The Overload," I felt completely drained. I wasn't sure what I'd just seen. I wasn't even sure that it was over. One thing I was sure of, was that I wanted more of it. Thankfully, the third set was not a letdown, and that was that. Of course, I couldn't wait to get the tapes.

Upon receiving the tapes, I began to wonder what David Byrne and company would think about Phish's interpretation of their master work. As I pondered the issue, I came to the realization that there was a means of getting a valid critical review of the set. If ten years from now, a band played a show before 20,000 screaming fans and devoted an entire set to covering Junta, to whom could they go if they wanted an honest review of the performance? As critical as we are concerning Phish's performances of their own material, I'm sure the phish.net community would have a harshly discriminating opinion to offer concerning someone else's interpretation of Phish's magnum opus. The only remaining question was whether or not Heads fans had as strong an online presence as we do. I performed a quick search of the web and found what I was looking for: a Talking Heads fan site, very similar to our beloved gadiel.com. I immediately posted the Parke Puterbaugh article from the "Phishbill" and an offer for 10.31.96 II, explaining that there was no charge for the tapes. The only payment I asked, in return for sending the set, was a review of Phish's performance.

And review it they did. I sent tapes to places far (Moscow, London, Sydney...) and near (Dallas, Indianapolis...) and received reviews from each recipient of the set. There were lots of general comments on the performance. Things like, "Phish has done an outstanding job. I'd love to see this live," and "every time I see David Byrne on tour and he does TH songs, I wish he'd speed them up a bit. Phish has done this to perfection." The most interesting comments, however, were found in the detailed reviews. Some went so far as to include a song-by-song critique. Here's a sampling:

"Born Under Punches" - "They captured the energy perfectly." "Trey sorta botches the guitar solo. Great groove though."

"Crosseyed and Painless" - "...the extension of the end adds a lot." "Fish's drumwork at the end and into "The Great Curve" is excellent."

"The Great Curve" - "This song is so well done that I now listen to it with a greater appreciation." "The singer (Page) hits 'The world moves on a woman's hips' *perfectly.*"

"Once in a Lifetime" - "...is an absolute misser." "Hearing how good they can be live, I think they could have done OiaL much much better, but TH's live version didn't translate well, either."

"Houses in Motion" - "This version is very well done... The guitar at the end is fantastic and the lead into "Seen and Not Seen" is one of the highlights of the show." "Phish's bass player shines here."

"Seen and Not Seen" - "Mike delivered it with the right amount of detachment and thoughtfulness." "I can't believe that they pulled this off. I hear it was performed from a La-Z-Boy? Great idea."

"Listening Wind" - "... there are great places to add a solo to a song on RiL (such as the one he puts at the end of TGC), but this is not one of them." "I was impressed with their treatment of this...nice singing."

"The Overload" - "I love the fact that they made this into a bit of 'performance art'...I hear it was truly bizarre in the best tradition of David Byrne." "I think the singing is awful. Fortunately, they save the song by going into what Phish does best - loopy art music."

All in all, Heads fans applauded Phish for their bravery in tackling such a complex album. There were naysayers (just like on rec.music.phish), but we should take their comments with a huge grain of salt. As one fan intimated, "Remain in Light is some sort of of holy icon to me." In corresponding with these fans, who are every bit as rabid as we, I gained a new appreciation for Phish.

You have to admire their moxie for choosing such a challenging album, and for meeting the challenge to critical acclaim. When Talking Heads toured in support of Remain in Light, they added five musicians to the lineup, still had to rework the songs, and by all accounts did no justice to their own music. The fact that Phish performed songs that even Talking Heads never attempted to play live ("Seen and Not Seen," "Listening Wind," and "The Overload"), is further testament to their abilities. Also to their credit is that they made the performance their own, not aping the Heads, but putting their own phishy spin on it. From the instrumentation itself, to Mike delivering "Seen and Not Seen" from a Barcalounger, to the unexplainable weirdness that accompanied " The Overload," there was no mistaking that Phish invested alot of themselves in the performance.

Prior to Halloween '96, I had heard lots of talk in the community about how each Halloween, the choice of the cover album had tremendous influence on Phish's style thereafter, not only in subsequent setlists, but in the actual manner in which they played. If you listen to many shows from '95 and '96, you can make a plausible case for this statement. However, there is no arguing that Remain in Light has been the most influential of the three cover albums. If you've wondered where the genesis of the funk that appeared in '97 can be found, look no further than 10.31.96 II. We witnessed the birth of the funk that night in Atlanta. If true group improvisation with a collective consciousness and no single leader is the goal, then in Remain in Light, Phish found the perfect vehicle for honing their skills.

For all the reasons detailed in this piece, when the uninitiated ask me "Which show is your favorite?" I'm not hesitant to point them toward Halloween '96. The two Phish sets were truly outstanding. When you consider a rare Sanity opener, an appropriate Highway to Hell followed by Down with Disease (a song that grew by leaps and bounds in '96), you have a great start. Follow those with a standardly sick You Enjoy Myself, Prince Caspian, a moving Reba, and Colonel Forbin's Ascent-> Famous Mockingbird with a crazy Halloween narration involving David Byrne himself, and you've got a meaty middle to the set. Add in a raging Character Zero, and the oddly juxtaposed a capella Star Spangled Banner, and you have a great first set. The third set was full of gems, including the always welcome Brother, a funky Also Sprach, a nice Maze, your typical Fall '96 Simple, the always surreal Swept Away->Steep, Jesus Just Left Chicago with horns, and an energetic Suzie closer (with "Born Under Punches" teases from Page... listen closely to his fills). The Frankenstein encore was perfect for Halloween. I'm not arguing that every song was an incredible version, but as far as song selection goes, that's a pretty potent lineup. All that, plus what I consider to be the most influential single set of music Phish has ever played, and it adds up to be my personal favorite show. I hope if you haven't listened to it, you will. If you have listened to it, listen again. It offers such great insight toward understanding where Phish is taking their music.

Trevor Norris
Lmbxlmb@aol.com
Pine Bluff, AR