[ePub] Testimony by Robbie Robertson in Arts-Photography

Review

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. and glad to see others do tooBy James M.I had never heard of the 33 1/3 series and came to this from the Phish angle alone. However I just found my new guilty pleasure reading and will have to check out more.This book really brought me back to when I was (especially) obsessed with the album and wondered why it wasnt more discussed. Even after eventually listening to as much 94/95 as I could find; I still find these song versions the most transcendental; and glad to see others do too. It was effective in making me obsessed with the album all over again.The book is very well thought out; well written; and comes from love; the same love many of us know. I love how he analyzes each song segment; and does it so well; that I could picture the notes and rhythm (which apparently are now hard-wired) perfectly. It was like having that friend you can look over to during a peak and see that they "get it".Though it is generally; overall very well-written; I did eventually find the stream-of-consciousness writing a bit taxing. And as hardcore Kerouac fan; Im probably more tolerant than most. I was elated through the first 2/3 of the book; but after which I found myself re-reading paragraphs to remember the larger theme.Of course; this is not unlike many Phish shows. So Ill guess Ill say that I loved it; but especially the 1st and 2nd set ;-).Would love to see a similar treatment to my other favorite; under-rated "live" album; Slip Stitch and Pass.(Question: there is one part at least that references a "circle of fourths"; with Em; A7; Dm as an example. Is this not the "circle of fifths"; which is known to go DOWN a fifth each iteration?)6 of 7 people found the following review helpful. A bit surprising but entertainingBy Christopher B.As a Phish fan and a fan of the 33 1/3 series; I was very excited to see this book released. I was also excited to see the familiar name Walter Holland attached to the project. Having read A Tiny Space to Move and Breathe I knew that I could expect a well written; insightful book about a band for which he obviously has a lot of passion.I enjoy Mr. Hollands writing. He knows Phish and knows music; each is more than obvious. He has a nice way of weaving in and out of narratives and musical comparisons to build a solid foundation for keeping a reader interested and engaged. In that vein his contribution to the 33 1/3 series is more than solid; and Im thankful for the effort. Ive decided my biggest confusion around this book is the subject itself -- the selection of A Live One as the album for review. In my opinion; A Live One is just a tough album to try to spin as musically- or historically-significant and worthy of such in-depth look. Perhaps oversimplifying; itrsquo;s really just a collection of disparate Phish songs selected from different shows. Im not implying that makes it *bad*; Im just surprised to see it be held up to such scrutiny.Describing the album; Mr. Holland says "...its ultimately a good-not-great example of the live album; for a complex assortment of reasons" and notes the ldquo;certain novelty value; for fans; in having two "sets" of high-quality Discman-ready Phish in 1995..." I agree entirely. As a live album; especially a live *Phish* album; the hand-selected collection of songs that make up A Live One do not necessarily convey the concert experience that so many of us covet as Phish fans. The discs are not actual live sets of Phish. And; at the time of its release; the novelty was that it was the only high-quality; non-Maxell XL II live Phish that many of us had. But ultimately we would learn later that it was just the best thing available until the Internet (and subsequently LivePhish) came along.Mr. Holland hits the nail on the head when he elaborates: "For a brief turn-of-the-millennium moment; before cheap hard drives and broadband altered the landscape; compact discs replaced both cassettes and floppy disks as our primary physical channel of digital data. ALO was released during that moment -- and other than the live snippets on Hoist and Junta; ALO was most fans only live Phish on disc for years."Again; couldnt agree more. But 20+ years later; that novelty doesnt feel as strong. A Live One scratched an itch that lasted only a few years and is now shelved by many fans. It is a highlight reel of a larger 1994 picture that is; at a moments notice; completely accessible now on the web. I can go to several different sites and immediately stream each of the *complete* shows that play a part in A Live One. And as Phish fans; many of us would prefer to do exactly that -- listen to a full show -- before dusting off our copy of A Live One.To be fair; I may be overthinking all this and the fact is I am simply not the target audience for this book. But Im not entirely sure to whom I should recommend it. The author states that the "imagined reader is an interested non-fan whos heard of Phish but knows little of their music; without much experience listening to improvisation. I hope that hardcore fans will recognize the band; and themselves; in what follows." Putting myself in the latter category; I certainly do recognize and relate to many of his anecdotes.But if this book is truly aimed at the uninitiated; I do think a lot of references and general "Phish talk" are too in depth for a casual reader. And I think its a tough choice to start an introduction to Phish with an album of live Phish 1.0 "greatest hits" -- something that is not innate to the (current) Phish experience -- to lay the groundwork for an understanding of who Phish is as a band and what one might expect at a concert. Unless Im misunderstanding; Mr. Holland seems to agree; he states; "the first disc is a grab bag of intense jams on chord changes..." and continues "disc two feels kind of like a second set but (to me) lacks the ineffable continuity and flow that characterize Phishs super-sized closing sets. A Live One resembles a Phish show; but a fan would know right away that it isnt one."So; again; Im left wondering... why review *this* album?I admit wholeheartedly that my review is a healthy mixture of each of the Phish fan traits suggested by the author: picky; heedless; forgiving; demanding; infamously critical; infamously uncritical. The dose of infamously critical is one that I will regret if this review comes off as overly negative. I truly donrsquo;t mean it to be. Ultimately; confining a critique of Phish to *any* single one of their albums is an infinitely daunting task. Given that constraint; the author did a nice job. This was an entertaining read and Im always happy to see another "Phish book" pop up. I applaud Mr. Holland for his contributions to the Phish community and look forward to his next undertaking.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. One of the best 33 1/3s yet!By Clayton PhippsExceptional reading for both longtime fans of Phish and a book Id recommend to cautious; curious listeners unsure where to start with a band as odd complex as Trey Co. Hollands writing is clear; well-researched; and fun. I put on ALO and read as I listened...a great addition to the 33 1/3 series!