Top 20 Phish Songs for Rock Band DLC (extremely long)

[jr174200]

WE DID IT!

WILSON CAME OUT AS DLC ON 6/2/09!

UPDATED: 11/4/08 - Added Top 5 Live Phish Songs - http://www.rockband.com/forums/showt...41#post1528941

Harmonies, Keys and Live songs have all joined Rock Band since I originally wrote this post. All three are phenomenal reasons to add more Phish to the game!!!

Original Post: 1/03/08

I am obsessed with Rock Band.

Every song I hear I imagine how it would play in Rock Band; I stay up all night on Monday waiting for DLC announcements; every conversation with a stranger quickly turns into “have you played Rock Band yet?”

As a casual Guitar Hero player who was planning to finally buy my own guitar with GHIII, I was absolutely blown-away when I heard the announcement for Rock Band. You mean I can also play drums and sing? You mean I can pretend to be Jonny Greenwood, Keith Moon or Ozzy Osbourne in the same game? This game was made for me and I couldn’t wait. I bought a 360 so I’d be ready for release.

Then it came: HMX struck a deal with The Grateful Dead for 18 songs. Now let me be clear that I would’ve bought the game anyway and enjoy a diverse array of music (just last night I was shocked by how much fun Move Along was to play) but when your bread and butter whose been largely ignored by other rhythm games announces they’re on the Rock Band bandwagon you get excited. The Dead was coming to Rock Band and my friends and I were stoked.

This isn’t a post about “where are the Dead songs?” however, but about the logical question that follows from any late-20’s fan of jam music: “where are the Phish songs?”

Phish would be unequivocally great for the game Rock Band. They’re musicianship is first rate, Trey plays a killer guitar solo on virtually every song and unlike many other jam bands, they took studio recording quite seriously and have recorded some phenomenal studio tracks that would translate perfectly to the game.

For awhile I accepted that Phish probably wouldn’t be in the game but then I came to my senses. They have to be in the game. They’re one of the most successful touring bands of all-time, they write amazing songs and most importantly, they are one of the only bands that could literally sell consoles with their inclusion. Outside of Led Zeppelin and The Beatles, how many bands could truly claim that sort of fan obsession? For evidence see this post!

Adding to that, that the game already has a built-in reference to Phish under the clothing feature, where it says “you can feel good about this hoodie” a blatant reference to my favorite song of all-time, Harry Hood, it is officially time for Phish to join the band roster of Rock Band.

Since I’ve seen a few casual requests for Phish before, but nothing huge, I have decided to truly breakdown their music and detail one fan’s opinion of which songs would best fit the game.

I have spent countless hours listening to their albums and discussing with friends what songs should be included and I feel confident in my choices. I plan to send these to HMX as well, but figured I should also post them on the boards for discussion.

I say that because I would love for this thread to become grounds for other Phish fans to voice their love of the band and their hopes of getting to play Phish live at ESG just once.

So without any further adieu, I’m going to strap on the old developer’s hat and truly breakdown Phish’s studio recording and decide which make the most sense for the game.

Obviously, with a band as musically unique as Phish, I needed to set some ground rules and here they are:

(i) The song has to be a studio recording to be considered. In order to have original mastered versions, which we all prefer, this simply has to be a rule with no questions asked. Along those lines, I’ve also outlawed non-official studio recordings, such as the Bearsville Session, the Wendell Studio sessions and Trey’s Senior Thesis, just because I have no idea the state of those master recordings.

This disqualifies many would-be great songs including: NICU, Runaway Jim, Mike’s>Hydrogen>Weekapaug, Halley’s Comet, Suzie Greenberg, All of Gamehendge, etc.

(ii) As painful as it is to say, instrumentals or near-instrumentals are highly penalized. As much as I’d like to say that David Bowie, Divided Sky, Run Like An Antelope, YEM, Harry Hood, Slave to the Traffic Light, First Tube, Piper and Guyute are all in the top-10 (wow, this list is more daunting than I expected), they simply wouldn’t work for Rock Band. They would be great for Guitar Hero, but not Rock Band. What is the vocalist supposed to do during these songs? Unless you’re playing/singing, these would be painfully boring, and a huge disappointment for non-phans.

Yes, you could say that non-phans shouldn’t download them, but that just doesn’t work in a commercial market. Many people buy all the DLC and after two plays, would be extremely disappointed every time Divided Sky or Slave came up in BWT.

Even songs like Reba that have enough phrases to make a vocal track, have huge sections with no lyrics that would bore everyone who hasn’t shared a tent with you at Deer Creek. If you don’t agree with me, throw in Lawn Boy, and honestly listen to Reba with a discerning ear for Rock Band. It just isn’t ideal for the game.

I’m sorry fellow fans, but these songs are either outlawed or penalized harshly (some of them, still might make the top 20, just not top 5) simply because I would expect HMX to do the exact same thing when selecting songs.

(iii) Page McConnell is my favorite member of Phish. Always has been and always will be. He has the best voice, is a phenomenal pianist and nothing hits me emotionally harder at a show than the end of Coil, Strange Design or the tearjerker that was Coventry’s Velvet Sea.

That said, songs where you feel like you’re truly missing his keys get docked. Obviously, he’s on every track and I actually like when he has isolated sections to relax to but sometimes it will just be too frustrating that you can’t play as him. The game is supposed to make you feel like you’re playing the song, not make you long for Rock Band 2 when you can play the piano sections. Listen to Bathtub Gin for the best example of what I refer to throughout this post as the “Page Penalty”.

(iv) Vocal harmonies also caused penalties of varying degrees for certain song, as I didn’t feel they’d translate well to the game. Songs like Rift and Limb by Limb were hurt badly by their responsive Trey/Page verses that I felt would hinder gameplay.

(v) The following rule was the most difficult for me but something I had to follow while making the list: throw out all baggage and misconceptions about the songs and just listen to them for Rock Band.

I spent twenty minutes the other night trying to convince my buddy Piper was in the top-5 songs for Rock Band. I mean, it has great drums, enough lyrics, and is one of my favorite songs, right? People will love it. Not so fast.

The next day I listened to it again and realized he was right. It takes forever to build, is partly mixed from a live version and even if I want to sing it most people won’t. No matter how much I prefer one song against another under different circumstances, this list is simply regarding the game and what would fit best. Nothing else applies.

So on that note, let’s start this bad boy off.

[jr174200]

First up are 5 songs that almost made the cut but for various reasons were left off.

5. Glide – A Picture of Nectar

Glide can’t really be in Rock Band, can it? The lyrics are basically non-existent, although there are enough for a vocal track and the drums are very repetitive, although quite interesting.

Seriously, Glide just can’t be in Rock Band. But WOW would that guitar part be awesome. Like really, really, really, really awesome.

4. Contact – Junta

When people would make fun of you for liking Phish, especially ten years ago, Contact was always the song they brought up. “The tires are the things on your car that make contact with the road?” they would scoff. Yes, they are. It’s a silly song, I know. It also explodes musically for a few minutes and if you’re not careful will kick your ass and take names.

That said, the “get made fun of factor” can’t be ignored. On one hand it’s a good thing but it’s also going to turn off a lot of gamers. It would be a love/hate song for many people and therefore not an ideal fit for the game.

Also, the guitar’s kinda boring and the Page Penalty is huge.


3. Tweezer Reprise – A Picture of Nectar

Tweezer is too long and a terrible fit for Rock Band. It’s also debatably vulgar and doesn’t really go anywhere in the studio version.

Tweezer Reprise however is a completely different story. It’s short, succinct and has a hypnotic building drive throughout. Unfortunately, it also has no real lyrics besides a few “won’t you step into the freezers at the end” (a total of four). Oh well.


2. Sparkle - Rift

Sparkle would be an absolute blast to play on drums. It would be a test of speed and accurarcy and simply a hoot. That said it would border on painful for the guitarist and I just can’t imagine it being much more fun on the bass either.

Also, the lyrics get very repetitive, and although one of Phish’s catchiest tunes, it’s simply too much for Rock Band.


1. Fluffhead – Junta

I wanted Fluffhead to make the list, I truly did. Unfortunately when I broke it all down it simply wasn’t better than any of the songs in the Top 20, despite it being a perennial favorite and eagerly sought after song (especially toward the end).

For outside of Bathtub Gin, Fluffhead probably had the harshest Page Penalty of any song. He is all over it. Seriously, listen to it and tell me what instrument you want to play? Coupled with the fact that it ends abruptly before the 11-minute Fluff’s Travels (which can’t be included) I just don’t think Fluffhead would work.

[jr174200]

The top-20 Phish songs for inclusion as DLC in Rock Band:


20. Taste – Billy Breathes

While listening back to the studio version of Taste, there was little question whose track it was. John Fishman is absolutely on fire on the drums, and for that alone there was no question Taste belonged in the top-20.

There is also a clapping sort of thing in the mix as well for the vocalist, and as always great axe work for both lead and bass guitarists.

This would also be one of the better singing tracks for the game as well. Although when it's all said and done, it’s about that drum kit.

19. Axilla (Pt. 2) – Hoist

This song was incredibly tricky to rank, since Axilla (Pt. 1) has become the standard for concerts and thusly, would be preferred by most fans. That said, only the lyrics are different and this song freaking ROCKS.

It would be awesome to play with a group on all instruments and is a great example of Phish’s diversity. Axilla is really nothing more than a very well-written hard rock tune. HMX would however have to cut off the last minute, which I’m sure would be fine by them.


18. Guyute – The Story of the Ghost

If I was making this list for guitar hero, Guyute would skyrocket to the top. If I was a making a list for Drum hero or Keyboard hero? Right to the top. Unfortunately, it’s an 8 and a half minute song, with no vocalist for 5 minutes in the middle.

But WOW, those minutes are glorious and would immediately become one of the most challenging guitar sections ever. Seriously, EVER!

If you play guitar and don’t know Trey Anastasio as a guitarist, download this song and listen to it. Whenever I have friends whose favorite musicians are “music gods” but don’t know Phish well (see Dream Theater, Rush etc.), I play them Guyute. It’s just nasty.

Honestly, I’m frightened of what they would do with Guyute on expert guitar from minute 3 to minute 7, not to mention playing drums while watching your buddy’s face turn red.

Guyute would be my personal first choice for the game as a Phish fan, although I know it isn’t the best fit. But man, it would be a blast to play!


17. Back on the Train – Farmhouse

Talk about songs that surprised me. I certainly wasn’t expecting it but Back on the Train would be a great song for Rock Band. All four elements are strong and present throughout and this song would lend itself to a great party vibe due to its three-minute length and upbeat nature.

The best thing Back on the Train has going for it though, is its universal appeal. There’s no element I secretly know would suck, (e.g. it’s short on words, has too many keys, or doesn’t have drums for four minutes), as I can simply say Back on the Train would be great for Rock Band. Even if it is simple.

16. Mexican Cousin – Round Room

This song is about drinking. It could also be construed as subtly racist by some. EA probably wouldn’t let it in the game. But if they would …

Singing Mexican Cousin drunkenly with a group of friends would be the single funnest Rock Band Phish experience I can think of.

Look at the lyrics:

“Oh Tequila, I turn to you like a long lost friend
I want to kiss my Mexican Cousin once again
We'll cover every emotion from happiness to sorrow,
And the conversations I forget, you'll tell me about tomorrow
When the phone calls start, am I in bed or in a hearse?
The things you tell me about myself can't make me feel any worse

Well I'm awful sorry you got pissed
Just have to cross you off the list
Of my true friends...
And Tequila's where that starts and where it ends”

And then immediately after those lyrics? Trey goes into a mind-numbing solo to literally rock your drunk socks off. Should this maybe be higher on the list? Probably not. Damn moral code in America.

Bonus Song #1 - Harpua – No Album

For those of you who don’t know Harpua, it’s one of those songs whose legend has become bigger than the song. Unlike its other sought-after compadre Destiny Unbound, Harpua deserved all of its attention and then some, because it meant you were in for a memorable show. When you heard “oom-pa-pa-oom-pa-pa-oom-pa-pa-oom-pa-pa” you went nuts.

The thing that made Harpua so interesting was that absolute lunacy would occur in the middle of the song. That’s no exaggeration. The general rule was established that Harpua meant all bets were off and anything could be covered in the middle section of the song. One time, Phish literally played the entirety of Dark Side of the Moon right in the middle. Harpua was that ridiculous.

My idea is that you would start Harpua and then within the song the game would random setlist you a song or four. Just think about playing a Harpua > Foreplay/Longtime > Hard to Handle > War Pigs > Joe’s Garage (one can dream) > Harpua.

That would be amazing. Impossible but amazing.


15. You Enjoy Myself - Junta

Damn Rule #2!!!

By far Phish’s most played live song, You Enjoy Myself is a true testament to how wonderful of a band Phish truly was. The studio version is incredibly strong and simply an amazing showcase of their unique talent. If you don’t know this song, seriously listen to it sometime, it’s gorgeous.

Unfortunately, Rule II strikes with a fatal blow to You Enjoy Myself’s head, as I can only make out about 16 vocal phrases, all nonsense, in a ten-minute song. Seriously, what is my niece going to do with “Wash Uffizi, Drive Me to Firenze” over-and-over again? Also, as an added hilarity one of those phrases is a “bad” word.

But with all that said … MAN, it would be fun to play!

14. Cavern – A Picture of Nectar

One of Phish’s most popular rockers, Cavern has long been a fan favorite second set closer. It’s pretty straight-forward and would be quite fun on just about everything.

The thing holding it back the most for me is the vocal track, as it’s really just Trey talking at a constant pitch the whole time. There are a whole lot of lyrics but they would probably only be fun for diehard fans until the end.

Also, the lack of keys borders on becoming a problem at certain points.

13. Golgi Apparatus – Junta

Trey wrote this song in middle school and the rest is history.

For an early recording, Trey’s voice actually sounds decent although it does disappear from the song for awhile. The rest of the parts are strong, especially drums who have a great role in the final climactic build which would lead to a great unison bonus.

Also, do you think they could get Chris to do the lighting design for the DLC? That would be awesome!


12. Scents and Subtle Sounds – Undermind

The last truly great thing Phish did, Scents and Subtle Sounds is far and away the standout track on an otherwise underwhelming album (although Army of One is also strong, it wouldn’t work for Rock Band). The tone of Trey’s guitar reminds me of Hood (a great thing) and the drum part is one of the best.

Add to that well-sung lyrics and Scents and Subtle Sounds would fit greatly into any Phish DLC pack, although it comes from a period many fans want to forget.


11. Heavy Things – Farmhouse

It’s the third highest downloaded song on iTunes, and an obvious option for the game. It’s catchy, well-written and that guitar solo would be one of the best.

That said, I still don’t think it’s the best choice for the game, simply because the bass, vocals and drums get fairly boring for the second half of the song as Trey noodles his way into the history books.

It’s a good song for the game, just not good enough for the top-10.


Bonus Track #2 - Wilson – No Album

If a solid studio version existed of Wilson it would be in the top 3. No questions asked. Probably No. 1.

Just imagine the crowd screaming “WILSON” as you played the intro, and then BAM! The song simply explodes! Then at the end of the song they could have a fake Big Rock Ending, and then the song comes back, before the real Big Rock Ending.

Listen to A Live One’s version and just imagine.

It would be glorious. Simply glorious.

[jr174200]

10. Bouncing Around the Room – Lawn Boy

Being the most popular Phish song gets you a lot of points in my book, and Bouncing Around the Room is their most popular song (#2 and #5 on iTunes). It’s kind of slow, not that interesting musically and I have no idea whose part you would sing in the ending harmonies (Page’s has the most melody but Trey is the “lead singer”).

But again, it’s Phish most popular song. So, it’s number Ten.

9. Ghost – The Story of the Ghost

Ah, the sweet nasty funk of Fall ’97. Man, this song has such a nasty groove to it and represents the #1 thing Phish could bring to Rock Band: awesome bass parts! Seriously, if I was only allowed one instrument on this song it would be bass.

Coupled with the obviously awesome guitar and drums, plus a good vocal track, Ghost would be a great choice for the game. Too bad, the song just fades in and out though.

8. Character Zero – Billy Breathes

Before further analysis, I was quite worried that the opening section would be too long for the drummer to wait and that the repetition of the asinine lyric “I ought to see the Man Mulcahey” would be mocked by people. Upon further analysis, I sort of agree with both concerns, but decided that neither really matter. Because ...

Character Zero rocks really hard. After the first minute, which would still be fun for vocals and bass (depending how they chart it), this song is an absolute arena rock anthem and would be awesome to play for a fake crowd of loving phans.

Last but not the least, the guitar solo on Zero just might be the most fun Rock Band Trey solo in the entire catalogue. Seriously, sit down and listen to this song, imagining the whole room singing along to the chorus and you’re on lead guitar. You’re playing along, taking a back seat for most of the song, when suddenly the song just absolutely explodes and you’re right in the middle of it. That note at 2:43 would be AMAZING! Simply amazing.

7. Birds of a Feather – Story of the Ghost

I have to admit, ever since its debut on the ’98 Island Tour, I’ve just never really “loved” this song. I like it, I just don’t love it. I guess I’ve just never really liked the lyrics or the intro that much.

But I had to remind myself of Rule V and listen to it again with Rock Band in mind. What did I find? An almost perfect song for Rock Band., as the vocals would be fun to sing, cheesy or not, and all the instruments are solid.

The only problem is that I wish the song ended with a refrain of the intro for gaming purpose, but otherwise it’s great.

6. Chalk Dust Torture – A Picture of Nectar

Take everything I said about Cavern and you basically have the same problems with Chalk Dust: a great straight-forward rocker with an unfortunately rough vocal track, this one even having a wacky voice effect to boot.

But unlike Cavern, Chalk Dust Torture has what would immediately become one of the sickest guitar solos in rhythm game history. That solo is seriously evil and would be a blast even for the best players. Although it’s not the insanity of a Guyute, it’s a great, great solo that would be amazingly fun to play.

5. - Stash – A Picture of Nectar

Surrounded by radio hits and rock anthems, Stash was the longest song to crack the top 10, at just about 7 minutes (not too bad). It is also by far the most complex and intricate song in Phish’s catalog that still has a decent enough vocal track to be great for Rock Band.

And don’t get me wrong when I say radio hits and rock anthems, Stash is extremely popular in its own right and well-known by casual fans. The guitar part would be great for the game, possessing both an awesome riff throughout and a great emotional solo at the end. Plus, the drums would be awesome too.

4 - Sample in a Jar – Hoist

On December 8th, 1995 at the age of 14, I saw my first of 40 Phish shows. At the time, I was just discovering the band and was young, naïve and “anti-posers”. So, as you might expect, when they opened with Sample, I was disappointed. Where was YEM, Hood or Bowie?

Twelve years later, I find that story fairly hilarious, having now seen many other “sell-out songs” come and go. But now? Having gone back and broken down all of the studio albums, there is little surprise that Sample is one of the best songs for Rock Band.

It’s actually an interesting correlation for almost every band; the best songs for Rock Band are almost always the most popular songs. Music executives and casual fans aren’t idiots and generally speaking they flock toward well-structured, well-written songs. These types of songs work perfect in the game for a reason. While us diehard fans like to deny it and call for the more obscure tracks, it’s usually the singles that work the best in the game.

And on that note … Sample’s got a big rock ending!

3. Farmhouse – Farmhouse

Debuted on the Conan O’ Brian show, causing a big “what’s this song?” from many people watching at home, Farmhouse has now become a serious fan favorite from casual fans and friends of fans alike. Hell, it’s the number one downloaded song on iTunes (trying to not talk about this too much, but it is an important factor).

The thing that sets Farmhouse apart from other songs is that the vocal track would be great. It has a smooth tone to it and would allow lead vocalists to open it up a little more than other Phish songs.

Farmhouse is also a great example of why Phish would be GREAT for Rock Band players who like to sing and play guitar at the same time, just like Trey. The passing back and forth of focus from vocals to guitar would work extremely well and would be a blast to master.


2- Down With Disease – Hoist

Possessing what is generally regarded as Trey’s best Rock riff, Down With Disease is an obvious top-5 choice with a strong debate for first place. All the instruments play a large role on this powerhouse and did I mention the guitar riff at the end?

I know this video is cheesy and dated, as Mike Gordon (bassist) directed it, but since this might be the only way I get non-phans to check them out (I do the same on other threads, so no worries) here is the one and only music video Phish ever made.

If you have narrow attention spans or dislike the band, fast forward to 3:05 and listen for the guitar part. Now honestly tell me this song wouldn’t be awesome in Rock Band?

<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/FNt1IdNEJ-c&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/FNt1IdNEJ-c&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

1 - Free – Billy Breathes

After it was all said and done, I decided that Free would be the single best Phish song for Rock Band. While already a concert favorite for many fans, Free was the first Phish song to really hit mainstream radio in 1996. I can still remember non-phans walking around school with Free patches and hearing the song play on the local rock station.

Musically, it is simply perfect for the game. It has great sections for all three instruments and probably the best vocal track in their whole catalogue. The guitar riff is catchy and fun to play, there is a sick bass grove in the middle and Page’s part would actually be enjoyable as an aside.

There is nothing bad I can say about Free, as I think it would be one of many great DLC Phish additions to the game that everyone could enjoy.

So, I guess that’s it.

I was not expecting this post to get this long, and am mildly embarrassed by it, but I know if I saw it on the internet I would read every word, so I’m giving that as an option to other phans.

And please, if you read this and do enjoy it let me know, so my girlfriend doesn’t kill me for “wasting so much time”.

Happy Holidays,

Jeff

[utahlasvegas]

If the Grateful Dead stuff sells well, which it should, Phish songs will be inevitable.

[hammy7971]

Greatest list...ever. Definitely wish that at least some Phish would make it into the game, cause that'd be awesome.

[CSPJAMZ]

Now i am for the Phish downloads!
Great list!

[RyanAbrams77]

F the rules. Reba needs to be in this game.

[RyanAbrams77]

Bump for justice

[jr174200]

Hey Ryan, thanks for the bump! I've been quite tempted to do some bumpage myself, but felt bad since I started the thread (although they disappear so fast around these parts).

Since you brought up Reba, I just went back and re-listened and stand by my claim that it wouldn't work well in the game. While it's a phenomenal song, I just think the middle would sorta wander for the non-phan, unlike a song like Guyute that continually drives toward a climax. Although that final guitar solo is nothing short of unbelievable.

Also, as silly as it sounds I don't trust little kids with the lyrics "bag it, tag it" over and over again, as that could turn into some seriously inappropriate hate mongering.

That said, I know where you're coming from because if an official studio version of Harry Hood existed it would've cracked the top-5 on principle. Screw the rules, it's my favorite song and I would kill somebody to play virtual Trey on a monster Hood.