Track Listing

1. Ghost
2. Birds of a Feather
3. Meat
4. Guyute
5. Fikus
6. Shafty
7. Limb by Limb
8. Frankie Says
9. Brian and Robert
10. Water in the Sky
11. Roggae
12. Wading in the Velvet Sea
13. Moma Dance
14. End of Session

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #15057 in Music
• Released on: 1998-10-27
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .23 pounds

Amazon.com essential recording
The only ones more ardent and fanatical than Phish lovers are Phish haters, and of course, both parties support their opinions based on the exact same criteria. However, as the band matures and their sound ripens, the naysayers' stance becomes increasingly difficult to defend. Ghost, their seventh studio effort, is the quartet's most balanced and well-rounded studio collection, one that finds the middle ground between their wild stage forays and their more recent toned-down records while intensifying their ever-growing "cow funk" elements. Along the way there is room for concise song craft and angular complex journeys; thick funk, high-tempo romps, and quiet reflective passages; nuggets of lyrical wisdom floating in the usual sea of nonsense; cerebral prog-rock majesty tempered by visceral one- chord grooves; simplicity and psychedelia; instrumental precision and loose rambling. The twists and turns of "Guyute" will be familiar to the congregation as will the deep funk of "Meat" and bookends "Ghost" and "The Moma Dance." "Water in the Sky" takes a classic country progression and infuses it with a propulsive, almost Latin rhythm. Early-period albums may have better (and lengthier) jams, later albums may have better songs, but no other Phish album blends both aesthetics as well. --Marc Greilsamer

Rolling Stone
Phish exploit their subtlety like never before, with airy, uncluttered grooves and relaxed vocals that sound as if they were delivered between catnaps.

Entertainment Weekly
Phish aim for more sensitive tunes, though most are as pale and homely as their singing.

Customer Reviews

One of the Best Phish Studio Albums
As far as Phish studio albums go, I guess I place them into 4 chronological categories: the early years (Junta, Lawn Boy, Picture of Nectar), the mid-years (Rift, Hoist, Billy Breathes), the later years (Story of the Ghost, Siket Disc, Farmhouse) and the post hiatus period (Round Room, Undermind). Story of the Ghost may not be the one Phish album I would take with me to a deserted island, but it's definitely the best of the later period and beyond. Granted, most of these songs were enormous live, especially in the summer and fall of '97 when they were brand new and awesome, but Phish somehow managed to contain these songs in the studio in a manner that doesn't seem stale or over-produced. These songs exist in two realms: one as a short concise cohesive studio entity...and in another as monstrous live improvisational jams that have no relation to this album.

Centerpiece
This is it. The Phish centerpiece. This CD is the studio CD equal to a live set peak. It was this recording that clarified for me all that Phish was about...much more so that any online reviews or books or phan discussions could ever do. I'm sure I could be argued out of saying this is their greatest recording, but let me say that it truly is a masterpiece. Listen to song samples or find other reviews for song-by-song advice. I'll just say that GHOST, GUYUTE, ROGGEA, MOMA DANCE and LIMB BY LIMB are incredible. They juxtapose and speak to Phish's back cataloge of music as well as referring to their own former selves as if they walk side by side with who they were and who they will become. They even refer to their next CD (JIBBOO). THis CD is a hub, musically, personally, and spiritually for the band.

But to at least be fair, since anyone reading this might want to actually get a specific idea...think of Story of the Ghost as a tale of how the band experiences their creative soul and artistic muse through music and how it gets lost in the shuffle of life and how it is one's hope to "find" it again (GHOST). It goes on to describe how the everyday realities and oppressive people and elements of life (BIRDS, MEAT) will alter and bury their own search for meaning, even going so far as to describe a state of artistic mute and/or hell (FIKUS, SHAFTY) from childhood (GUYUTE) through the present (ROGGAE)and the process of separating from these unwanted elements (LIMB BY LIMB)to finding you OWN reasons (BRIAN AND ROBERT) and inspiration (WATER IN THE SKY)to a resolve of confession to their audience (VELVET SEA) to a tandem final awareness that audience loves them even if they don't understand them (MOMA DANCE..moment ends...get it?) The GHOST theme...the muse itself and the hidden meaning in all their songs of loss and redemption, returns at the end to remind us that the entire CD is about this and how PHISH blend the influences of music, personalities and audience into a mix but never lose sight of their own ideas...hopefully passing them to us who listen. END OF SESSION...listen carefully...each phrase in that coda song reflects on a song on the CD as a bittersweet recap.

I could seriously talk for a solid year on these guys. I'll shut up. Suffice to say this CD is my conceptual favorite.

A pretty solid effort
This album has some of the strongest recordings Phish has ever done, but some of it is pretty mediocre (hence the four star rating instead of five.) Having seen over 20 Phish shows I feel I can say these things objectively. "Ghost" is a fantastic song that shows the band's growing love for 70's funk (although its definately done 90's Phish-style), bassist Mike Gordon really adds the thump to this song. "Birds of a Feather" is an extremely catchy song that will attach itself to you immediately...but not so catchy that'll it'll be tiresome after repeated listening. Guitarist Trey Anastasio has a short, sweet and blistering solo in this song, which works extremely well on album. Not only does it prevent the album from sounding like a concert, but it leaves the songs open for more unique jamming in concert. If they orchestrate a big jam on record, it stifles their creativity at live shows (which is where the real Phish is found anyway!) Another wonderful inclusion is the long-time fan favorite (and once oft-neglected in concert) "Guyute." Other songs like "Fikus," "Meat," and "Shafty" just don't have much direction and pale in comparison to such strong songs like "Water in the Sky" (a country-ish tune with great percussion), "Limb by Limb" (with its anthemic finish), and "Wading in the Velvet Sea, which in my opinion is an amazing song and contains one of Trey's most passionate guitar solos on record. It also shows they can write great slow songs. The album wraps up with the wonderful tune "The Moma Dance," which has a deep groove that really opens up in concert (and is captured nicely on album.) While this album is chock full of trademark Phish silliness, it also displays some more thoughtful songs. It builds on the strong foundation of its predecessor "Billy Breathes" and is a testament that Phish is becoming stronger in the studio. Hopefully this is a taste of greater things to come.