CD Review

Phish fans have long admired the compositions of guitarist and front man Trey Anastasio. Since the earliest days of the band, it has been his intricate compositions scored for rock quartet that have formed the backbone of their repertoire. In 1999, Anastasio started touring solo and experimenting with arrangements other than the standard rock four-piece. The first tour was a straight-up power trio, but then he began to add horns and various layers until it stabilized with the current ten-piece band (who will headline their second Bonnaroo this June). No matter the lineup, it has always seemed he had a full orchestra playing in his head. On his new release, Seis De Mayo, which hits stores on April 6th, we finally get to hear some of these songs the way he had always envisioned them.

The first thing you need to know is that this is definitely not a rock and roll record; it is a serious classical work, and the only reason for record stores to stock it in the rock section is for accessibility. Make no mistake about it: this is an album that you could give to your grandmother. While that may sound like an insult, it most certainly is not. The familiarity of the tunes is like an inside secret for Phish fans, but it is certainly not required to enjoy Seis. The compositions sound completely natural the way they are scored here.

A prime example is “Prologue,” formerly known as "Nothing But An 'E' Thing," and now familiar to Phish fans as the opening segment of “Pebbles and Marbles.” Here it is performed as an orchestral miniature, as it was originally scored by Anastasio before it was integrated into the Phish canon. It’s a beautiful and complex piece brought powerfully to life by the ace players he has assembled.

Of particular interest to Phish fans will also be “All Things Reconsidered,” a rarely played Phish instrumental off of 1993’s Rift album. It’s presented here as a fugue for string quartet, and it has a decidedly more dramatic feel than the Phish version. Violins shriek and the cello laments; haunting notes, like the score of a silent film.

The real jewel of the album, though, is the soaring full orchestra rendition of Phish’s “Guyute.” This majestic piece was Trey’s first foray into scoring for orchestra when he debuted it with the Vermont Youth Orchestra two years ago. It is beautifully performed here by one of the world’s most successful film-scoring orchestras, the 66-piece Seattlemusic orchestra. At nearly twelve minutes long, it is by far the longest and most complex work on this seven track, 29-minute disc. The beginning of the piece comes from another Phish composition, “My Friend, My Friend,” and its folkloric narrative really shines here. It carries the listener along, melding smoothly into “Guyute’s” ‘chase’ segment and building toward the triumphant resolution so familiar to Phish fans. It’s very easy to picture vague scenes being accompanied, animals scurrying, as if in Fantasia 3.I am reminded of Tchaikovsky and Paul Dukas.

Overall, Anastasio has assembled a diverse selection of string and orchestral arrangements that range from ‘nice’ to ‘spectacular.’ Compositions that were great as four-piece rock take on an entirely new level of depth. For those unfamiliar with Phish, the collection may resonate in a way Phish never could. For Phish fans, Seis De Mayo does for those who like classical music what Anastasio’s solo band (containing five horn players) did for those who like horns. Regardless of your knowledge of his prior work, though, Seis De Mayo is an album that any music fan--even your grandmother--can appreciate.

Adam Foley is a Brooklyn-based photographer, writer, and disc jockey for Sirius Satellite Radio.