Big Boat Explained

Big Boat
Type:Studio
Artist:Phish
Cover:PhishBigBoatCover.jpg
Released:October 7, 2016
Recorded:March–April 2016
Genre:Rock
Length:66:00
Label:JEMP
Producer:Bob Ezrin
Prev Title:Amsterdam
Prev Year:2015
Next Title:St. Louis '93
Next Year:2017

Big Boat is the fourteenth studio album by the American rock band Phish, released on October 7, 2016 on the band's own JEMP Records label. The album was produced by Bob Ezrin and recorded at The Barn, guitarist Trey Anastasio's studio in Burlington, Vermont.[1]

Critical reception

On AllMusic, Timothy Monger wrote, "Having reclaimed some of their studio mojo on 2014's critically lauded Fuego, jam institution Phish were more than willing to take another chance with studio legend Bob Ezrin at the helm.... Big Boat arrives a mere two years after Fuego and rides a similar sonic wave with its focus on streamlined songwriting and more concise lyrics. Like many Phish productions, a number of these songs were honed on-stage during tours..."[2]

In Consequence of Sound, Sean Barry said, "To put it simply, it has seemed for decades you were either a Phish fan or you weren't, and there was very little chance for that to change. Recently, though, that line has begun to blur.... Luckily, the band has also released 13 studio albums over their career, and while some may completely write off the idea of listening to Phish in that kind of controlled setting, many of the records provide a convenient gateway for potential fans. For instance, their newest album, Big Boat, is wonderfully accessible thanks to its relatable sense of communal fun, as well as the band's own self-awareness."[3]

On NPR, Mike Katzif wrote, "Outside of that ambitious closing piece ["Petrichor"], Big Boat feels less musically adventurous than many previous Phish records. But its simpler songcraft is purposeful in the way it provides a glimpse inside the heads of Anastasio, McConnell, Gordon and Fishman. After years of revealing itself through flurries of notes, hypnotic grooves and exploratory improvisations that often masked deeper meaning, Phish now seems most engaged when singing from the heart."[1]

On Pitchfork, Sam Sodomsky wrote, "Big Boat is at times overwrought and half-assed, gratingly silly and embarrassingly self-serious, both tedious and underwhelming. In other words, it's a new Phish album. Even still, the lowest points of Big Boat manage to sink lower than just being bad-for-Phish; Big Boat is made even worse by not sounding enough like Phish."[4]

In PopMatters, Chris Ingalls said, "Personally, I feel that the misconceptions surrounding Phish do a disservice to the studio albums, which contain plenty of smart composition and easily digestible tracks for non-fans to appreciate.... Big Boat could easily be perceived as the natural sequel to Fuego, but it works spectacularly well on its own, with Bob Ezrin guiding the band through a variety of song styles from breezy pop to elaborate prog rock. Who knew that Phish could produce one of their most eclectic albums a good three decades into their existence?"[5]

Personnel

Phish
Additional musicians

violin, viola on "Petrichor"

Production

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Mike . Katzif . September 29, 2016 . Review: Phish, Big Boat . NPR . October 19, 2016.
  2. Web site: Timothy . Monger . Big Boat – Phish . AllMusic . November 4, 2016.
  3. Web site: Sean . Barry . October 3, 2016 . Phish – Big Boat: Jammin' Out at the End of the World . Consequence of Sound . November 4, 2016.
  4. Web site: Sam . Sodomsky . October 7, 2016 . Phish: Big Boat . Pitchfork . November 4, 2016.
  5. Web site: Chris . Ingalls . October 4, 2016 . Phish: Big Boat . PopMatters . November 4, 2016.

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