Phish Album Draft

Summary

Helping Friendly Podcast Episode Summary

Title: Phish Album Draft
Release Date: February 13, 2025
Host/Author: Osiris Media

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Introduction

In this engaging episode of the Helping Friendly Podcast (HFPod), hosts RJ, Brian, and Megan dive deep into the world of Phish albums through an interactive draft session. Aimed at exploring the intricate nuances of Phish's studio and live recordings, the episode not only showcases the hosts' profound love for the band but also involves listeners in shaping the discussion through voting and participation.

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The Drafting Process

[02:03] RJ: "Good afternoon, everybody. This is the Helping Friendly podcast. We are so pleased to be with you today."

The core of the episode revolves around a structured draft where the hosts categorize and select Phish albums based on predefined categories:

• 1.0 Albums
• 2.0 to 4.0 Albums
• Unreleased/Live Albums
• Recorded Jams
• Charted LPs
• Wild Card

Brian explains the mechanics, emphasizing flexibility and the potential for overlap between categories to ensure a comprehensive selection process.

[08:04] Brian: "So we are drafting Phish studio albums today. ... we're gonna show you the full list of albums that we are going to be working with here."

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Phish's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Nomination

A significant portion of the discussion centers on Phish's nomination to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a topic that sparks both excitement and nostalgia among the hosts.

[04:54] Brian: "Fish has been nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I would argue 20 years too late."

[06:11] RJ: "I'm proud of you."

[06:28] Megan: "I've already voted today and I'm so excited... These guys, they deserve a shot."

The hosts passionately advocate for Phish's induction, highlighting the band's independent success and unique culture cultivated over decades.

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Album Selections and Discussions

RJ's Picks

1. Recorded Jams - "The Headphones Jam"
   [37:18] RJ: "I'm gonna take in 2.0 to 4.0, the headphones jam... it's the best representation of 2.0 jamming."

2. Unreleased Live Album - "Chilling, Thrilling Songs of the Haunted House" (2014)
   [41:35] RJ: "I think this is the best Halloween they ever did... It rejuvenated the entire repertoire."

3. charted LPs - "Story of the Ghost"
   [73:02] RJ: "This album... captures the band at a really interesting point in time."

4. Wild Card - "Evolve"
   [95:03] RJ: "Evolve is awesome... It's so great."

Brian's Picks

1. 1.0 Album - "Slip Stitch and Pass"
   [67:50] Brian: "This album captures the band at a really interesting point in time."

2. Recorded Jams - "The Sick at Disc"
   [77:58] Brian: "One of my favorite songs that Fish has ever written."

3. Unreleased Live Album - "The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday" (1987)
   [81:37] Brian: "This is like a perfect snapshot of Fish in the 80s."

4. Wild Card - "Caswell Voxed ERO" (2018)
   [87:56] Brian: "This is a great little snapshot of Fish in the 80s."

Megan's Picks

1. 1.0 Album - "A Picture of Nectar"
   [55:45] Megan: "A Picture of Nectar... it's such a perfect Fish album."

2. 2.0 to 4.0 Album - "Sigma, Oasis"
   [85:52] Megan: "This album really moved me on relisten."

3. Unreleased Live Album - "Victor Disc"
   [32:14] Megan: "Victor Disc is perfection... I wish Fish played more jazz."

4. Wild Card - "The White Tape"
   [88:33] Megan: "This is just raw, unfiltered talent... it's their first album."

[55:45] Megan: "I love a picture of Nectar... the only thing that's wrong is Trey's, you know, like, affected Zappa voice."

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Notable Exchanges and Conflicts

The drafting process reveals differing opinions among the hosts, particularly regarding the merit of certain albums:

[06:37] Megan: "I'm saying if you compare Oasis to Fish in the contribution to music history... They're not on the same level."

[07:01] Brian: "Some great draft energy."

[07:16] RJ: "I think someone sent me the CD of that, and I listened to it once and threw it out the window while I was driving."

These exchanges highlight the varied perspectives on Phish's discography, underscoring the subjective nature of music appreciation.

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Listener Participation and Future Episodes

The hosts encourage listener involvement by setting up voting mechanisms for determining the draft's outcome.

[100:09] Megan: "So go to osirispod.com draft to vote on the winner of this."

Looking ahead, the episode teases future content, including guest appearances and discussions on Phish's historical shows:

[105:15] RJ: "All right, everybody, have a great week."

[100:21] Megan: "We're going to do that in a couple weeks. So it's all happening."

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Selected Notable Quotes

• RJ on Drafting Challenges [02:11]: "We've been avoiding it, actually. We've been kind of like a little bit less intense."

• Brian on Phish's Rock Hall Nomination [04:54]: "Fish has been nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I would argue 20 years too late."

• Megan on "A Picture of Nectar" [55:45]: "A Picture of Nectar... it's such a perfect Fish album."

• RJ on "Evolve" [95:03]: "Evolve is awesome... It's so great."

• Brian on "The Sick at Disc" [77:58]: "One of my favorite songs that Fish has ever written."

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Conclusion

The Helping Friendly Podcast's episode on the "Phish Album Draft" successfully blends structured activity with passionate discussion, providing both longtime fans and newcomers with insightful perspectives on Phish's extensive catalog. Through spirited debates, candid reflections, and a collaborative drafting process, the hosts celebrate the band's legacy while inviting listeners to engage and contribute their own favorites. As the episode wraps up, anticipation builds for upcoming content, promising more deep dives and interactive segments in future episodes.

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Ready to Dive Deeper?
Join the conversation and vote for your favorite Phish album draft at osirispod.com. Don't miss out on future episodes where the fan voice continues to shape the dialogue around Phish's music and legacy!

Transcript

[Megan]

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[Brian]

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[RJ]

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[Brian]

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[RJ]

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[Megan]

Visit strayer.edu Jack Welchmba to learn more.

[RJ]

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[Brian]

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[RJ]

Good afternoon, everybody. This is the Helping Friendly podcast. We are so pleased to be with you today. I am rj. I'm here with Brian and Megan. Hi, guys.

[Brian]

It's draft Day. What's so good about it?

[Megan]

Yeah, this is when we come with, you know, guns, a blazin, ready to go.

[Brian]

Man, all day long we've just been trying to, like, undercut each other in our text thread.

[RJ]

Oh, man, so sick.

[Brian]

Figure out ways to, like, insult each other and like, rile each other up.

[Megan]

And actually this has been a bit of a. We've been avoiding it, actually. We've been kind of like a little bit less intense. I think last time we just got so intense that this time we've been a little like, you know, on the DL about it.

[Brian]

So RJ won. RJ won last time. So who was gonna get upset?

[Megan]

Yeah, exactly. This is so true.

[RJ]

I gotta tell you guys. We got a. Well, there's gonna be a. There's actually gonna be a new reprise show announced, I think maybe tomorrow toward the end of March up in ski country. I'll give you that. But we are gonna have. We're gonna have more reprise shows coming. But we do have a bunch of shows coming up, which I want to mention Again, on the 27th, we're going to be at the Met in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. And then the following week, we got the sixth at off the Rails in Worcester, the seventh at Putnam Place in Saratoga Springs, which I'll be at Brooklyn Bowl Saturday. I'll also be at that. And then Dharma Bums in New Hope on Sunday the 9th. I guess I'll probably be at that, too. Megan, are you coming to any reprise shows?

[Megan]

Yeah, I'm going to be at the Brooklyn bowl show. I can't wait.

[RJ]

Fantastic.

[Megan]

Bringing a big crew. We're going to have so much fun.

[RJ]

Wow.

[Megan]

It's going to be a great show. I'm really excited. I can't wait to hear what you. We're going to play.

[RJ]

Yeah, well, you know, they're in on Friday because right now we're doing a contest. If you go to the Reprise Instagram page page, you can guess what show they're going to cover for all four of these shows. And then on Friday, we're going to announce the winners and announce the show. And let me tell you, it is a good one.

[Megan]

Okay, this is my question. Is it.

[RJ]

Yep.

[Megan]

Within the. Is it Brooklyn or New York? Are you doing New York City? Are they considering all of New York City or just Brooklyn? You're not saying that.

[RJ]

Okay, New York State. How about that?

[Megan]

New York State. Okay.

[RJ]

Wow.

[Megan]

Even bigger. Okay.

[Brian]

Just, you know, just Fish ever played Brooklyn?

[RJ]

Yeah. Remember, live from Brooklyn.

[Megan]

Remember the moment Ants.

[Brian]

Yes. Can we edit that out? My goodness. I listened to that 2.0 fish that I've forgotten about. My God.

[Megan]

I think you sent me that moment Ants before I did.

[RJ]

I think someone sent me this, the CD of that, and I listened to it once and threw it out the window while I was driving.

[Brian]

The momentance is amazing. What was I talking about?

[Megan]

Mom? Dance is so good.

[RJ]

So glad you guys can see the. See the beauty of 2.0. What else? What? What else do we need to talk about, guys, before we get into this because we got to get well, is.

[Brian]

Someone somewhere very high up in rock royalty finally got their ears fixed because Fish has been nominated for the Rock and Roll hall of Fame. I would argue 20 years too late. Thanks for catching up. Really appreciate you guys just jumping on the train. It is something they have deserved for a long time. This is one of the most successful independent bands of all time that have cultivated A culture around them, cultivated a fan base all by themselves. They played the shows, we came to the shows, they took the risks, we followed the risks, we challenged the risks, we debated the risks. They kept doing it. And they had 100,000 people in South Florida for the millennium and that should have been it. Done. You're in, let's go. We're done. But they have stupid stipulations and rules about, like, singles and crap like that and whatever they're in, they're going to be in. They're going to be in. We're going to vote them in, aren't we? We're going to have to.

[Megan]

Yes. I've already voted today and I'm so excited, although a little sad because I've been on the soapbox for so long that now I'm like, oh, now I can't complain about this anymore. It's actually happening. It's thrilling. This is the year, though, you know, it was. The sphere must have been evolved. You know, all those boomers heard it on the, on their SiriusXM radio and they were like, man, let's do it. These guys, they deserve a shot.

[RJ]

Megan, I just.

[Megan]

Oasis is going in.

[RJ]

I just appreciate your bravery for going out on a limb and saying that you think Fish should be in the Rock and Roll hall of Fame, especially, like, I don't know if you can say that on, on podcasts like this one. I mean, you know, not everyone would have the. Have the gall to do that. And I just.

[Megan]

Thanks, rj.

[RJ]

I'm proud of you.

[Brian]

Are you suggesting that Oasis should not be in the Rock and Roll hall of Fame? This is the second Oasis shade that you've made today.

[Megan]

I'm saying if you compare Oasis to Fish in the, in the contribution to music history, and maybe I'm seeing that as an American and I don't know what I'm talking about in terms of British music, but what the fuck? No, they're not on the same level. They have, like, what Fish has accomplished. No, I don't think Oasis has accomplished anywhere near that, Megan.

[RJ]

Just don't look back.

[Brian]

Some great draft energy. This is some great draft energy.

[Megan]

Maybe I'm totally wrong. I don't know a lot about Oasis, I got to be honest, but I.

[Brian]

Just feel like you should go and just blast, maybe.

[RJ]

Did you guys miss my joke?

[Brian]

Yes, I heard your joke. Don't look back. Great, great song. Be here now, like, one of the greatest coked out records. Bloated coked out records of the 90s. Come on.

[Megan]

I like Oasis I'm just saying. I don't know. Historically, I don't know. Is there an Oasis podcast?

[Brian]

There has to be. I'm pretty sure that Steven Hyden wrote a book based on an Oasis and Blur rivalry and then built it out into other rivalries. But we won't get into all that right now.

[RJ]

No, we're not. We're not going to do that because we have a draft to do. Brian, why don't you tell us about this draft?

[Megan]

Yeah, because you changed everything. You changed everything in the draft. Yeah, it's a totally different kind of draft.

[Brian]

Do you want to explain the draft?

[Megan]

No, no, please go ahead, Brian.

[Brian]

So we are drafting f studio albums today. But because, you know that comes with an asterisk, because there are a couple live albums here and there are a couple unreleased demo albums here, we're gonna. We're gonna show you the full list of albums that we are going to be working with here. I believe that the full list is 27 deep. So we have six categories today. We have 1.0 albums, 2.0 to 4.0 albums, unreleased slash live albums, recorded jams, meaning an album that has a jam on it, charted LPs, meaning albums that charted on the Billboard charts, and then Wild Card, meaning anything and to Megan's. I don't know, Frustration, anger, hostility. Yes. Certain things were changed about this because we. I don't have, like, 96 versions of Tweezer to work through here, and I figured we should shake this up a little bit in terms of how we do it to give you, the draftee, a little bit more time to say, I want to pick this album, and I want to pick it in this category. So none of these albums are linked to a specific category. Now, obviously, certain albums can only go on the 1.0 slot. Certain albums can only go on the 2.0 to 4.0 slot. Certain albums can only go on the unreleased live album slot. But there is a lot of mix and match that you can do to build out your overall list, which we're going to do here today. So as we go. As we go through this today, whoever is picking their album will be picking the album and then assigning it to the category, and then we'll go through that. So, you know, let's just say someone, for example, takes Lawn boy in their 1.0 albums. That means Lawn Boy is off the table. And that person who put it in their 1.0, they don't need to pick a 1.0 album anymore. And we'll go on throughout all of this, I think mathematically it's going to work. It will be really funny if we get to the fifth or sixth round and you can't pick something for that round because something else has been picked. If that happens, man, I don't know. Like, I did all the foolproofing that I could possibly do to make this happen. I have, like, six different ways I can draft this that's made it work without any sort of crossover. So pretty excited to see how we. How we all do. I think that we are going to put ourselves in a position where we're probably going to end up having to draft one or two albums that we don't necessarily want to draft, which makes it all the more fun. But at the end of the day, there will be 10, 11 albums left over. We'll get the bulk of these into our draft, and then you, the listener, can tell us which Megan, I mean, excuse me, which host won the podcast or won the draft today?

[Megan]

Can we talk a little bit about why it's different or how I found it different to prep?

[Brian]

Yeah, go on.

[Megan]

Yeah, I think, you know, there's a. There's a way to prepare for these drafts because the categories are limited, and so you only have to have the number of choices that there are people drafting. Right. Because no matter what, someone's going to pick the other two things. So it does limit your need to. To prepare in certain ways. And this shakes that up because you don't know what people are going to put in what category, so you don't know what's going to be left for you. And so it does open up. And for some reason, the way that my brain works, I had a really hard time getting my head around it. So I'm. I tried to go through and imagine how I draft for each round, but it's very hard because you don't know anybody can draft in any. Any of the categories, and a lot of them are valid for all of them. So it's just. I'm excited to see how it goes. It's totally different. It's. Should be fun.

[RJ]

Sorry. I just want to say this is the first draft that we've done. I have no fucking idea what's going to happen at all.

[Megan]

Exactly. Like, you have nothing. You don't know what you're going to get for sure. You don't have any idea.

[RJ]

And I don't even. I'm not even, like, really prepared at all. Like, in a. In a. Oh, here we go.

[Megan]

Here he goes. Didn't prepare just here to have a good time and. And then we'll win. So annoying.

[Brian]

In hindsight, this is.

[RJ]

Maybe we'll do open and honest with you guys. Never again.

[Brian]

Just don't do it publicly. Do it before we go live, before we put on our costume for the public here. As I think back to our other drafts, the 25 plus minute jam draft, the Tweezer draft, there were so many options within those that this model would not work. You had to isolate choices. The cool thing for those is because of how few choices we ended up making, we will go back and do part two, part three of those because it's just there's more tweezers to talk about. There are more 25 plus minute jams to talk about with this and with like the Fish Years draft or with the 20, 24 shows draft. There's such a finite amount that like we, we are going to get it right here or we're going to get it completely wrong. You're going to be the judge of that. I think that this is going to be the most accurate representation of quality Fish album esque output that has been put to wax because of the way that we're going to be drafting. But I think you're right, rj, like going into this, I have less of like, I know kind of what my initial game plan is, but after round three, it's kind of out the window and just based on whatever's left at that point in time. I do want to ask you guys though, before we get started here. You know, we have talked pretty much at length over the last couple years on this podcast and this podcast, since its formation in 2013, has talked at length about Fish shows and we haven't dove into Phish albums as much. So I went through. I know RJ did too. Meg, I don't know if you prepared. I went through and I listened to every single one of these albums in order over the last two weeks, which was the first time I'd ever done that to Phish albums. And it was a really interesting experience. I'm curious what your guys relationship with Phish albums are and if there's any sort of like different perspective you have based on preparation, whatever prep you've done or haven't done for this episode. Meg, I know you listen to everything as well, so go ahead.

[Megan]

I did, yeah. I listened to every album in order except for two. And maybe at the end of this draft we'll tell everyone what those, I'll tell everyone what those were. But I just got.

[Brian]

Especially if you have to pick one of them. I can't.

[Megan]

Exactly. Then I'll admit it. I have listened to both of those albums. I just wasn't really feeling it at the end of it. But it was fascinating. I've never done it, and I was introduced to Phish via a studio album, and I've always loved the early studio albums that I listened to a lot. I used to listen to a lot of Studio Fish when I was first getting into them, which was funny because I was such a Deadhead and listening to. Listening to live Dead shows. But I was listening to a lot of Studio Fish then. And then I started getting more. More Fish bootlegs. But at first, I really listened to a ton of studio albums, but then I. I stopped. I stopped listening to Studio Fish a long time ago and never really went back to it. Unless they would put out a new album. I'd spin it and then probably never hear it again. Except for more recently because of the strength of some of the albums that were coming out, I was listening to them a little bit more. But, yeah, it was fascinating going back and listening to how they've used the studio and not. And how different the band sounds in the studio throughout all these years. It's fascinating. I learned a lot. It was a really cool exercise. I would highly recommend people do it.

[Brian]

I love that. Rj, what are your thoughts on Fish Studio? And has your relationship to Fish studio albums changed all?

[RJ]

Well, I just want to tell you guys, just. Just as a. Some. Some plugging here, Matt and I did a series called Backtracking. This is at the very beginning of the. Of the Pandemic. So I think it was like February through June maybe of 2020. We went from. We. I think we went through maybe Hoist, and we would do an episode every, like, couple weeks. So we did probably six of them. And those are like, real deep dives where we talked about the production, we talked about the, like, you know, obviously, each. Each album we started with the white tape and we went through. I think we went through Hoist. So that was like, you know, I.

[Megan]

Love those episodes ago.

[RJ]

Thanks, Megan.

[Megan]

Yeah, they were fun. I was listening to them during the Pandemic.

[RJ]

That was. That was my last real deep dive. But going back to these is just. Yeah, like, Introduction to Fish through these. Through these albums and then going back and listening to them once through just to kind of like, re. Calibrate. They're really great. They're so. They're. If you listen to them all kind of in succession, they all have similarities, which I'm gonna. I want to talk about some of those as we go through. I think there's some, like, I was reading, you know, a couple things about the Rock and Roll hall of Fame nomination today, and sort of the. The never playing by anyone's rules sort of thing is, like, the main thing that keeps. That always comes up, right? It's like they did it their own way, and that's rock and roll or whatever. I think that their. Their albums are a lot like that, too. Not as much the new albums, but definitely in the first 10 albums, there's, like.

[Brian]

There's a lot of that.

[RJ]

Like, we're gonna do things our own way, and I think there's things that show up in each album that are interesting and worth talking about, but it's always fun. Billy Breeze is great.

[Megan]

I love listening to those old albums. Just knowing, like, they were so risky, even though they're trying to get bigger and grow an audience and their demos and they're just. They're so risky. They're so fish. They're wild, and they're not at all being safe or playing things that people might like to hear or that should go on the radio. It's really brave. It's so brave. I think, you know, looking. It seems less brave knowing where they've ended up, but it's so brave knowing where they started.

[RJ]

Well, can I. Brian, can I just give a hot take on that, on that point? Because this is something I want to bring up before we go.

[Brian]

I have one, too, so. Yeah, please go.

[RJ]

I think a lot of the I listening to now, these albums, I think some of it is, like. Some of what you're describing, like, the risks, I think they are risky, but I think they're a little bit of, like, a conscious or. Or. Or subconscious defense mechanism of some kind. Like, I think they use. There's, like. Like, the talking on albums, which shows up on almost every album somewhere. I think there are things that they did that I don't know if they. Again, if it was conscious or not. That, like, kind of are, like. If people don't recognize these as regular albums, like, that's fine, but we're gonna, like, give these. We're gonna give them reasons not to, and that can kind of like. It's almost like a hedge against, like, what people might say about their albums. That's, like, something I was thinking about, which is. Which is kind of. I don't know if that's true or not, but.

[Megan]

Well, if you're, like, saying we're not playing by your game, then you can't ever lose their game. Right?

[RJ]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Brian]

So I think I want to counter that and, and we'll get into this when we start drafting. But like, I. Yes, there's some risk being taken with like spoken word stuff and like adding a jam from Split Open and Melt on the back end of Demand and like, you know, doing this whole Dreamscape concept record on Rift and whatnot. But one of my thoughts as I was listening through these is I continually feel like Fish has missed an opportunity to put on record them at their absolute best. And I think there's this very strange perception, and you see it throughout the entire jam band world, that your album has to be this like watered down version version of what you do best. And like the idea that if they played an album like this on a nightly basis, the audience would be there and the, you know, the, the myth, the myth around Fish would be there and the, the drive to see them and listen to every show would be there is kind of like runs counter to what we actually go for. And so I always continually hear this idea that like, well, they're just putting the songs on and they want the songs to be like, in their best form, but like, that's not necessarily Fish in their best form. And I feel like there's a missed opportunity with them not releasing something that showcases them at their strongest, which is communicating to each other without words, musically trying to understand the other person and what they're saying in the moment in time and then shifting with them. We have a few of those on our large list here that may or may not get drafted at some point in time, depending on how people approach this. But that was one thing I kept thinking was like another 12 song album of like 4 minute songs that like, is just about moment for liftoff. And I wish we would have at least that one record because, you know, like you have Eat a Peach which has a 30 minute centerpiece jam on it. Miles Davis just started releasing records that were 28, 29 minute long jams. Tortoise has a great record released in the mid-90s. The name is blanking on me. I'm so, so sorry to all of our my Tortoise heads out there, but it begins with a 20 minute long jam on it. Like there are many examples of rock bands and of, you know, proto rock bands being like, this is us in a live setting that are most experimental and we're going to give it to you in the studio setting as well. And it's always been strange to Me that Fish has kind of hid from that. So I kept thinking about that as we went through this. That will probably inform some of my picks. We'll see. But should we go ahead and start drafting right now?

[RJ]

Well, we've ready. Yeah, we've done a good job of getting. We did the obligatory 20 minutes of not doing the episode. So I think we can go now. I think we can go.

[Megan]

Can I just say one thing about what you just said, Brian?

[Brian]

Yeah.

[Megan]

And that is, to me, like, the best Fish albums are the LP on lps. Like those that they've released, those live jams. Those are the best. Like, that's real Fish.

[Brian]

That's Fish. And. And those did not count for this large.

[Megan]

Yeah, we didn't put them in because we just choose them all. I don't know. I think.

[Brian]

I think we would. And I wanted to give us a chance to really think about studio records. We're going to roll the dice here. And then, rj, I'm going to suggest you show the. The draft page on so that all of our viewers can see it as we're building this out. But, rj, you won the last draft, so you get to pick a number between one and six.

[RJ]

Five.

[Brian]

Megan, what do you pick? You came in second.

[Megan]

Two.

[Brian]

Okay, I'm gonna go three. We're gonna roll the dice right now and see who is going first. Whoever gets closest without going over the first pick gotta roll again. First pick is five. RJ will get the first pick in today's draft. So Meg has two, I have three. We will see where the next person goes. Next is five. So I am going second, and Megan has the turn. All right, rj, why don't you go ahead here and share your screen and.

[RJ]

We'Re really not ready for this.

[Megan]

I know. My stomach is, like, a little bit.

[RJ]

Okay, can we do this next week?

[Megan]

We gotta go today. We gotta go today, rj.

[RJ]

Someone tell me. There's only like, four things on this list that I need someone to tell me what they are and then I'll be ready. Okay. All right, here we go. Okay, so everyone sees the list here. You got. You got the categories, you got the albums. Brian, I'm just going to do a little, you know, a little maneuvering here. There we go.

[Brian]

Sure.

[RJ]

Whatever you need. It's called spreadsheet expertise. You know what I mean? All right, for those of you listening, just. Just picture a beautiful spreadsheet. Okay?

[Brian]

It's a blank one right now. It's about filled in. It's going to be amazing.

[RJ]

Okay. I wonder if I'm really going to do this. No, I shouldn't do that. I don't think I should.

[Megan]

I'm so curious is what's going first in this trap.

[RJ]

Okay, I'm just. I'm gonna go. I'm just gonna start and go with recorded jams and take a live one.

[Megan]

Yeah, that's the right call. That's the right call.

[RJ]

I almost had. I almost did something that I think would have been pretty stupid but entertaining, but I'm kind of glad I didn't. Okay.

[Megan]

I wish you did.

[RJ]

Thank you.

[Megan]

It's nice.

[RJ]

All right, so. And Megan gets two is the idea.

[Brian]

And you will get two when it comes back to you. All right.

[RJ]

Right.

[Megan]

Yeah.

[RJ]

All right, Brian. All right, Brian.

[Brian]

All right. So a live one is off the table. So I am going to go. You know what? I was thinking a lot about this. Oh, shit, no. Because I only have one pig. Yeah, that's fine. Okay. I'm going to go with a category that I look at as a little bit light, you might say. And also it's where my heart and soul is. And I'm going to just do my thing and I'm going to take round room in 2.0 to 4.0. Some may argue, hey, man, it'll be gone. It'll be available in like three rounds. I don't care. I'm taking my approach here today. I'm going with what I love. So round room 2.0 to 4.0. I think that this is the best Fish studio album that has ever been released. It is a live feel. You hear warts in the album. You hear mist, missteps, brown notes. You get a really cool. Really cool jams on the back end with waves and walls of the cave. You get an awesome song like 46 Days. You know what I'm talking about, RJ, you get seven below. You get mock song. I get the incredible perp here praising me. Still my favorite album of all. We're right there. I. I feel. I feel like I didn't.

[Megan]

Justin, you've already won.

[Brian]

Keeps saying that Alo is a king move. He's right. You could just keep posting that, Justin, while you're watching, just. Just repeat it over and over. RJ made the right pick there for number one for sure. I'm going round room 2.0 to 4.0. Megan, you have two picks.

[Megan]

Well, before I get into those picks, I just want to say that this album really, really moved me on relisten. I. I've listened to this Album, you know, a handful of times, but not a lot. And it surpassed some things. I went and ranked all my favorite albums as I was listening back to them, and it surpassed some albums that I never thought it would. And I just think there's just so many incredibly profound songs on this album. Some of their best lyrics on this album. And I really loved it on Relisten.

[Brian]

Middle Aged dad Rock is where it's at. I'll tell you what.

[Megan]

That's what they tell me. Okay, well, if we're going with our hearts, then I'm going with my heart, too. I'm gonna start, and I'm gonna choose it in charted LPs, and I'm gonna choose my favorite Fish album of all time, and that is Rift. This album is the first time I ever heard Fish was. I pressed Play on Rift. And I know I can't remember that exact moment, but sometimes I feel like I can, because every time I play this album, I'm just Transported to being 17 in my bedroom, probably smoking weed through, like a, you know, a toilet paper roll to, like, and, like, some sort of weird thing. So nobody smelled it in my house with, like, a towel under the door. And I just remember being completely lost in this world, and it changed my life. And the ability that they have in this album to vacillate between emotional depth and playfulness and technical mastery, it's just this album takes my breath away. And I absolutely love it. And listening to it again in this context, it still held up. So rift in charted LPs for me.

[Brian]

That's a good pick. That's a really good number one pick for you to make.

[RJ]

Perfect album. Perfect album.

[Brian]

Pretty perfect.

[Megan]

Pretty perfect, right?

[RJ]

Yep.

[Brian]

First time I ever heard Fish, too. It was getting chiropractic work and had to get massages. And the chiropractor said, you can bring in music and we'll play it while you're getting a massage. And I went to Best Play on the way to the chiropractic office because a kid sitting behind me who loved the best music was wearing a Fish shirt. And I was like, I've always been curious about them. And he was like, you should buy Rift. You would like Rift. And I was like, okay. And I bought it. I had no idea what I was getting into. And I put it on in the chiropractic office, and suddenly. And the chiropractor was like, is this really what you want to listen to during your massage? A lot of weird conversations. You. They were like, do you. You like this band? I was like, I've never heard this band, but, you know, that was the first time. What was that?

[Megan]

That's amazing, man.

[RJ]

Good, good, good, good story, Brian. Thank you. Now you can thank.

[Brian]

No, Megan's got one more pick.

[RJ]

Oh, you already did two.

[Megan]

No, I only did.

[Brian]

She's. She is on the long.

[RJ]

It was like, such a long intro that it felt like two picks.

[Megan]

Thanks. I. I don't know if I should take that as a compliment or an insult. Okay, this is whatever you want. This is.

[Brian]

RJ is playing to kill.

[Megan]

I know. I'm gonna stretch it out, RJ, just to. With you, but thanks.

[Brian]

RJ has to go in 15 minutes, so, like, we have to have this draft wrapped up. Did he.

[Megan]

Did he send us a message in the private chat telling us he's gotta go? Okay, this is. This is a risk. This is a big risk, but I think I'm going to take it because I've decided since I didn't really understand how to win this draft, I'm just going with my heart because I think that's all I can do. So I am choosing something, and in. Let's see which category. Yeah, yeah.

[Brian]

I'm getting a little nervous right now.

[Megan]

Okay, so this is going to be in the unreleased live album category, and I am picking the album that is if Jat Fish was a jazz quartet. I am picking the Victor disc because this is perfection. It's just the kind of music I want to listen to these days. When I was playing this and reading my giant American history book that Brian has got me reading, I was just lost in it and just felt like, this is what I want Fish to do every time I see them. And I wish Fish played more jazz. So that's what I want. Victor disc. I'm sorry, Brian. I didn't take Round Room, and, you know, I gave that one to you.

[Brian]

You couldn't take Round Room. I took it.

[Megan]

I know, but I wouldn't. I wouldn't have. I promised myself I wouldn't draft it, but, man, the Victor disc is so good.

[Brian]

Yeah, it's quite good. Okay. That's how we're gonna play today.

[Megan]

Do you want to give me a list of what else you own on this list so I know not to take any more of your picks? Do you also own, like, every other good album on here?

[RJ]

Wow.

[Megan]

Just that one.

[RJ]

Wow, look at this. Now we're. Now we're. Now we're cooking.

[Brian]

All right, well, now I got to go for big guns because someone's coming to play, so I'M gonna go with started lps. I'm gonna take Billy Breathes.

[Megan]

Okay.

[Brian]

Which is also a perfect record. I would say probably a more perfect record than any of your other picks.

[Megan]

Is that talking to me or as.

[RJ]

Well just talking to the Scooters?

[Brian]

It's got. It's got an Abbey Road suite on the back end. It's very well produced. The Caspian story of being made at Sunrise is unbelievable.

[RJ]

We really comparing it to Abbey Road. Let's. Let's. Let's pump the brakes a little bit here. Come on.

[Brian]

I think it's pretty well known that the Back End suite is inspired by Abbey Road.

[RJ]

Inspired by is different than, like, come on. I'm just saying. I would.

[Brian]

I would put Bliss and Swept Away in Steep up against, like, golden slumbers. Like, come on. Like, she came in through the bathroom window. Great song. Fun, fun song. But, like, have they ever jammed like Steep did on 8217 or 81 17? My goodness. I'm gonna.

[RJ]

I'm gonna take this all as part of your stick. I'm gonna take this as part of your stick and assume you're not serious. Okay, Keep going, Keep going.

[Brian]

What stick? My goodness. I thought Fish was the greatest band of all time. All right, so I'm taking Billy breeze in charted LPs. Yeah, it's a great pick. It's not as good as taking the Victor disc in unreleased live albums, but, you know, we'll just deal with that in podcast rehearsals.

[Megan]

You know what I love about Billy Breeze is that it's just such a different vibe than their other albums. It's so, like, has this quiet confidence that you can only make this album after you've kind of made it. And they don't need to chew up scenery on this album. It's just so beautiful.

[Brian]

Mm. All right, rj, you have the next two picks. What are you gonna go with? Are you gonna break my heart too, or are you gonna break Meg's?

[RJ]

I'm trying to do both at once. I actually have a question about an album and whether it fits into a category, but if I ask it, then it's gonna everything up, so I guess I won't ask.

[Brian]

Can you ask it without naming the album?

[RJ]

I don't think so. Can. Can Anything released in 2.0 to 4.0 go in the 2.0 to 4.0 album or only official albums?

[Brian]

I thought only. Oh, only official albums.

[RJ]

Got it. Okay.

[Megan]

I did not know that.

[RJ]

Well, then I'm not going to bother with that, really.

[Megan]

So. So things I did not know that it's only official albums can go in that category. I thought that that was just anything in 2.0 and 4.0 in the list.

[Brian]

Well, I guess, I guess actually, as I have it written down in the notes, sorry, any album released between 2002 and 2025. So, yes, you can do anything, but.

[RJ]

It would have to be an album that's released, not one of these other things that's not an album.

[Brian]

No, no, no, no, no, no. And I'm going to backtrack on what I said, so please, if we could have the intern edit that out so it doesn't sound like I'm changing the rules. I'm just. I'm just remembering the rules. In mid game, anything can be. The risk you take is if you take something that is unreleased in that field, you may not get something as strong in the unreleased live album. Do you know what I mean?

[Megan]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Brian]

Okay. It's just. It's about your strategy and if you feel strong about it, then I would go with it.

[RJ]

Okay, I'm gonna take in 2.0 to 4.0, the headphones jam, because. Do you want. Do you guys want to know why?

[Megan]

Yeah.

[RJ]

Gave like a 15 minute speech about your pick. So I'm gonna. I'm gonna at least just give a second.

[Brian]

This deserves a 15 minute speech.

[Megan]

And I actually have this follow up same. I love the.

[RJ]

I am not. As you know, as we've discussed, I'm not a huge 2.0 fan. The summer. Yeah, we know. You know, which even though I did declare winter 2003 as the most a.

[Megan]

Top five jam, top five tour, I mean, it was.

[RJ]

It changed everything for me. But this is. This Headphones Jam is the best representation of 2.0 jamming of anything. Like, if you want to take 45 minutes to understand what fish sounded like in 2.0, this is it. This is like. There's a little bit of everything. It's got. It's got like, you know, you listen to the like 2003 and 2004 shows and there's like, you know, like 20 minutes of kind of like nonsense and then like, you know, four minutes that are awesome. This is like taking 10 of those four minute awesome pieces and putting them all together into one piece that. That really flows well together. It's so great. And I don't know, I think it's the best representation of that era in.

[Megan]

Terms of like a piece totally so spacey and ambient. I love this so much. I wanted this.

[Brian]

I hadn't. I hadn't listened to this in a couple of years. Yeah. And I was same bowled over by how good it is and the fact that I need to be listening to it more often. Because you're absolutely right. I don't know if I would say it's the best.

[RJ]

Yeah.

[Brian]

Representation of 2.0.

[RJ]

Well, you love 2.0. All right, sorry. Let me rephrase. Not 2.0 to 4.0. 2.0.

[Brian]

2.0. I don't even know if I would say that, but I would say, number one, this should have given us all reason to believe when it was released in 2006. And this was like, a fan released. Like, a fan decided that they wanted this released, and Kevin Shapiro released it, which is something Kevin Shapiro should consider for 725.99. Because I am a little bit of a fan of this band, and I've been demanding the release of that show for at least a decade now.

[Megan]

I didn't think you'd get that in today. I'm impressed.

[Brian]

Somehow I figure it out. But also.

[RJ]

Yeah.

[Brian]

I mean, like, when you consider the challenges of two of late, 2.0 fish, this is the best side of Fish during that period. This is focused but experimental at the same time. This is a great pick. Pretty annoyed, but it's a great pick.

[Megan]

Yeah.

[Brian]

I love how RJ is like, hey, I'm just gonna take Amazing. The headphones recorded jam, literally everything RJ and Megan both took. Both took. What I like described at the top of this episode is what I wish Fish would do. Just amazing stuff. You guys are great friends.

[RJ]

Well, I said I was gonna try to break both your hearts at the same time, and it worked.

[Megan]

So it worked. Well done.

[Brian]

Well, you get one more pick, rj.

[RJ]

I know.

[Megan]

Oh, I. Oh, my God.

[RJ]

I'm ready. I just like that you. That you're. You're somewhat surprised, as if you thought maybe I haven't listened to Fish before, but I have, and that's coming in handy in this podcast, let me tell you. All right.

[Brian]

I'm actually pretty surprised that you picked that. But, yeah, I'm pleasantly surprised, while also pissed off. Really just, like, under the surface. Just like, I hate you.

[RJ]

This might be slightly controversial, but I don't care because I think that my next pick is. I'm going to take. For unreleased live album, I'm taking chilling, thrilling songs of the Haunted House from 2014.

[Megan]

I think that's a good call.

[RJ]

I think this is the best. I think this is actually the best Halloween they ever did. I think it's like, it put Fish back on this path of not just like, Wingsuit was a disaster. Right. And then they come back the next year and there's this like. You know, I think the story is that Trey's daughter, like, convinced him to do and to do something. I think they were like, not gonna do something. And they go and they take this decades old Disney, you know, album, which I had growing up. I don't know if you guys did, but, like, I remember these is weird. It's like so bizarre. And they take these little skits and turn them into dance music. And it rejuvenated, like the entire repertoire. Like. Like Wingsuit, you know, Fuego. Like Wingsuit. All those songs are great, but like this. This gave that other side of Fish the humor, the goofiness. Everything that they hadn't done for a while. Like, Wingsuit was so serious and the Halloween was so heavy. It was like, what an amazing, risky thing to do. And then they. They basically revamped how they thought about creating more original music and went back to just like, let's just create a bunch of instrumental chat, like tracks and just fucking jam. And now we get to hear the dogs, you know? To hear the dogs sometimes, you know. Late second set.

[Megan]

Yeah.

[Brian]

It's interesting. When I listened to the Wingsuit set, it was the first time I'd listened to it in a long time. And I was listening to it with headphones in. And my thought the whole time listening to it was, this is the most amazing thing Fish has done conceptually. But I think if they could do it again with like all the songs they've written since then, they would pick like 12 different songs or like nine different songs. Because it was. By the end, it was like, thank you guys so much.

[Megan]

Yeah. That was so cute when he says that. Yeah.

[Brian]

Because you could tell he was like, ugh. I don't know if they like it, but to your point, rj. Chilling, thrilling. Like, it brings back everything that makes Fish special and magical and shocking and surprising. It's a great pick. This holds up. I think the only downside to this release is that we, for whatever reason, don't really get Shipwreck or the Chinese Water Torture, which are great, great songs that we should get more often. We've gotten like shipwrecked quotes. But, like, Shipwreck is this, like, ambient, beautiful song. It's amazing.

[Megan]

Yeah.

[Brian]

Very long fus. Great call. Incredible. Per. I got that to open show I saw at Alpine 2015 and it just smoked. There's a great one from my Favorite Night of the Baker's Dozen. It's an awesome song that they just barely play now. So every time you guys think about Martian Monster, why don't we play something else?

[Megan]

Just play something different from that album.

[RJ]

Has there been a lack of our conversation about how hard that Halloween 2013 show was for those of us who were there? Have we talked about it enough?

[Megan]

I mean, I think you should talk about it again. And people are bringing it up in the chat, too.

[RJ]

It was so hard.

[Megan]

Yeah.

[RJ]

Like, it was to be in that room.

[Megan]

Those songs are. Yeah, those songs are not like Halloween, brand new party vibes. I think they realize that if they're going to debut new music, it needs to be fun. I think they realized that with Kazvat and even with get more down a little bit, I think they realized we need to bring a party. If we're gonna just dump a bunch of new music, it can't be melancholy. I don't know.

[RJ]

Yep.

[Brian]

There's a great episode of beyond the Pond, a little podcast about Fish and other music that RJB was on back in 2018, where we talked about the wingsuit set, and then RJ talked about Miles Davis, I talked about Bob Dylan, and Dave talked about Neil Young, and we picked their three records that we would compare to Fish's Wingsuit. So basically, like, their most controversial, kind of slightly hated, but, like, important records that they released. And I would. I think it's like episode 26 or 27. It's way back before I could afford shure microphones, and I was on Like a Blue Snowflake that, like, was that the sound just boomed and echoed everywhere. But I would encourage people to go and listen to it because we did have a very good conversation. We were very honest, we were very empathetic. And then we also were like, hey, look at our other three favorite artists. What are moments where they were like, hey, I don't care what the audience thinks. I'm going to do what I want to do. And it was the right move.

[Megan]

That's awesome. I want to go back and listen to that.

[Brian]

You should. It's, you know, maybe not as good as, like, the backtracking stuff, but, you know, maybe. Maybe go back to the pandemic and listen to that. I don't know. We'll see. Wonderful.

[Megan]

I've listened to a lot of beyond the Pond. Brian, Just so you know. Just so you know. Don't worry.

[Brian]

All right.

[Megan]

I'm caught up.

[Brian]

Do you guys have anything else you need to say about chilling Thrilling?

[Megan]

No, but I love that album. It was really fun to listen back to. That's how you do Halloween. That's how you do it.

[Brian]

That is. That is a perfect Halloween. I really just want to shout out Chris here, who wrote out chilling, thrilling songs of the Haunted House, but as CTS O T H H. Well done. Well done. Love it.

[Megan]

And a Monda Green Point there. That was a good year. Pet cat.

[Brian]

That's a good. That's a very good year. Pet cat. Also from.

[RJ]

We should talk about monogreen.

[Brian]

Yeah, I don't think we've ever talked about mondegreen.

[Megan]

Yeah, Monda Green is great.

[Brian]

Have we ever broken down mondegreen? I don't know. That's a good point.

[Megan]

We might have done an episode.

[RJ]

I love that Sunday show. So good.

[Brian]

A Sunday. Sunday afternoon. It was hot.

[Megan]

So hot. It was so hot. And Trey was wearing a jacket. Like, legitimately a jacket. All right, Brian, how many picks do you have?

[Brian]

I just have one. I'm in the middle. I have the worst spot.

[Megan]

Oh, what I had last time. Yeah, that's a big one. You are.

[Brian]

You are. Yeah, I think I. If I get it now, this. If I don't pick this in this section, this section's going to go off the rails. And just based on, like, I've already lost three picks in this section based on what I had. And also I'm a little nervous about this section, too. This is one of my favorite releases the band has ever made. Some would call this the companion to the Victor disc, as it showcases the band in experimental form rather than trying to write actual songs. And so I'm going to take in recorded jams based on the 10 minute what's the use the sicket disc from 1999, which are ideas of songs, jams, rehearsals, snippets, samples, just a lot of whatever the is going on from the story of the Ghost sessions that the band ultimately released on cd. And you know, some people would say, hey, Brian, you keep complaining that Fish hasn't released a experimental album. What about the Sick at disc? And you're right, the Sick A disc is there. My left toe. One of my favorite songs that Fish has ever written was also featured in 725 99, a fantastic show that Kevin Shapiro should absolutely release as soon as possible on Live Fish. What's the use? Absolutely gorgeous stuff. Insects, really cool and frenetic. Fish bass. Come on. The name is slick. What a groove. Happy whipping Dung Song. Another just like thunderous groove only played once. Quadraphonic toppling, which was then pretend Played two more times and then revoked by the Chancellors.

[Megan]

Chancellors. Fuck that. It was totally fucking played.

[Brian]

It's. It's amazing. And oh my God, I got the greatest compliment over here. Getting the Sick at disc is like picking a Providence Bowie house jams. You should automatically win. But. But hashtag voters. You know what, man? That is. That is a good.

[RJ]

Let's just give Brian the win, you know?

[Megan]

Yeah, Brian, you can just have the win.

[RJ]

Have a win.

[Brian]

That's not how this stuff.

[Megan]

So I don't get like harassed about this via text. You can just have it harassed.

[Brian]

The only harassment is over the Victor disc because my goodness, have I. Have you ever been in a Fish chat thread with me? My God. All right, so I took the Sick at disc. You guys don't get it. That's how it goes.

[Megan]

We don't get it. Yep.

[RJ]

But we don't get it in so many ways, Brian. I think that's part of the problem.

[Brian]

So this is true. So we are now going into round. We're closing round three and starting round four with Meg. Should I do a recap here based on where we're at?

[RJ]

Yeah, sure.

[Brian]

All right. RJ has taken in the 2.0 to 4.0 albums the headphones Jam. Very smart pick. Unreleased live albums. Chilling thrilling songs at the Haunted House from 2014. Very smart pick. And recorded Jams Alive when 1995. Very smart pick. I really just want to compliment RJ on not taking an actual studio album yet. That's just amazing. I can't believe that I have taken in 2.0 to 4.0 round room. Best studio album Fish ever made. Recorded jams. The Sick at disc. Excellent, excellent experimental album with some Jams on it. And Uncharted LPs. Billy breathes, which went number seven. I think that it's their highest starting album. That and Fuego and it went gold. And then Megan took an unreleased live album, Strange pick. She took a picture of Nectar. And then she took in charted LPs Rift, which went gold at number 51. Amazing stuff that back.

[Megan]

Take that back, Brian. Take that back.

[Brian]

Meg. You've got two picks.

[RJ]

Megan.

[Megan]

I don't think it was accurately represent that I picked the Victor discovered live albums.

[Brian]

Yeah, I'm not changing it. Don't worry. I'm just.

[RJ]

Can we just talk about the fact that Fuego charted as high as Billy Breeze?

[Megan]

That's insane. That's actually not right.

[Brian]

That makes no sense.

[RJ]

Fuego is not really a. A great album.

[Brian]

Fuego. Well, I would. I would not say that now. Because you might end up having to take that at some point in time. Well, that's fine.

[RJ]

I'll make the. I mean, I can make the opposite case later. But.

[Brian]

But I. My, my, my thought of that is that a lot of people seem to jump on again around 2012, 2013, and it was their first album in five years. They did a good job promoting it. There was just a lot of, like, hype around that record being released in a way that I don't think anything before or since has really been pushed on. On the public. It felt like a Fish has arrived moment and.

[RJ]

Yeah. And also the first Ezra.

[Brian]

But I agree.

[RJ]

Right. I think it was the first Ezran.

[Brian]

Yes, it was that. And then Big Boat. And then they kicked him to the curb. Rightly so. Just did not know what to do with Fish. My goodness.

[Megan]

Megan, Do I have one pick or two picks?

[Brian]

You have two, because you're on the turn every time you pick, you have two picks. Unless it's your second pick, and then you only have one pick.

[Megan]

Okay, that was a good.

[RJ]

I like that caveat.

[Megan]

Yeah. Okay.

[Brian]

She can't just keep going, man. What's she gonna take? Everything.

[Megan]

Yeah. I don't know what to do here.

[Brian]

Really went too big, too early.

[RJ]

Story my life.

[Megan]

No, no. This is a crucial moment in my draft right now, and so I'm just trying to make sure I handle it appropriately. And I'm not sure what to do because, yeah, a lot of what I wanted is gone. You know, this is the point when it's like everything starts to go a little bit different.

[RJ]

But maybe everything's right. So just all type. Oh, you know, think about that. Think about that. And just in terms of albums, you know.

[Megan]

Yeah, that's good.

[Brian]

That's good.

[Megan]

Okay. All right. I think I know what I'm gonna do, and I'm just gonna go. I'm going down my list of ranked albums, what I love, and if they haven't been picked yet, I'm picking them and finding a category for them. That's my strategy. And you guys might think this is totally stupid, but this stupid has always meant a lot to me, and it's so nostalgic for me. It's so tight. It's so beautiful. To me, it's amazing. Studio fish. It captures their sound perfectly. And I love a picture of Nectar. So I'm going to pick that as my 1.0 album.

[RJ]

Awesome.

[Megan]

I love a picture of Nectar. Thank you.

[Brian]

I think it's a great pick. I actually had this higher than I Thought you guys would have it on my list because it doesn't really have any flow, but it's like.

[RJ]

But that's kind of the point.

[Megan]

Kind of like an early Fish show.

[Brian]

Yes. And it's just kind of like, hey, here's some Cavern, here's some Tweezer, here's some chalk dust. Here's Llama, here's Eliza. Like, it. It just works.

[Megan]

Yeah. And even Mango songs, I love it.

[Brian]

Yeah.

[Megan]

And the only thing that's wrong is Trey's, you know, like, affected Zappa voice. And chalk dust, it's so forced. It's just like, why are you ruining this perfect album by doing this at the very end? Like, it's just like, no, we don't need this try. But it was dumb.

[Brian]

But even that's great.

[RJ]

I think it's kind of like. It's kind of like Rift before they figured out that they could do a concept album. You know what I mean? Like, they could have just made something up and we would have believed it.

[Megan]

Like, because it pretended it was a story, you mean?

[RJ]

Yeah, because it all works. Like you guys have said, it's totally disjointed and doesn't make sense, but, like, it totally works. Like, if they had said this was like a. You know, like, the dream thing about Rift works perfectly for so many reasons, but they could have made up a story and we would have believed it because the album does work. It's great.

[Megan]

Yeah.

[Brian]

I align it with Farmhouse and Big Boat in the sense that it's kind of just like, well, we got these 12 songs hanging around, so why don't we just put them on a record?

[Megan]

Yeah, but it's so much better than those albums. Like.

[Brian]

Yeah, I would agree. I would totally agree. Like, listening to it was like being transported back to. It's almost like if you have someone that's curious about Fish, it's almost the perfect way to hear them, because you get a little bit of everything.

[Megan]

Yeah, exactly.

[Brian]

You know, and it.

[Megan]

This is like. I listened to this album a lot when I was getting to Fish, and even just looking at the covers brings me back. And listening to it again just reminded me of that time in my life so strongly. And it's. Yeah, it's just a perfect. It's a perfect Fish album.

[Brian]

The way that Fishman's drums sound at the beginning of Llama, it's just like, this is the coolest band ever.

[Megan]

Yeah.

[Brian]

Oh, my God. Yeah. So into it. It's a great call. It's a great pick. Great pick. It's probably your only good pick, but, you know, really good one.

[Megan]

Yep, exactly. Okay. I'm trying to see which categories I still haven't drafted in. Okay. So I still have. I still have a 2.0 to 4.0 album and a recorded jam.

[Brian]

And you have a wild card, which is probably going to be the last pick for everyone when we're just. Right.

[Megan]

Because that can just be anything. Yeah. I'm really torn here. Can't decide which. Okay. I think I'm deciding between an album that I feel like is. Is really similar to Nectar in a way and hit me pretty hard when I was listening to it. But, like, do I want another one of those albums in my. In my list here? You know? Because I want it to be varied. I don't want my list to be just like, all 1.0 albums. Like, that's kind of lame.

[Brian]

Yeah, it is.

[RJ]

I mean, I don't know. I don't think anyone's. We're looking at it as a. As a piece. You know what I mean? So. I don't know.

[Brian]

I mean, it's a reflection, a lot of cases of your taste, and if your tastes are just one point.

[Megan]

Yeah.

[Brian]

Then, you know, you should own it.

[RJ]

Yeah. Yep.

[Megan]

Yeah. Okay. I'm really. I'm really torn about this.

[Brian]

I think Glenn Russell's comment here about Nectar being the best album cover is interesting because I don't know if I agree, but I do think, like, as like you, you're just talking about this record is, like, something to get into fish with. Like, when you learn who Nectar is and what that means to them, it just opens a portal into their history that you just wouldn't have without it.

[Megan]

Yeah, I agree.

[RJ]

It's.

[Megan]

It's evocative to me. I love it. Okay. Okay. I'm really unsure about what to do here. All right. I think I'm gonna go. I don't know why I care so much about this. This is a little embarrassing. Okay. I think it's a little. It's a little embarrassed how much I, like, think I'm thinking about this. Okay. I think for. I am gonna go for. I think I'm just gonna do it, and I think it has to be. I can't do it under that one because RJ will make fun of me. I'm drafting junta because I think this album is just fucking awesome. And it's great. It's. It's just. It's so tight. It's so clean. They were even thinking about layers and textures then, and I just love Even like in dinner and a movie, they're having those conversations underneath the song. It's just. Or they're like breathing underneath something or their kazoo sounds under trays. Like Solo and Bowie. There's just. They're thinking about how to make their music more sophisticated before they have the tools and the. And the sophistication, like, available to them. I just see them searching for that in a way that I find just amazing and really ahead of their time. So I'm picking this. I guess it's gonna have to go under. Which category is it going to go under? I guess it's gonna have to go under recorded jams for me. But rj, don't come after me because.

[Brian]

Of what's the recorded jam that you're justifying its existence here.

[RJ]

I mean, there's several.

[Megan]

There's several. Tell me one that's Union Federal. Because it's kind of bad.

[RJ]

I know. I was just around.

[Brian]

You think Union Federal is bad?

[RJ]

I just think it's kind of boring. I know it's kind of sacrilege, I think, but, you know, whatever.

[Brian]

I mean, maybe I'm like, over here on 1980s fish jamming island. But I think it's, like, very loose and psychedelic and really interesting.

[Megan]

Yeah, I can see that they're down.

[RJ]

They're. They're like down moments for, like, minutes at a time. That's my only thing.

[Megan]

It's a longer jam and I hear that, rj, for sure. But this album also has an acoustic fucking fluff head in the beginning, like the intro. Fluff head. It's got the perfect Bowie. Perfect divided sky. This is just.

[RJ]

Yeah, I mean, the jam in Bowie is better than any jam they've done in Bowie in years.

[Megan]

Yeah, exactly.

[Brian]

There you go.

[Megan]

It's the Bowie jam. That's what I'm counting it for. Really heavy 1.0 list. Damn.

[Brian]

Yeah, it's a little 1.0 heavy, but, you know, you're. You know, that's.

[Megan]

I've got a little 2.0 in there. I'll stretch out. Don't worry. I've got some.

[Brian]

A little bit of 2.0, one would say. Yeah, that's right.

[RJ]

Yeah, I'm ready. I'm so ready.

[Brian]

It's a good picnic. So.

[Megan]

Yeah.

[Brian]

So we finished the recorded jam segment. RJ has a live one, I have the Sick disk, and Meg has Hunter. And the. The audience wants to know, is Bowie the jam that you justified this pick with? What is the jam?

[Megan]

Sure.

[Brian]

Sure, sure is the answer. Now let's go to Our.

[Megan]

There's a few jams on that shore microphone.

[RJ]

Actually, you know what? Thank you for the reminder. Let's take a quick break. Huddle up. It's me, Angel Reese. You can't beat the post skin burger and fries, right? Know what else you can't beat? The Angel Reese special.

[Megan]

Let's break it down.

[RJ]

My favorite barbecue sauce, American cheese, crispy bacon, pickles, onions and a sesame seed bun, of course. And don't forget the fries and a drink. It's gonna be a high C for me. Sound good?

[Megan]

All you have to do to get.

[RJ]

It is beat me in a one on one. I'm just playing get the Angel Reef Special at McDonald's now. Ba da ba ba ba.

[Brian]

I participate in restaurants for a limited time.

[Megan]

Welcome to the White Lotus in Thailand.

[Brian]

It's a wellness center.

[Megan]

You should get a facial. The lady in the airport thought you were my dad.

[Brian]

My God.

[Megan]

The Emmy award winning HBO original series returns.

[RJ]

There has been more crime on the island.

[Brian]

I'm a little freaked out.

[Megan]

What happens in Thailand stays entitled. What does that mean? It means we're not dead yet. Amen. Amen.

[Brian]

A new season of the HBO original.

[RJ]

Series the White Lotus premieres February 16th.

[Megan]

At 9pm on MAX.

[RJ]

Okay, Brian, keep going.

[Brian]

Now that we're back, we're going to do a vocal jam to celebrate Megan taking junta.

[RJ]

Junta.

[Megan]

I pronounce it junta. But I just want to say that Chris is saying when Fish gets inducted into the hall of fame, they're going to play a picture of nectar. So at the induction, one of those songs. So sounds like that should definitely be in your studio album draft list.

[RJ]

Yeah, I think it's a good justification.

[Megan]

Me too.

[RJ]

But there's no. There's no. There's no wrong. There's no. There's no wrong answers in this. I think in like the tweezer draft there are wrong answers. I think in this draft there are wrong answers.

[Megan]

I agree. This is more of like a what do you like? Which is cool. Which is, I would argue, feeling better about it.

[Brian]

There was not a single wrong answer until like round 150 of the tweezer draft. People just took wrong picks. That's what I would argue. I don't think there were any wrong answers. Like, how do you.

[Megan]

Oh, like there are so many good tweezers.

[RJ]

You mean.

[Brian]

Yes. We can do at least three more tweezer drafts eliminating the ones that we did. And we will all be like, that is a sick tweezer. That's a sick tweezer. Oh my God. That's a sick tweezer.

[Megan]

So true.

[Brian]

All right, so I gotta pick here and I got a big decision to make.

[RJ]

I thought it was my turn.

[Brian]

No, the way a Snake draft works, is it.

[Megan]

Rj, this is a Snake draft. And the way that it works is. Yeah, go ahead, woman, explain you.

[RJ]

I forgot who was in the middle, but now I remember it because it's Brian. He only gets one pick at a time.

[Megan]

Not like me, who gets two picks. Unless it's my second pick and then I only get that one. That's literally my favorite thing ever.

[RJ]

It's maybe the best thing that's ever happened on this show.

[Megan]

I know. It's so good.

[Brian]

I just want to make sure you're.

[Megan]

Can I tell you something really quickly? I have four of my top five albums in this fucking draft right now.

[RJ]

That's awesome.

[Megan]

Four of my five top ranked albums. I'm just feeling that.

[Brian]

We're very proud of you.

[Megan]

Thank you.

[Brian]

What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?

[Megan]

What are you deliberating? Between? I'm curious. I want to know. Not between, but like, where are you thinking? Talk us through this.

[Brian]

So I had a list of six 1.0 albums and five have been taken, two of which by me, elsewhere. So I've got one remaining. But I also am considering expanding the search for 1.0 to a live album. And I'm just looking at my unreleased live album list, which I still have a good amount and I think I can sacrifice. So I think I'm going to do this. I don't think I'm gonna regret this, right? No. No, I'm not.

[Megan]

The 1.0 category is stacked, so I'm.

[Brian]

Gonna go with Slip, Stitch and Pass, which.

[RJ]

Wow. Wow.

[Megan]

That's what I was trying to decide between that and Junta. That was my dilemma.

[Brian]

Well, you picked what you picked. You know? Am I right? Am I right? Yeah.

[Megan]

I'm happy with it. I'm just telling you, you know, I agree with your pick because that was my next choice.

[Brian]

I'm glad. I'm glad you're happy. I'm so happy you're happy. Couldn't be happier that you're happy, you know? Sorry, Peg. I'm just really salty about your Victor disc pic. I'm just really. I'm just gonna be honest.

[Megan]

I know. I can tell I'm gonna get so much shit about this. This is like just as bad as the fucking Boise bag.

[Brian]

It is.

[RJ]

I'm just. I'm texting with Ryan Storms. Okay, let me know when it's my turn.

[Brian]

So Slip, Scissor Pass I'm going to take. Because obviously Fish had released a live one prior to this. This was the first like single show release that we got. This is a very important show for the band and thus a very important release for the band. Especially considering the Wolfman's Brother where they found they felt as though when they came out of it they had figured out who they were going forward. And you get a lot of amazing Mike. You get a really fantastic Cities to Open up which was a bust out first time in three years. Weird Mike's groove. You get a Hell of My Baby at the end, which is just such a. A charming little song that was played so much in the mid-90s and no more solid week. A POG with some. Some Doors quotes. Same with the mics. It's just. I remember buying this and I always. I always think about this version of Cities and like the way that Trey yells nine to the crowd because it's Germany. I don't know. I like it. I think it captures the band at a really interesting point in time. We talked a lot about 1997 last year during the top 25 tours because there's some great tours. We did not include winter 97. However, this is kind of the crux of where 97 fish is born. So I'm happy with this. I'm going to stick with Slip Stitch and pass for my 1.0 albums.

[Megan]

Sick. I, you know, I'm a little sad that you have this and it's kind of funny that you have a little the 97 album and I have the. The 2.0 album. It's kind of funny.

[Brian]

This is what happens.

[Megan]

The. The way that the Wolfmans is like so sultry and it just eases into Jesus just left Chicago. That transition is one of my favorite things. I love this album. I've listened to this album a lot and because I was got to be at the Markt hall the year before, knowing that room, it's so small and just imagining them playing this there is just. I didn't see a show like this when I saw them there. Let's just say that. But it's fine. It was fun. I had a lot of fun.

[RJ]

You sure didn't.

[Megan]

This show was not like this.

[Brian]

Were you at the show where they just got too high?

[Megan]

Yeah, I was at that show. That was. Yeah. In Amsterdam. Yeah. That was crazy. They just sat on the edge of the stage and were smoking. They didn't finish songs. But I didn't know because we'd all been smoking all day, too, so we didn't really. No one really knew what was happening that day. I actually was standing right behind the lightboard. I was, like, right behind Corota then, because there was, like, this spot where we were all kind of. It was so hot in there, too, and it was super oversold, and we were all in kind of the hallway, you know, just being, like, spinning and dancing and stuff. And then I ended up easing up and was, like, right in the soundboard and where the lights were and took a bunch of pictures from there. And it was. Yeah, it was a really. That was a vibey night.

[Brian]

I love it. I love it. That's awesome.

[RJ]

All right.

[Brian]

European Fish. That's a dream. European. I'll tell you what. I'm ready. RJ is up next with two picks, because that's how it. Snake.

[Megan]

Oh, right. Yeah.

[RJ]

All right, I'm going with. Sorry, I didn't mean to scroll down on that. Okay. Okay. So for what category am I in again?

[Megan]

Sorry.

[Brian]

You've got 1.0 album chartered up.

[RJ]

I'm good. I'm good.

[Brian]

LPS and wild card Left.

[RJ]

I'm good. Okay. I guess I'm gonna go with charted LPs. Story of the Ghost. So that's gonna. That. This album. I mean, come on. This is. This is the. The representation of kind of the net. The other side of Fish, Right? Like, this is the beginning of kind of the end of. Of 1.0 fish in terms of, like. In terms of the music. Right.

[Megan]

Like, there's albums.

[RJ]

Yeah, right. Like, it. You know, I. I don't know, like, from the COVID art, which is, like, weird, to the songs that are so weird. I got to talk to Trey about this album at the 20th anniversary, which is really fun, but there's so many songs on here that, you know, really are now, like, such a core part of. Of the Fish repertoire, including, of course, the title track. But I think this was the. I think this is the second one that they recorded at Bearsville. That sound, right? Yeah.

[Brian]

Yeah.

[RJ]

And, you know, it was recorded in two separate chunks, at least maybe three. Like, between 97, early 97, later 97, and then some 98. I mean, I. I think this vibe on this album is, like, unmatched in terms of Fish recorded. Recorded stuff. I think it has. It captures this era perfectly. The songs are great. And there's. It's just, like. I don't know. I guess it's more of a nostalgia thing than anything, but I think it's kind of A perfect representation of where Fish was going toward the end of the 90s.

[Brian]

I think this is something that. I think the only other option here is Billy Breathes for what I'm about to say. But I think that this and Billy Breathes are the two records where the sound on the stage matched the sound on the album. You know, like since then it's been a lot of. Here are just 10 to 12 songs that we've just written and they're gonna be recorded nicely. But like, what does evolve, say about 2023-2024? Fish, what is. You know, I mean, I guess like Joy kind of that whole vibe. But like the sound emitting from the stage is captured in the studio in such a way that I wish they would do more. And you like hear the jams from these songs within these songs in a very, very cool way.

[Megan]

Of this album.

[RJ]

It's so great. It's so great.

[Brian]

A good pick. So charted LPS is closed with Story of the Ghost, Billy Breathes and Rift. That is a pretty like those category albums could be all the 1.0 albums. It's interesting that we applied like the three biggest 1.0 albums to that section and not 1.0. I think that was a self conscious move. That was fun.

[RJ]

Yeah. I'm not sure why.

[Megan]

I don't know why. Because both of them are kind of like stacked. Both of those, like the categories.

[RJ]

Yeah. I guess it's just because there's so much before, like everything's 1.0.

[Megan]

Not everything exactly.

[RJ]

So much of it.

[Megan]

So much.

[Brian]

According to some people, everything is 1.0 and then everything else is just. Sorry you missed the train, man.

[RJ]

Okay. With my next pick, I'm gonna choose farmhouse for the 1.0 album. The first album recorded in the barn. The stories about the recording this album, this is the. This is the flip side of Story of the Ghost. I think in a way, right. It's like loose. It's kind of of. You can tell they didn't like spend that much time on it. I mean, they did on the songs. I think Tom and Trey in particular, like wrote a lot of these songs together. But it's a pretty, like, it's a pretty loose album, you know. And I think the ratings of this album were like, not great. I think heavy things like as a single would like worked for a little bit and it obviously charted. But you know, the just the. Just the end of Twist, which we talked about with Trey on one of the podcasts, like, he said, like, that was how it was. They Just turned. They just, like, let it continue to. Do you guys remember? I think that was on a live again.

[Megan]

Yeah.

[RJ]

Where he talked about that and he talked about how, like, everyone would, like, they would, like, try to tell everyone to be quiet, and they just wouldn't. And you can, like, hear at the end of Twist, you can hear fishermen laughing. You can hear they're just like. They're just partying. And, like, it comes through in this recording and it's like. You can feel the barn vibe. I don't know. It's gotta. I think it's a great album and. And a lot of, like, you know, you get the bill of fleck and. And you get the horns with Grippo and. And Jen Hartswick's first appearance. And there's a lot of historical things that happen with this. With this album. But I also just think the songs are all really good representations of where. Where Tom and Trey were at the time. It's kind of like Story of the Ghost was, like, kind of recorded in the dark in a studio, and this was kind of like, recorded, you know, at three in the morning where everyone was partying, you know, sort of like the other side.

[Megan]

Yeah.

[RJ]

Yeah.

[Brian]

This does feel like the crossover into the. We've got a bunch of songs. We just need to put it on an album. And I think that you get that vibe in terms of.

[Megan]

Of.

[Brian]

It's kind of like nectar. It doesn't have a ton of flow. But also that kind of works to its, like. That works in a sense where it's just like a snapshot of fish at the end of the 90s. And, I mean, this was the record they promoted the most in the 90s. And then they broke up four months later. Yeah, there's all these radio appearances in spring 2000, when Trey was like, in his head, like, I gotta stop doing this. We gotta stop, stop this. What are we doing?

[Megan]

So crazy. And if we didn't have this album, then everybody that I meet that here that is not into fish, that's like, oh, you like fish? They're like, yeah, sometimes I'll. I don't really like fish, but sometimes I'll ask Alexa to play fish. And they always play the song Farmhouse. So every time some person says that to me, we wouldn't have that if it wasn't for this album.

[Brian]

BT to boot. With some just, like, Top of the Rope. It was a tab dump. And everybody followed. Reaching for commercial success. Yuck. I can't say I disagree with what he's saying. Without investment, playing Metronomic roles to trade leads. Yeah, I get that. It feels in some cases, like.

[RJ]

I'm.

[Brian]

Not coming up with a good example right now, but it definitely feels like, yeah, we'll do your thing, Trey, and just get it out there.

[RJ]

Yeah, yeah.

[Megan]

There's less heart in it than some of the other ones, for sure.

[RJ]

It's just a party. It's just a party.

[Brian]

It's a party. It's a total vibe. All right, I'm going next. I have two picks left. I'm still torn about what to do right now. So I've got unreleased live album, and I've got Wild Card. So when I look at my unreleased live album.

[RJ]

Brian, how many picks do you have?

[Brian]

I have two left. So I have one right now because I'm in the middle. That's how a Snake draft works.

[RJ]

I'm trying to make a funny joke. All right, go ahead.

[Brian]

It was. It was funny. I was trying to make one, too. So all of these picks that I have are in my Wild Card segment, but if things break, I have an additional pick in my wild card segment that I might do. But I think I'm gonna go with my gut here, which I don't even know if I am doing. I think if I went with my gut, I'd go with a different pick. What should you do?

[Megan]

I think you gotta go with. With what you love in the strap because it's just. It's too weird otherwise.

[Brian]

Well. But I think it's also, like, a testament, especially this segment of what we think should be released. So, like, chilling, thrilling, like, that could be a really cool recorded studio album as well. The Victor disc, why hasn't that been released on final on Record Store Day? I don't understand why I can't listen on the Live Fish app and I have to listen to it on YouTube like, it's the Cindy Lee album from last year. We have to have your phone open the whole time.

[Megan]

If you do anything else, it, like, shuts off. It's so frustrating.

[Brian]

And this one, it makes zero sense to me that it has not been official release. So I'm going to take it here, which is the man who stepped into yesterday from 1987.

[RJ]

Nice.

[Megan]

The sick list you have going on here.

[Brian]

Oh, thanks. I appreciate it. It could be a little bit more sick if I'd gotten something else, but, you know, I'll take the compliment for the time being, Meg. I appreciate it.

[Megan]

Yeah, I mean, my list would be a little different, too, if I'd gotten something I wanted as well. But, you know, that's the way this draft works, Brian, is that sometimes you don't get what you want.

[Brian]

Yeah. And sometimes, you know, you just. You don't get it in round one, and you're like, oh, okay, I'm just not getting that.

[Megan]

Exactly.

[Brian]

I listened to this and was thinking how inventive Fish was in the mid-80s and how crazy it was that Trey had this in his head and that so many of these songs are still foundational songs in FISH live shows. And I think it could benefit from a updated recording. I thought the way that they restructured the song cycle on the New Year's eve show in 2023 was fascinating, and I would love to hear them try to do that again and. And do that in a recorded setting. But I think that this is a great little snapshot of fish in the 80s as they were not necessarily thinking about jamming. They were thinking about storytelling. And the fact that it is not an official album just ups the lore. So the man who Stepped In Yesterday closes out the unreleased live album section. We've got chilling, thrilling songs of the haunted house in 2014, the man who stepped in yesterday from 1987, and the Victor discovered from 2002. Meg, you've got your.

[Megan]

I just want to say the man. When Trey's narration on the man who Stepped Into Yesterday is so sweet. He's talking, like, really hushed and sweetly into the mic. It's really cute.

[Brian]

Yeah. And he really believes that absolute authority will corrupt absolutely. It's a very Poli Sci 101 lesson that he tries to distill on people, but I don't think people necessarily still grasp it. So it's. It may be simplistic, you know, the. The twist at the end may be simplistic, but it is ultimately. Docs prove us out. So the man who stepped in yesterday, 1987.

[RJ]

Guys. Megan, tell you before. Megan. Before you pick Megan. Thank you, Brian. I like that interjection. That was good. The. The. The range of our picks. So the range of years of our picks, I just was calculating them. So Megan's is 13 years. Brian, yours is 15 years, and mine is 19 years, which I just think is interesting given how that this band has been around for 40 years and.

[Megan]

We'Re like, I'm about to blow that out.

[RJ]

Okay. Because we're operating in, like, a, you know, a small part of the existence of the band. For. With. With good reason, I think. Sorry, Megan, please.

[Megan]

Yeah, definitely with good reason. But I think I have to change that because I have to pick in the 2.0 to 4.0 category and my choices in that category, they're gone. So I had three, but one of them I chose, and then you chose the other two. So I have to make. I have to choose something that's quite different from the rest of my list so far. But I feel good about it. And I love this album. And this album dropped at a moment when everybody was stuck at home. And it was the Pandemic and they announced that they're gonna have a listening party for everybody and drop their brand new album, Stigma Oasis. And it was such a special moment for everybody during the Pandemic. And I think this is.

[RJ]

You know.

[Megan]

They show the montage with all the pictures of them up at the barn and the snow and it's like, it's just like, everything's gonna be okay. Everything's right, you know, and there's a great jam on this album. Speaking about Nap jamming on albums, Brian, here we go. We've got some beautiful songs on here. Songs that Trey really likes to play. So, yeah, I think this album's awesome. And the fact that it came out not that long ago is pretty fucking cool.

[Brian]

So I'm choosing Sigma, Oasis, Vance Powell mixing it. I think everything outside of the recording of Shade is outstanding.

[Megan]

Talk to me about that.

[Brian]

It's basically their long unwinding road. It's like you take a very sweet song and you're just like, let's just. And I love Don Hart. This is not a Donhart hate. And I'm comfortable with my opinion here because I got just like beaten up on Twitter this night when I, like happened to make one note of criticism. But I think that the strings just like drench it in. That sort of like. Like, it's like how I feel about Monsters. It just ends up being like, it's too much. It's way too much feeling. It ends up being a little bit like. It takes this song that I think is like one of the like prettiest love songs that has ever been written by this band. And like in like three minutes gives you the complications of a long term relationship perfectly. And it drenches it with strings. Because of course, like, I would counter that with Running out of Time from Big Boat. That just like simplifies that song and gives it power. But that's me. That's why they don't pay me to record music.

[Megan]

No, I never thought about that. That's interesting. I could see that. Especially because this song, when they play it live, it's super simple. And it hits really deep, so I could see that. I never thought that.

[Brian]

You got one more pick bag.

[Megan]

I do. This is my last pick.

[Brian]

This is your last pick.

[Megan]

Wow. Okay. I kind of forgot I had two. Let's see here.

[Brian]

That's how Snake Draft works. You now only have one. But you had two.

[Megan]

Okay. Awesome. I can pick anything now. That's cool.

[Brian]

You are. You're free to pay anything left.

[Megan]

Hmm. Okay, I'm gonna do this. I don't think anybody's picked this, but I'm picking it.

[Brian]

I'm gonna cross start if it's been taken.

[Megan]

Okay. Let me just make sure. But I don't think it has been. I'm taking the white tape because this is just raw, unfiltered talent. You can hear their skill on, like, basic, shitty instruments. It's experimental. It's weird. They're unafraid to be like, yeah, this song isn't really thought through. It's just, like, an idea. But we're going to put it on this tape. It just feels like a capture of a moment of time in a band practice as opposed to, like, a product. And you still, though even all of that, you still hear the emotion that comes through on Sleep and Divided sky and you realize the potential of this band is so huge. And I love how it bookends with, like, Alumni Blues and the Letter to Jimmy Page at the end. I just think this is just unbridled creativity. And I love this album, and I think it's incredible. It's their first album. They had such a vision already.

[Brian]

Totally. And songs like Minkin and so to Bed, like Anarchy, there's such wild experimentation on this record. This is my number one pick for Wildcard. It's a great pick. I think this record shows, like, a deep artistic side to Fish that I think is slightly overlooked in the general public eye. When you think about them is like a silly jam band. It shows that there's kind of that punkish, indie rock nature to the start of their career in a way that I love. Yeah, this is a great call.

[Megan]

Yeah, that. And so did Fun to listen to Kevin. It's fun, right?

[Brian]

I hadn't listened to so long, I made a list. I. I made a playlist as I was listening along of everything that was available on Apple Music. And I had, like, 10 songs on this record. I was just like, yep, I want to hear that again. Yep. Want to hear that again. So great stuff. Great stuff. Meg took another one of my favorites, but good stuff. All right. Got anything more to say about the white tape.

[Megan]

No, I'm just. I'm excited and. And I feel good about my.

[Brian]

You should be. You should be. You got the victory disc. I'm never gonna live this one down. All right, I have one more pick and I am 99 sure what I'm going with. Yeah, 100%. 100%. I'm gonna go with Caswell Voxed ERO. Wow. 2018.

[RJ]

Look at this guy.

[Brian]

Non attendance bias. I will say I was at this show. That's not why I'm picking it. I. I think that these are some of collectively the best songs the band has ever written. It is really 100%. Wow.

[Megan]

Wow, wow. I. We need to pause that. That is. That's a bold take. That's a.

[Brian]

Is it? Do you want me to read. Do you want me to read the.

[RJ]

No, no, no.

[Megan]

We know it's on the album.

[RJ]

We know the songs. So tell us. Tell us the best written song on the album.

[Brian]

Them. We are come to Outlive Our Brains. That is Probably a top 30 fish song of all time. And it's rarely played. Turtle in the Clouds. Absolute banger of an opener since the dance. Huge hook.

[RJ]

So you are going to go through each of them?

[Brian]

I am, yeah. Sorry, Stray dog. Whatever. Everything is hollow. What a groove. Like Page with the white light coming out of him. We are come to outlive our brains. I. I like. Come on. That is an amazing, gorgeous song. That should there. We should have already had 25 minute version of We Are Come to Outlive Our Brains. Santos has fallen off only because it's like literally just used as a three minute set closer. Or hey, we got five minutes left. So we're doing the encore. But when that song was played in the room. Can I tell you a story about that song in the room?

[Megan]

Yeah, sure.

[Brian]

So I was supposed to do the Vegas run with my wife and about a month before, she was just like, you know what? I want to do Halloween with our son. I'll do Fish Vegas some other time. Why don't you go? And we ended up like doing a contest for the last three nights where we. We auctioned off like people were trying to predict what the band was going to play. Rj, you remember, this was a ton of fun. Really nice guy won. And then he was like, hey, I gotta take off after the first night. So we just like gave away tickets in Las Vegas. But for Halloween, I took my dad. He was in Las Vegas for a trade show show and it was his second fish show he'd ever seen. And we went dressed up as stepbrothers and we had a really awesome crew near us, and they just kept passing my dad joints and he just got really high. And by the last chorus of Santos, he was standing with his arms up yelling, I will always remember where I was. And he'd like, internalized the vibe of the song, and it was amazing. That's awesome.

[Megan]

This sounds like attendance bias probably, but whatever.

[Brian]

The final hurrah Killer that should be jammed out play by play. Super dark, wild groove that should be jammed out. Death don't hurt very long almost ruined fish 2019. But I. I liked that song. It was a lot of fun. Cool. Amber Mercury, Total, total groove. And then Passing Through. Kind of too sentimental, but ultimately a really fun song. Ultimately, I think that this is a perfect 10 song album, and I think that we should get at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 of these songs played way more often than they already are. So I've said enough. Rj, it's your pick. You can finish this out here.

[RJ]

All right.

[Megan]

This is it, rj. Last choice. Let's go.

[RJ]

All right, I'm taking Evolve in the wild card.

[Megan]

Yeah. Nice.

[RJ]

I think. I think evolve is awesome. I mean, this is you. Actually, you know what? There are people I know who host. Co. Host podcast with me who say that. That 2024 fish is some of the best fish of all time. And. And those people who believe that and think that and talk about it. None of that would be possible without these songs, which I think is so true.

[Megan]

Yeah, of course.

[Brian]

Interesting. That's interesting.

[RJ]

Wave of Hope Pillow Jets Life Saving Gun. Come on, Oblivion. These. These are. These are. These are fueling what you're hearing right now. That always. It's been the case since the beginning, but we've talked about this a million times.

[Megan]

Super sophisticated songwriting on this album, I think. Super. I think it's love this album.

[RJ]

Songs are great.

[Megan]

It got him into the rock.

[Brian]

It's got hey Stranger on it.

[RJ]

Hey. I think hey Stranger is a good. Some of the YouTubers.

[Brian]

Hey stranger.

[RJ]

This is almost. This is very. It's a very Trey heavy album with like, obviously some Tom and Scott and then a mic song, but, you know, it's. It's almost tray driven.

[Megan]

Yeah.

[RJ]

The, like 2023 fish doesn't exist without some of these songs. The. The new material always gives them, you know, inspiration and fuel for improvisation. And without. Without these songs, like, Fish wouldn't be jamming how they are right now. I think it's pretty. I think that's like a Pretty. Pretty obvious statement.

[Brian]

So you think the songs are what led to the jams?

[RJ]

Well, I mean, I think the jam. You know, some of the. Some of the songs were created probably from jams. I mean, I. I don't know where the. Where the chicken or egg thing is in this case, but I know that, you know, this. The same thing happened in. I mean, I don't know. It happens every time they put out new albums. There's. There's new material, and it doesn't have to be an album. It could be like in 2015 when they. They started debuting all those awesome songs, and. And that year was incredible. I think it happens every time they introduce, like, a batch of new songs, and I think this album is a good representation of where they are now.

[Brian]

Can I make a slight counter?

[RJ]

Yeah, please.

[Brian]

You want to address your final pick? Because you could. I would allow it. If Maggie wanted to do this. I wouldn't allow it. But I would argue that the. The sonic palette that led to the jamming came from a album two years prior or three years prior when it was recorded, which is. Get more down. But I just don't think that you have the balls to take it.

[RJ]

Yeah.

[Megan]

First of all, that album sucks. And let me just say that was one of the albums that I did not listen to on my tour through Fish albums. I'm not going to say what the other one was because someone picked it.

[Brian]

What was the other one? You have to say it now. You can't not say it.

[Megan]

Cassotbox. Hey, man, I don't love it. I don't love it.

[Brian]

That's. That. Hey, we're all entitled to our own opinion, even when it's wrong. The. The Run From Egg in a Hole through the Unwinding is some of, like, the most beautiful. Fish. But it's okay. It's okay.

[Megan]

But, like, honestly, that. That album is just like, what is actually happening. It's. No, it's not.

[Brian]

Fish is experimenting in the studio.

[RJ]

No. Not good.

[Megan]

No, because that. That was good and I think it led to awesome. There's no doubt. But that album is just. There's no argument for that album being good. There's just not.

[Brian]

I'm gonna make the argument.

[Megan]

But we did.

[Brian]

What I. What I. What I would argue is the best song on Evolve is human nature.

[Megan]

It's just my human nature.

[Brian]

I think that song bangs. That's all.

[RJ]

Bangs. That's.

[Brian]

You're.

[RJ]

You're allowed to. I mean, you're allowed to have. Have, you know, whatever you.

[Brian]

Even when it's Even when it's wrong. Even when it's wrong.

[Megan]

I do actually like that song. I think it's kind of fun. It's one of Mike's better ones for sure.

[Brian]

Good. He's happy that you feel that way.

[Megan]

Yeah, I'm sure. I'm sure.

[RJ]

All right. So evolve as a song is amazing.

[Brian]

Perfect.

[Megan]

It's perfect song.

[RJ]

Amazing, amazing song.

[Brian]

Absolutely perfect.

[RJ]

They can play at every show. I'd be happy. Okay.

[Brian]

I would be so into it. So we've got that. Just to run through it one more time. RJ selected Farmhouse. The Headphones Jam chilling, thrilling songs of the Haunted House. A live one Story of the Ghost. And Evolve. I selected Slip Stitch and Pass Round Room, the Man who Stepped Into Yesterday, the Sick Disc, Billy Breeze and Coswell Vox, which Megan refused to listen to because she doesn't like good music. And Megan picked a picture of Nectar Sigma Oasis, the victor disc, because she's cold hearted. Junta. Or Junta, depending on where you emphasize Rift and the white tape. We're gonna send this out to the people so that you can tell us who you think won the Phish studio albums draft. This was really fun.

[Megan]

It was so fun. I actually debating with you guys, it.

[RJ]

But it was super fun. Can I. Can I do the same thing? Can I do the same thing I did last time with this osirispod.com vote and I'll put a Google forum together.

[Megan]

Please, please do that. And then we'll push it out. And I think what's cool about this is that all of our list of albums. This is just sick. Like, these are the sickest. This is the best stuff and it's awesome. It's a cool list.

[RJ]

I agree.

[Megan]

Yeah.

[RJ]

I just want to say as we're wrapping up, we have gotten some more responses for People's four favorite versions of bathtub gin ever for the premiere episode of our Mount Rushmore series. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to participate in a series and one, you know, if you participate in the first episode, you know, you got it on the ground floor. So don't miss your once in a lifetime opportunity and go to osirispod.com rushmore to vote because we're going to be doing that in a couple weeks. So it's all happening. And it is crazy that lawn boy and host Hoist got left off.

[Megan]

Hoist was definitely like right there for me, but I decided for the white tape. But that was definitely my next option.

[RJ]

Unbelievable. It was fun. Look at this. The helping friendly podcast friendly in all caps.

[Megan]

Because Brian friendly.

[Brian]

I'm. I'm. I don't. How am I not being friendly? Like you said, you had a good list. You had a great list because you, you had a great list. I don't know what to tell you. Alpharetta 2010 gin on the Mount Rushmore. So we are, we are picking four bathtub gins. I am here for the argument of that being the one of the top four. I'm willing to listen to it. It willing to listen to the argument. I am currently going through all of the bathtub gins ever played and compiling the list. I should be ready for our first episode on March 3rd. But what is next? What do we have next week? What do we have on Monday?

[RJ]

I just want to say, in case Kevin Shapiro is still listening. The. The. The main reason that you should think about 72599 as an official release is that you can tell how much work Brian puts into this podcast and how much he cares about the music. He's going through every jam charted version of Bathtub Gin to try to narrow it down to make everyone's lives easier. And just that's the kind of dedication really that it. That it takes to get an official release. And I, I'm willing, if you're waiting for me to suggest one, I'm willing to pass mine onto Brian so that, so that Brian can get his official release.

[Megan]

That's so generous, rj. Wow, that's awesome.

[RJ]

I just want Brian to have his official release. Can you imagine what's going to happen when they actually release it? Brian's gonna.

[Megan]

It's gonna be so exciting. It's going to be so exciting. It's going to be to this time with him.

[Brian]

It's going to be to this thread what Zach Levine being traded two weeks ago was to my basketball thread. There are moments of joy and ecstasy that happen in life very, very infrequently. Sometimes you're saddled with Zach Levine for eight years. Sometimes Fish decides to not release your favorite show over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. So, you know, I put in a little bit of work for this band, hoping to get just a little bit out. And that's what I'm hoping for. 725.99. Come on.

[RJ]

All right, so go to go to osirispod.com draft to vote on on the winner of this. That'll be set up whenever this episode comes out. Next week we have Ryan Storm coming on to talk about Mexico 2019, which he is a big fan of and this has been on the. Has been on the list. So Ryan was going to join us after that. Well, we're going to Launch this on March 3rd. In the middle, we're going to try something different and we're going to just. We're going to. I'm going to choose a topic and we are going to come prepared to discuss a topic. Fish related. It's going to be fun.

[Megan]

It's going to be so fun. Round table. Round table or round room?

[RJ]

Round room. It's adorable. All right, everybody, have a great week.

[Megan]

Thanks everyone. That was fun.

[RJ]

See you soon.

[Brian]

See you guys. Sa.

[RJ]

Every listener to Too Much Effing Perspective knows that my co host Alan Keller is a music nerd.

[Brian]

And right up there in his pantheon.

[RJ]

With the Beatles and Elvis Costello is the Clash. So Alan, it's one thing for you to be a nerd, but how did.

[Brian]

You rope in a Cool Guy311's Nick Hexum into a full on Clash geek fest on our show?

[RJ]

Well, first of all, Alex, it was your idea. No, Right.

[Megan]

Second, Nick actually jammed with the Clash's.

[Brian]

Joe Strummer in a supergroup that included.

[Megan]

Flea and Tom Morello.

[RJ]

Okay, well, there is that. And finally, one member of the Clash.

[Brian]

Cited this is final Tap, the reason our show even exists as his favorite movie. Which one? Hey, if you want to find out, you gotta listen to Too Much Effing Perspective. That's Too Much Effing Perspective. The only podcast you crank up to.

[RJ]

11.

[Brian]

One hit thunder is a podcast where we both celebrate and have a good laugh about bands and artists that had just one hit that we all know. Each week we're joined by a guest from the world of music or comedy to learn more than you ever thought you would about some songs that you can't forget. And we decide if they brought the One Hit Thunder or nothing more than a one hit blunder. Look, if you listen to the show, you're probably gonna laugh and I guarantee you're gonna crush next time the bar has music trivia. Tag Team Jane Child, Meredith Brooks, Looking glass, Sean Mullins, Eiffel 65 EMF, Crash Test Dummies, Crazy Town, Chumbawamba. We have hundreds of episodes in our back catalog and a new episode each week. So pass the dutchy, make sure you're connected and subscribe to One Hit Thunder wherever you get your pods.