Phish: The Biography

by Parke Puterbaugh

The definitive biography of the jam band based on original interviews, by a veteran music journalist

Drawing upon nearly fifteen years of exclusive interviews with the members of Phish, veteran music journalist Parke Puterbaugh examines the colorful chemistry that inspired the wildly popular rock group to push their four-man experiment to the limit. An intimate and fascinating portrait, The Biography is the definitive story of these Vermont jam-band legends.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Biography, History, Rock N Roll

318 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[H R Koelling · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw my first Phish show on May 11, 1989. It happened at a little dive bar called Pauly's Hotel in Albany, NY. I was 18-years-old and still in high school.

I remember being at school the next day babbling incessantly about the band I saw the night before. I stumbled from class to class in a daze, unable to concentrate, convinced I had witnessed the greatest live show I would ever see.

I told all my friends, and anyone else who would listen, that Phish was destined to play at the (then known as) Knick Arena in five years. My prediction was a little off. It took five and a half years.

I could tell from that very first show, in that very tiny venue, like so many other people who were lucky to catch the Phish bug early on, that these guys had what Duke Ellington called that "je ne sais quoi."

I was definitely an early Phish Phan, but I couldn't adjust to the changes that happened when the intimacy of the small venue shows disappeared. I attended my last domestic Phish show sometime in the early 90s, except for a trip to the Clifford Ball in 1996. The crowds just got too big, I couldn't get up to the front of the stage to watch Trey's mouth get all googly, and a lot of people weren't there to listen to the music. It started to become a big party scene with a lot of messed up people doing messed up things. I did my share of partying too, but the vibe changed as the crowds grew. The security at the bigger venues was also a drag.

I haven't read any of the other Phish bios or books, so this was a bit of a trip down memory lane. I'm not convinced Mr. Puterbaugh really spent enough time writing about their early years. Other Phish bios have probably gone down this road before. Granted, the author wasn't even aware of the band until Phish really started to get famous in the mid-90s, but I wish I could have learned more about the band's early formative years. That said, I also realize that the story of Phish is really the story of the band AFTER the Clifford Ball. That's when their popularity grew exponentially and that's when things really started to click on a national level.

After reading this book I realized why I loved Phish so much. It wasn't just their music. There was something else there too. I hope everyone reaches the same conclusion if they haven't already. Trey, Mike, Page, and John are genuinely great people. They're nice guys. They're intelligent. They work very hard. They are humble. They love what they're doing. And on top of all that, they are great friends who really enjoy each others' company.

Another important thing I learned from this book is that great music flows from great people. Not only are the individual members of Phish excellent musicians, but they are also wonderful human beings. Trey is portrayed as one of the nicest and hardest working guys in the music business. No one has ever said he's arrogant, indifferent, or a jerk. He is a force of nature, but also a genuinely pleasant human being.

I think the greatest insight this book has to offer can be read in the first Appendix. It contains the best encapsulation of what Phish represented in their heyday. The Appendix contains the author's personal interview with Trey, which occurred in May 2009. In the interview, Trey says something to the effect that, "I feel very lucky to have channeled the music that was perfect for the time it was performed." That's part of what makes all great music successful. Phish had the right sound and the right attitude at the right time.

I'm glad I was there to see and hear these guys play during the waning years of the 20th century. Those incredible moments were the basis for what makes their music so beloved and enduring to this day.

[Todd · Rating 2 out of 5]

I suppose I shouldn't have expected much from a tell-all biography, but my god Puterbagh's writing leaves much to be desired. Puterbagh had such a wealth of sources available to him that he could have written some truly meaningful analysis of the band, but instead falls into the gossipy traps that fans clamor for; this is especially true when addressing the drug use surrounding the band. The book is definitely written exclusively for the diehard Phan, with Puterbagh casually using Phishisms like "cow funk" when describing a jam. Yeah, I know what that is because I've listened to 1997 Phish; but it's hard to view the book objectively when it's littered with stereotypical hippie-speak. The narrative is also filled with these little detours and diversions that really hurt the flow of the book. For example, in the middle of discussing the album Farmhouse, Puterbagh suddenly jumps into a discussion of cover songs, only to return several pages later back to Farmhouse. My last criticism is that he completely passes over the Phish Destroys America tour. Puterbagh does not shy away from his belief that Phish obtained perfection in 1994, and it was ALL downhill after Clifford Ball. As for fall 1997, he pretty much writes it off as being too "ambient" and "trance-like." Perhaps I'm being too hard on Puterbaugh, the book definitely delivers when it comes to providing an insider's account of the band's highs and lows throughout their career; I can't fault him for that. The flaws in the writing itself probably mean, however, that I will not be returning to Phish: The Biography anytime soon.

[Cliff Hays · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very well written and researched glimpse into the behind-the-scenes world of Phish. If you are curious as to how four individually awesome musicians were able to find such amazing chemistry together I definitely recommend this one. It is also great in that it chronicles many of their live shows as well as the making of all of their albums (up to 2009).

[Brandon Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book would have been vastly more interesting if it was the first book on the band I'd read and if I hadn't read countless articles about them. I found that it was more of a recounting of things I already knew, which isn't really the author's fault. I do wonder if it was my first foray into the Phish world if I would have left this book fairly confused on the timelines due to Puterbaugh's tendency to jump around in the story a lot. With that said, I did enjoy the book but I enjoy everything Phish related so that might not be the fairest of reviews.

[alexbraus · Rating 5 out of 5]

i wanted to learn more about the band phish and i did so by reading this book ✅

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Phish: The Biography was a quick, light read, so very enjoyable in that sense- I did, however, find Puterbaugh to be only a mediocre writer, perhaps even scatter-brained in his narrative. On top of that, a lot was left out, as I later learned, as the author likely wanted to preserve the tight friendships he had developed with the band members over the years. Examples: hard drug use was brushed over (save Trey, who was even given a pretty sympathetic treatment); the affair between Page's wife and the DryGoods guy (which probably had a lot more to do with the band-office tension than was admitted); excessive blame placed on that tension, as opposed to drug use; and Mike's pedophilia case (which I like to pretend didn't happen anyway, since Mike is the coolest).

I can't deny, however, that the book was relatively insightful, and that I learned a lot from it. The insider interviews and detailed stories from the early days were really interesting, and added a lot of perspective to a new(er) fan's attitude toward the band. So ultimately, I can't pan it too much since it gave me a greater appreciation for their career, their inventiveness and ambition, and theit body of music overall. I'd recommend it to a Phan, or maybe someone with an interest in the career arc of a highly important/influential band. Probably not for just casual readers, though

[Erin Cataldi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely an eye opening and informative book. I'll admit that I knew next to nothing about the band's actual history. I've listened to all the studio albums (and many live ones), seen them live once and read JAMerica; which is all I knew about them before I read this. Written for the laymen and the curious this book tracked their beginning, their rise, their breakup and eventual reunion in 2009. Written through the adoring eyes of a fan, it still remains honest and critical about many moments in the band's career. Reading this definitely makes me appreciate the creative process behind Phish's songs and makes me like them even more. I'm sad I came on the scene late, but better late than never.

[Justin Harnish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Phish have been one of my favorite bands since I saw my first show (11/28/1994) on my campus (Montana State University) in Bozeman, Montana and since I took in my first set of shows and my first summer of shows in the subsequent years. I remain a fan and am still hoping for a miracle ticket, albeit from too far away for anyone to really know.

This biography was fun and well-written, offering me a lot of new listening opportunities on the Relisten app. Phish may not be for everyone but I think this biography details their musical expertise and truly honed band synchronicity that makes them all the more fun to listen to. Parke is a fan but tells the whole story and it was a great read.

[Marc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing new here, but it's about as well written as anyone is going to do when trying to be poignant or accurate about a complete anomaly. Some new interviews and thoughts on latter year stuff that wasn't overly cheesy. Attempts to present a more global perspective on all of the weird stuff from late 90's and on that led to the ultimate debacle in 2004. Much better than the other bio's out there, but nothing that the typically obsessive fan wouldn't have otherwise seen/thought/heard already. Still really enjoyable if you love them.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I had some minor complaints, this does give a pretty good overview of Phish from their inception to the return from the second hiatus. There wasn't a whole lot new I learned about the early years, but this did give me more insight into the depressing break-up. Someday a more full tale will be told about Phish, though hopefully not for many more years, until that day this makes for a decent place to go.

[Josh Firer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was surprised to learn how seriously Phish worked to develop some of their famous techniques. Their ability to improvise as a group came out of dedicated and creative practice. Who knew they actually trained as a barbershop quartet!? I learned more from this book about the group, especially their early years, than I expected to.

[Brian Toro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read for any Phish phan, or lover of music! This book takes a great dive into the bands beginnings, peaks and valleys, breakup, and rekindling.

[Kevin R · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read, I learned more than I expected. Stylistically it wasn't the greatest, and the author clearly had strong personal opinions about the changes in the music and scene over the years, but I actually enjoyed how present the author's own voice was, particularly because I disagreed with many of his views. It led to a more critical, engaged reading instead of just passively accepting every word as definitive.

My tldr of some of his views: Pre-Clifford Ball Phish was best. Gamehenge is a masterpiece that deserves further development. Banter and gags were great. 1997 to hiatus was boring. Ecstasy entering the scene was a major cause of the shift towards more repetitive grooves. 2.0 (particularly 2003) was actually pretty good. Not a fan of the albums SotG or Farmhouse. The employees were a major cause of the band's stress and the ballooning of the Betty Ford Clinic scene.

Now for some of my biases. Born in 1991 so clearly I never saw a 1.0 show. I grew up casually listening to some studio albums thanks to a brother 10 years older than me but my first taste of getting "it" came from an audience taping of 2004-06-24 set 2. I never heard the first set until years later but I loved that recording. Which is an unusual introduction to live Phish since that show was less than 2 months before Coventry. Overall, 2.0 gets a horrible reputation among fans but it's probably my favorite period.

My first in-person show wasn't until 2011. To me, the shakedown scene, big venues, lack of banter, etc. were all just a part of the experience from the beginning. But I can empathize with people who had gotten into Phish much earlier -- so much about the music and the scene must feel unrecognizable.

I have no complaints about our differing opinions or even the extended focus on Gamehenge or lamenting about how things have changed for the worse. I think honestly my biggest issue with the book was the glossing over of how the music changed in 1997-99. There was one passing mention of how they were channeling some of the 1996 Halloween cover of Remain in Light and then just like a half mention of cow funk without any context for how it appeared. I appreciated the idea that the changing acoustics of big venues didn't lend themselves to busy playing (hadn't heard that before) but he spent more time on the ecstasy hypothesis. I guess it's because this time period was largely a write off to Puterbaugh (with notable exceptions like Big Cypress) but as someone who loved the shift towards more minimal funk I would have appreciated an exploration of how this shift came about.

I can't compare this to other Phish books since it's the first one I've read but overall it was a quick read and worth my time and I may try another Phish history at some point.

[Brandon Munson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got into Phish a little later that I should've. I believed that as a Widespread Panic fan it was my duty to ignore the order of "Gotta Jibboo", and reject the several free tickets that were offered to me to help me change my mind. I relented on July 30th 2003 in Camden New Jersey with scalped Pit tickets, and realized the error of my previous thinking. Seeing Phish live has been the pinnacle of live music for me, and I encourage anyone with a zest for live music/art/experience

If you are dipping your toe into Phish, or enjoy their music without knowing their history, this book is for you. If you have ever spent time in a Phish lot or message board, there really isn't much insight here, but it still is a fun read. There are some insightful anecdotes and interesting first-hand accounts, but nothing that hasn't been discussed ad-nauseum elsewhere.

I enjoyed Parke's writing and found it a quick read that didn't delve too deep into music theory, economics, or slander when it very easily could have. Parke also did a great job of capturing the different themes of Phish albums and eras and effectively unpacking a ton of inter-song lore.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came late to the party. Last year, I asked the Alexa to play songs by Phish. I don't know why. After a few songs, I thought, "These guys are pretty good." After a few more, I thought, "These guys are very good." A year later, I'm totally hooked, listening to them pretty much all the time, and am hoping to see the for the first time this summer. I only offer that dull lead-in to establish myself as someone who didn't know anything--or not much of anything--about the band before reading this book. I imagine that long-time Phisheads will find this old news. For me, it was fine: Puterbaugh tells the origin story and is good with how the financial burdens and hangers-on affected the band, the breakup, and reunion. I never got a great sense of their personalities other than Trey=leader, Fish=wild, Page=quiet, Mike=funny. But it's a fast enough read and did its job. My thoughts are frozen, like everything else.

[Caleb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m a fan of the band, been watching all of the “Dinner and a Movie” concerts on YouTube during COVID. This book had been on my shelf for awhile and since I’d been enjoying so much of the music I figured it was about time I read It.

In general, I enjoyed it because I’m such a fan, and I learned a few cool minor details, but there wasn’t anything particularly remarkable about this book. The guys are talented, they worked hard, made it big, and there was a breakup and then a reunion.

I was late to the party, my first show was the final Red Rocks show on the reunion tour in 2009, but I’d read enough to get the gist of their story. And while the author had great access, his writing style is pretty flat and as others have pointed out, some important things were left out or glossed over.

Also, I’m a little surprised a new edition with stories from the 3.0 era hasn’t come out. It feels a little dated now tha the guys have been at it for another 11 years.

[Jack Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty serviceable bio. I think a newer edition would do it some good. Seems like the author was a bit reticent to critique the band (understandable due to the close friendship they have), but I think now that we're almost 20 years post reunion I'd like to hear some of the rougher details. A lot of this feels like a kinda extended wikipedia article in the later years. Its not necessarily bad, but not groundbreaking. With some time and space I think a revised and expanded edition could be really great. Best part is learning that Trey, who loves everybody, tried to record with Rick Beato and got so fed up with him he called him a "complete nut."

Also, i don't know if this was just my edition, but there were several glaring errors in the text. A few sentences were repeated, couple gramatical errors, misspelled words. I'm not one to talk (I think most of my reviews on here can barely be qualified as english), but it really felt like this could've used another pass by the editors.

[Ben Hamelin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Must read for fans, my first show was summer '98 and I'm a huge fan, there were many neat things I learned from this excellent work.

For casual or the curious, this is a great summary of one of the most successful, non-traditional, interesting and accomplished bands of our time. Of particular note for those who may be interested to learn more, is the history of this group as a "jam band." While they certainly are, their catalog, especially early originals, are thoroughly and heavily composed works, which the band would practice for hours on end. This rich history of a truly dedicated group of musicians is the real beauty of Phish.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Been listening to Phish since 1992 and seen 30+ shows. Found this to be an enjoyable read - mostly anecdotes about the band through the years. Wish it was written 5+ years later to get a better sense of their most recent reincarnation, but that is certainly not the author’s fault. It’s not hard hitting—while the bands drug use and its role in the hiatus break up is addressed, there aren’t a ton of specifics. Fun, easy read.

[Dana Fernety · Rating 4 out of 5]

I confess I like Phish more as a concept than as a band. Reading this book was a way to learn about Phish. It helped a great deal. This is a thorough, straightforward telling of the band’s story. The writing is crisp, though it often reads as a long article in Rolling Stone. This book opens the door to an iconic band.

[Colton Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great source of information for anyone looking for more information about the legendary band Phish. Details from origin, breakups, to now and everything in between. Even if you are neutral on them I think it’s a good band read. If you are wondering, yes I am a huge Phish fan but regardless I would recommend it as a great band biography for fans and non fans.

[Adam Rugnetta · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to learn more about the band before catching a few shows from their 40th anniversary summer tour. At times I found the writing repetitive or strangely organized. Still. I learned a lot in this well-researched easy read.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it.

[Wray F · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know all the stories. Now I do.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good overview of the band's dynamics and creative motivations. Finished wanting a bigger peek behind the curtain.

[Joshua Friedman · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️ ½

[David Hosier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extensive background and history on the band from its founding up until 2009.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good history but I don't think the writing was very inspiring. A lot of interesting quotes and stories directly from the band but I didn't learn much new from it.

[evan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It does a decent job of telling phish's story, but it really wasn't a great book. The writing was extremely uneven. The author was trying to tell a story in largely chronological order, but pull things from different periods times as they were relevant to a particular theme. Unfortunately, he wasn't very graceful about this, and so his writing was just very choppy and awkward.

The story spent a lot of time in the early years of phish and sped up a lot towards the end. This was odd because he began to interivew phish himself around 1995, so from there on, he should have a lot more detail to share from his own account. Instead, he just started skimming through the years. There were also moments of being extremely judgmental in odd ways: completely dissing The Disco Biscuits for a few pages for no good reason, and referring to the 1997-1998 years as being lackluster, even though most people in the phish community regard 1997 as one of the highlight years.

Also for all the "scandalous" things he touches on he skims over so much of it that it just seems sort of annoying; "I'll tell you details, but not really".

There were things I didn't know, and it got me listening to a lot (too much?) of phish in recent weeks in a way I hadn't in awhile, so that was enjoyable. Reminded me of why I fell in love with them in the first place.

[Mat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite having read all there ever was to read abotu this band, this bio did a good job of keeping me netertained while recountingthe early years of the band and even revealing some interesting and new details from the inside about the really early years. The second half of thebook relating to the 1999-2009 was the reeason why i really bought and read this book and it didnt disappoint.

The author uses accounts from Phish's close entourage as well as testimonies from the band memebres themselves, either direct or via interviews, to weave a semi-formal account of the dark years that is difficult to refute. Finally enough light is shed onto all these years to dispense with the rash rumors and more or less officialize what really happened and why. Of course, the subjectiveness of the author means he does a good job laying out the circumstances of Phish's downfall ina forgiving way. I would assume that since most readers will be similarly inclined to understand, sympathize and forgive when presented with the case made by Puterbaugh. Would an impartial non-phan? probably too.

Thankfully, the fact that the band came abck together so triumphantly in 2009 makes the reading a lot more enjoyable. Had it been published in 2008 it would have been a real bummer :)