Artist Phish

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Phish

Facile comparisons between Phish and The Grateful Dead are nothing new, and easy enough to compile: long songs with lots of virtuosic wankery, albums that take a backseat to electrifying live shows, dedicated hordes of fans selling drugs in the stadium parking lot. The list goes on. But now that Phish has been around for almost as long as its storied antecedents, another common thread is revealing itself: an intensity that swallows musicians whole, and sometimes wrecks them pretty good. Phish announced its decision to quit for good in 2004, citing exhaustion, but it turned out it the band's music was also its lifeblood: Only five years have passed, and the group is back with a new studio album, Joy, and a characteristically epic tour.

Updated 11/18/2009