Search - Phish - Live in Brooklyn on DVD

Bittersweet

B Brown | Los Angeles, CA | 08/02/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This is not a very good show, but it still beats just about any other live act that was around in 2004. By this time Trey had pretty much stopped listening to the other three members of the band and arrogantly wanked off on solos that stretched for far too long while the other guys awkwardly kept the rhythm going. Any fan of Phish knows that the essence of their beautiful, transcendant jams was based on their ability to listen to each other, "connect" with each other, and build stunning new creations in unison.

Many of the songs in this show rock, for sure. But it's not just about the buzz, the party, and the shredding. What made Phish special was their unique ability to jam as one. By 2004 it was mostly Trey tearing the crap out of his guitar and using the rest of the band as a backing unit. What's worse is that the band had obviously gotten lazy and cut way back on rehearsing, and it shows, as many of the more intricate tunes are flat-out butchered. Still, it's Phish, it's pretty good, and probably worth the money, depending on how diehard you are."

Mediocrity, thy name is "Live in Brooklyn"

CM | Massachusetts | 07/15/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Thought about going for 1 star to counteract all the mindless 5-star [cough] reviews [cough] on this page.

Here's the rundown. Fanboys and girls will eat it up. 5starz, ez! Jaded heads will talk about how phish peaked, and it's been all downhill ever since 90/93/95/97/Big Cypress. Whatever.

Truth, as always, is in the middle. This isn't a bad show. But it isn't a particularly good one, either. The first set is hit or miss. Aside from "Dinner," the first 45 minutes are mostly forgettable. Moma>Free is a genuine highlight. Maze, Fankenstein are hollow shells of their former selves. 2nd set starts well. 46 Days > Possum, Oh Kee Pah > Suzy are all strong, without too many strey notes. From that point on, though, it's fairly disappointing as several would-be climaxes fizzle, failing to live up to potential. The encore is brutal.

Recommendation:
Ignore the hype; this is not "the one." Buy it for Moma and the first 45 minutes of set II."

The good, the bad and the beautiful

The Delite Rancher | Phoenix, Arizona | 09/03/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

""Live in Brooklyn" is a good DVD with issues. True, the show choice is odd considering that there are probably more worthy shows within the Phish vaults. It seems that in the previous reviews, the musical quality has been exaggerated to both extremes. The simple truth is this is an average show -even if it was during their decline. It is true that this performance features unexpected sloppiness. While one would expect a DVD concert to be above average, let's remember "Live in Vegas" -the show where phans actually cheered the impending hiatus. Add that to "Bittersweet Motel" and the band has a lukewarm video offering. Yes there are issues, but let's also remember that on such an average night, Phish still outshined most of their musical peers. Highlights include 'Moma Dance,' 'Free,' '46 Days' and 'Weekapaug Groove.' While the music may have issues, the video is high quality. Without bells or whistles, the camera work and video editing is straight forward. Listening to Phish in 5.1 surround sound is deeply satisfying. Especially during the jams, the audio editor spread the psychedelic sounds around the room to maximize the experience. Some believe that it is their duty as real phans to hate this DVD because it shows a moment long past the band's climax. Instead of being hypercritical, appreciate "Live in Brooklyn" for what it is: an average night. While not as strong as "It," "Live in Brooklyn" is an entertaining snap shot of an emotionally charged time in Phish history."

Keep settling for mediocrity, and that's all you'll ever get

anon. | 07/17/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

""Jaded head" checking in here :)
Yes, the lights are pretty. And the production quality is *way* better than the Vegas release. That alone makes this release worth considering, as the only high quality complete show release on DVD. And no, it's not about the songs. It's about the execution. I'm not writing a review to bash LiB, and I'm not going to praise it uncritically either. That's a waste of time.

I'd describe this DVD as a well-packaged, well-produced release of a show that, well, is what it is. It's got some highlights and some lowlights. Kung is performed so ironically that it pains me to see folks taking it seriously. Mike's Groove and Divided add nothing to this release. It's as if the band is trying to put an exclamation point on what began as a really good set, but they just can't do it. They keep reaching. And keep coming up short. And in the end, it really is sad to see them unable to put together even a serviceable, workman-like performance of the classics that once made them. Instead of trying to do more than they were capable of, it might have been more effective just to play a fast and loud Piper that nobody would have expected anything more from. This shouldn't be a controversial point. After all, the band didn't disband because they were tired of success; it was their respect for the fans, and their unshakable conviction that the vitality that defined their rise to greatness was gone.

My bottom line: This release shows *both* what made phish great, and what made them eventually pull the plug. I agree that it has $20 worth of material on it - easy. But it still leaves me hoping that we might someday get something that really shows what made this band great. Maybe something along the lines of, say, an anniversary reissue of the Great Went on DVD. I think the band deserves it as much as the fans do. So, for me, it's disappointing to see them embrace mediocrity when greatness is out there. Subject line says it all."