If you are any kind of Phish fan, you already know about the new 13 minute single released this week via iTunes, “Time Turns Elastic”.  (It’s also streaming on their myspace if you do not mess with iTunes.)  The band announced it the same way they announce anything these days- with a video on their website:

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/4838833[/vimeo]

I have to confess, the video makes it sound pretty rockin’ and awesome. But, isn’t this the same piece that Trey composed with a classical conductor and debuted with Orchestra Nashville?

Of course, it is.

But it has been craftily re-arranged for the quartet. Just do yourself a favor; don’t go expecting this to be “You Enjoy Myself”.  What we have here is an epic piece with some pretty cool music and, honestly, painfully heartfelt lyrics that often do not make any sense (except, hopefully, to Anastasio, himself.) I suspect that much of this is about the journey Trey has been on over the past few years since he broke up the band, got arrested, went to jail and got sober. I further suspect that this is song that is very dear to Trey and will figure prominently throughout the upcoming Summer Tour. But, that being said, the vocals are mixed too far out in front of the band. Trey’s voice is not better than it was when they recorded Billy Breathes and couched the warm, half-spoken, vocals neatly within the mix. The lyrics aren’t better either. So why must they be thrust out in front with almost cringe-inducing effect?

I’ll stop bashing it now… It’s not a complete loss. Many of the sequences feature very promising music that I hope will expand nicely onstage.

Speaking of which, do you realize that leg one of Phish’s Summer tour starts this weekend? It all kicks off at Boston’s Fenway Park on Sunday.  It’ll be another week before I get to see them, but I hope to bring you guys some first-hand commentary from the road as soon as possible. And maybe, just maybe, we’ll see you there!