One of the great things about my involvement in music, both as a practitioner and as an academic, is that every year I am fortunate enough to be introduced to new music. Recently, when this happens I also find myself readdressing my musical history, in particular, favourite artists from my past that I had for one reason or another stopped listening to as much as I once did. Last year, the new band was Coheed & Cambria, courtesy of my 15 year old cousin, which led me to turn back to Rush and some of the heavier music of my high school years (Metallica, Van Halen). This year, I became acquainted (obsessed is perhaps a better word) with Umphrey’s McGee, courtesy of my friend Alex. Umphrey’s, with their incredible blend of jamband and prog rock aesthetics, inspired me to go back and listen with fresh ears to one of my favourite bands, Phish.
In doing so, I find that I come back, time and time again, to Trey Anastasio’s incredible guitar work on Phish’s quirky but epic “Reba” from 1990’s Lawnboy. I have always held the guitar solo from the studio version as an example of a “perfect” guitar solo, if there can be such a thing. I saw Phish a few times live (Concert Hall-Masonic Temple, Toronto 04/06/1994, The Great Went, Limestone, ME 08/16/1997, 08/17/1997 and Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, MI 11/11/1998) but I never once saw a live “Reba”. I have been on a bit of a Phish binge recently, and have been focussing on a lot of the Live Phish series, a great many of which come with “Reba’s”, to my delight. After hearing a few, I went on a search for “the best ‘Reba’ ever” and have since been compiling, when time permits, as many as I can get my hands on. I have also spent some time paring them down so I can listen to endless “Reba” “jam sections” (the guitar solo has evolved in the live setting to be oh so much more!) over and over, in a row, without being interrupted by the rest of the tune. These days I find myself returning over and over again to the classic New Year’s eve performance at Madison Square Garden (12/31/1995), this “Reba” solo has all but displaced the studio version as my new idea of what “perfect” might sound like.
Take a listen to both for yourself (or right-click on the titles to download)!
Reba (Lawnboy, 1990) (MP3, 7mb)
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Reba (Madison Square Garden, NYC, NY 1995) (MP3, 15.5mb)
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You can also see this being performed here (solo begins around 5’50″).
Some highlights from the Madison Square Garden solo (time indicators are for the above edited MP3):
- It begins ever so quietly with Trey’s simple phrase, based on an alternation between two notes, which bassist Mike Gordon picks up on (0’34”) and is given some space to play around with as Trey eases back a bit.
- A trademark staccato high note to begin Trey’s next phrase (0’43”) which picks up on the descending line established by Mike moments earlier.
- Trey just milks the arpeggio at 1’12”, using it, in the same way as Coltrane would often do, almost as a pedal point, returning to it several times while embellishing it as the solo progresses.
- The tone at 1’32” just “pops” out at you, as my friend Alex would say!
- There is a rapturous pedal-point section at 2’11” and at this point I’m just in awe of the way that these four men could communicate onstage. This precedes a return to a two note pattern that echoes the opening phrase (2’30”).
- 3’03”-3’09” Trey picks up on keyboardist Paige McConnell’s descending line, and Paige responds in kind.
- The phrase that just gets me every time is the little golden nugget we get 3’38”-3’41” where you can here that Trey has switched to the bridge pick-up and has (likely) engaged the first of two Ibanez Tube Screamer overdrive pedals. We’re preparing for lift off here babies!
- 3’49”-4’06” another arpeggio to milk, singing high note “poppin’” out atcha!
- 5’06”, that’s the second Tube Screamer, and anticipates the beautiful legato line from 5’10”-5’15”.
- Classic Trey 05’25”-5’40” (not that the rest of the solo isn’t, mind).
- Triumphant is the only word I’ve ever been able to think of that describes the kind of phrasing he uses between 6’04-6’12”.
- 6’23”-6’27”: How in the hell do you make that crazy bend on a guitar with no whammy bar? It’s so…seamless.
- The phrase that begins at 7’22” is superb, listen to the way he plays the line several times and then speeds up the rhythm, playing the same notes, towards the end (7’26”).
- The upper register face-melting that brings us home from 7’53” onwards is just gold.
I mean really, the whole damn thing is fantastic. The sensitivity of Paige’s piano playing is great to listen to after you’ve got past a few listens to Trey’s solo. Mike and drummer Jon Fishman aren’t slouches either. This performance is a great example of how what in another band would be “just a guitar solo” can turn into a serious bit of group improvisation where the guitar is really just another voice, albeit a prominent one.
Now, if you play, go play.
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