Amazon.com essential recording
For those who eschew the swinging teenage elbows of an actual Phish concert, this 1997 Hamburg date offers a comprehensive account of the quartet's breadth. Talking Heads' "Cities" is a perfect match for their brand of quirky funk. ZZ Top's "Jesus Just Left Chicago" receives a gritty 13-minute reading with ample room for Page McConnell's blues-heavy piano. Guitarist Trey Anastasio alternates between quiet, emotive passages and searing power licks. There's also an a cappella version of the ragtime chestnut "Hello My Baby." Their patented blend of nonsensical lyrics and intense jams is represented by "Weigh" ("I'd like to cut your head off, so I can weigh it Five pounds? Six pounds?") and by unrecorded fan favorites including "Mike's Song" and "Weekapaug Groove." --Marc Greilsamer