Trying to find your way around this place? Like most expositions, we offer a map: 
This has a target audience of maybe zero. (And Luker, you can go on ahead and stop reading now.) You have to be fond of two things simultaneously: Good Phish songs and good Children's Books.
In particular, you have to indulge me with this book-to-song convergence: The last two pages of Donald Crew's Freight Train (1978) and last notes of Phish's "Reba," one of the epics, officially from their studio album Lawn Boy (1990/1992).
1. Start with Freight Train -- get to the last pages, where the train is..."Going going..."
"Gone."
(some extra spacing here to help you pace your reading)
2. Now, listen to a Reba of your choosing (on hundreds of bootlegs, but also a bunch of those Live Phish discs they put out, or from one of the mp3 downloads at nugs.net).
3. And wait for the final notes. It goes like this:
"Bahm Bahm..."
Then all tuba-like, a very low --
"Bhoom."
The music to Freight Train's ending is the ending to Reba. It's the same pace, the same tone, the same sensation. It works. Coherence, convergence, simultaneity.
Comments
"This has a target audience of maybe zero."
Perhaps, but I hope that doesn't misunderestimate the cross-over audience of people who listened to art rock whilst watching old movies on television. Not that I could name any particular albums that were alleged to fit particular classic movies. Far be it from me to bring up such a meme.
Posted by: etbnc | December 11, 2006 11:56 AM
I've read that book two thousand times to my son and have always loved its intonation. Now, I need to track down that Phish song because I know I'll know what you're talking about if I hear it. Oh, the wonders of the Internets.
Posted by: Anonymous | December 14, 2006 3:42 PM