An even-keeled evaluation of an important American band—a must for Phishheads, even though they probably know most of the...
The first biography of the undisputed king of modern jambands.
Founded in 1983 in Burlington, Vt., Phish spent years honing their chops and developing explosive live performances, which differed completely from night to night, before they entered the national radar in the early ’90s. Former Rolling Stone contributor Puterbaugh (co-author: Rhino’s Psychedelic Trip, 2000, etc.), who has covered Phish on and off since 1995, is quick to note the importance of the band to the live-music landscape of the past 25 years. “I firmly believe that they are one of the great American bands,” he writes, “and not just jam bands.” The author begins with a well-executed framing chapter that traces the band’s legendary festivals, from Ian’s Farm in 1987, to the forward-thinking Clifford Ball in 1996, to the disastrous mudfest at Coventry in 2004. In chronological fashion, Puterbaugh follows the band’s progress from a high-energy bar band to a consistently entertaining arena band that drew more than 80,000 fans to the swamps of Florida for Big Cypress in 1999-2000. He also discusses the many changes in the band’s playing over the years, focusing on how the group’s dynamic jamming has evolved as they have ventured into larger arenas and outdoor amphitheaters. The author ably sketches each band member’s distinct personality—from the alpha-dog exuberance of guitarist and de facto frontman Trey Anastasio to the quirky genius of bassist Mike Gordon—and digs up many intriguing stories behind the band’s storied career. Puterbaugh doesn’t shy from the negative events in the band’s history—including Anastasio’s arrest for narcotics in 2006—but his respect and admiration for his subjects is clear. The portrait that emerges shows a uniquely gifted collection of omnivorous musicians who understand the necessity of group collaboration and the near-infinite possibilities of the stage. Also included is an illuminating 2009 interview with Anastasio, conducted amid the band’s triumphant return, and a full list of Phish’s studio recordings and official live releases.
An even-keeled evaluation of an important American band—a must for Phishheads, even though they probably know most of the stories already.Pub Date: Nov. 24, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-306-81484-6
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Da Capo
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2009
A moving meditation on mortality by a gifted writer whose dual perspectives of physician and patient provide a singular...
A neurosurgeon with a passion for literature tragically finds his perfect subject after his diagnosis of terminal lung cancer.
Writing isn’t brain surgery, but it’s rare when someone adept at the latter is also so accomplished at the former. Searching for meaning and purpose in his life, Kalanithi pursued a doctorate in literature and had felt certain that he wouldn’t enter the field of medicine, in which his father and other members of his family excelled. “But I couldn’t let go of the question,” he writes, after realizing that his goals “didn’t quite fit in an English department.” “Where did biology, morality, literature and philosophy intersect?” So he decided to set aside his doctoral dissertation and belatedly prepare for medical school, which “would allow me a chance to find answers that are not in books, to find a different sort of sublime, to forge relationships with the suffering, and to keep following the question of what makes human life meaningful, even in the face of death and decay.” The author’s empathy undoubtedly made him an exceptional doctor, and the precision of his prose—as well as the moral purpose underscoring it—suggests that he could have written a good book on any subject he chose. Part of what makes this book so essential is the fact that it was written under a death sentence following the diagnosis that upended his life, just as he was preparing to end his residency and attract offers at the top of his profession. Kalanithi learned he might have 10 years to live or perhaps five. Should he return to neurosurgery (he could and did), or should he write (he also did)? Should he and his wife have a baby? They did, eight months before he died, which was less than two years after the original diagnosis. “The fact of death is unsettling,” he understates. “Yet there is no other way to live.”
A moving meditation on mortality by a gifted writer whose dual perspectives of physician and patient provide a singular clarity.Pub Date: Jan. 19, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-8129-8840-6
Page Count: 248
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Sept. 29, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2015
PERSPECTIVES
Well-told and admonitory.
Young-rags-to-mature-riches memoir by broker and motivational speaker Gardner.
Born and raised in the Milwaukee ghetto, the author pulled himself up from considerable disadvantage. He was fatherless, and his adored mother wasn’t always around; once, as a child, he spied her at a family funeral accompanied by a prison guard. When beautiful, evanescent Moms was there, Chris also had to deal with Freddie “I ain’t your goddamn daddy!” Triplett, one of the meanest stepfathers in recent literature. Chris did “the dozens” with the homies, boosted a bit and in the course of youthful adventure was raped. His heroes were Miles Davis, James Brown and Muhammad Ali. Meanwhile, at the behest of Moms, he developed a fondness for reading. He joined the Navy and became a medic (preparing badass Marines for proctology), and a proficient lab technician. Moving up in San Francisco, married and then divorced, he sold medical supplies. He was recruited as a trainee at Dean Witter just around the time he became a homeless single father. All his belongings in a shopping cart, Gardner sometimes slept with his young son at the office (apparently undiscovered by the night cleaning crew). The two also frequently bedded down in a public restroom. After Gardner’s talents were finally appreciated by the firm of Bear Stearns, his American Dream became real. He got the cool duds, hot car and fine ladies so coveted from afar back in the day. He even had a meeting with Nelson Mandela. Through it all, he remained a prideful parent. His own no-daddy blues are gone now.
Well-told and admonitory.Pub Date: June 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-06-074486-3
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Amistad/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2006
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
