Classical Composer Reacts to You Enjoy Myself (Phish) | The Daily Doug (Episode 427) 

I have heard of Phish before but can't believe I haven't listened to them before. I need to hear more.

The “Vocal Jam” at the end of the track is always improvised by the band. Sometimes it’s spacey, sometimes it’s peaceful, sometimes it’s scary! It’s always an adventure.

It’s simply one of the greatest songs ever written

'A story of a life lived in 4 acts. You become a boy, you become a man, you try to make yourself a god, and then everything turns to shit.' Doug Helvering

“Where are they going now?” The eternal question 😅

I love listening to Trey talk about music... you can hear his love, his passion and enthusiasm even after almost 40 years of playing. It runs in his veins.

You jamming along on the piano is such the essence of Phish. Yes! Love it. Also, love your vibe. Subbed!

The drummer is amazing, perfect playing with a sense of rhythm and cadence allowing himself to use the intensity of the beats in order to give the dynamics a delicious grace that it's little used by these days in main stream. As mentioned by other opinions, and even fans who adore them, they have parts that almost brush the scale of primary music students in some parts of their music construction. But, there it is, even a simple work can and should shine when it is done with soul, which is the case of these excellent musicians. Relaxed music delivered to a go with the flow... as if they didn't want to assume the grandeur they deserve and don't intend to show they have. They are a little Wagnerian way in the aspect of keeping us suspended, waiting for a technical musical conclusion that does not always come. Revolutions... can be triggered by the flapping of a disabled butterfly's wings.

Go see them live! You’re life will be changed forever. They’re amazing in concert. Love your channel, great stuff!!!

You absolutely WOULD love one of their shows brother....hope to see you at one this summer...love watching you experience and enjoy the band we all love :)

I love a band like Phish where everyone listens and reacts to each other with no agenda. The whole of Phish is much greater than the parts and each part is fantastic.

I graduated college on that stage 4 years earlier. Phish were my favorite band for so long before all that. They’d already played there. I remember walking through thinking about how many legends had walked there, and just feeling so lucky. Trey’s the reason I have a voice as a guitar player. Middle school was Hendrix and Page. Once I found Phish in high school, I was hooked. Lawn Boy. I learned every phish song over the next few years including this one, until I realized I was emulating him. I strived to not do that anymore, and really search for my own voice. I owe so much to trey. He influenced so much of what I’ve become as a musician. I still hear his influence when I play, but I also hear the person I became separate from his sound. When I realized I was copying I had to ruminate, and it just helped me discover my voice musically. I’m so grateful for that. Trey is one of the greatest to walk the planet, and I owe so much to him on a musical level. Then realizing I had to find my own voice just amplified that inspiration. That’s all. I own a cafe, and we have an espresso machine made in Firenze. One of my employees is only 19 and such a talented guitar player. So much better than I was at that age. He taped up “wash uffizi drive me to” on top of the “made in Firenze” part. I laughed my ass off, it’s still there. I was in Florence and seriously considered washing my feet in the fountain but my gf convinced me not to. She was right. Y’all go enjoy myselves ✌️

Doug, I stopped in the middle of my workday to smile for thirty minutes straight while watching you enjoying You Enjoy Myself. Thanks for that brother.

You hit the nail flat on the head…”what a unique group of musicians.” They are indeed unique. And they are most definitely, the definition of musicians, through and through.

You “get it” better than 95% of phish phans! Your analysis of the lyrics is exactly the entire point of the entire band. If you can’t have a good time at a phish show, it’s because you are not fun!

The way they are typically vocalized, those initial lyrics are single word expressions of exasperation: "Boy", "Man", "God", "Sheeeeit". At least that's how I interpret them. You had a good thought on their meaning too. Thanks for reviewing this song. Please sir, may I have some more Phish.

Full body chills….. still after 25 years….

“We have a lyric.”

I'd love for you to react a version of Harry Hood, which Trey mentioned in that interview, too. It's another live staple of theirs and is just a really beautiful experience.

It is SO much fun watching you react to this song! The smile started in your soul and spread to the rest of the universe.

I've been a Phish fan for 30 years. I've heard YEM hundreds of times. It's absolutely fascinating to see it through new eyes. Thanks so much for the video my friend.

Tour is starting soon! Go get some tickets! Best band ever! Also, as others have mentioned, you wanna find some type 2 improv where they just jam and listen. They change keys on a dime. One of them plays one new note (like a flat 7 for Mixo) and everyone hears it immediately and they’re off to new territory. It would be great to see you listen for the changes in something like the Tahoe Tweezer or Alpine Ruby Waves just to name a couple notable recent ones.

Favorite band of all time & the best live show you’ll ever see. My first show was in ‘97 & I’ve seen them almost 50 times. Every show is totally different so you never get tired of going 🤷‍♂️

Doug, once again, thank you thank you thank you! Fantastic reaction and analysis of one of the quintessential Phish compositions. I love that you're discovering Phish and that you hear the nuances that makes their music so special. Looking forward to more great videos!

The vocal section always reminds me of Pink Floyd's "Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict" Very convenient that you have checked that out also. But YEM is such a great-all-around Phish jam classic.

MORE PHISH!!!! WOOOOOOOOO

Great video man! Just a heads up though, you can’t be the “5th phish” because that title belongs to Chris Kuroda (CK5) their lighting guy. 😉

During the vocal jam, you asked 'how do they know when to stop?'. The majority of their songs/jams can take on a life of their own and the guys can play off each other very well, I'm sure any phan would agree with that. So, when you ask 'how do they know when to stop?', they know when to stop when the song is over. It's that Simple. Fun fact, in a documentary back in 2019 'Between me and my mind' Trey said that growing up all he wanted to be was a composer.

My favorite band. Such a trip.

I thoroughly enjoyed your reaction video. I too am an old fan of this band...it's so interesting to watch people like you discover them for the first time because it takes all of us back to the first time we all heard them. Keep delving, my friend, this band has sooo many layers to unravel, it takes a LONG time to get through it all. (Hint, as others have mentioned they still perform many of the songs that Trey wrote in music school as part of a 'rock opera' type of opus before Phish was even a band.)

Really like the new angle with the keyboard, you were always eloquent enough to explain with words, but this is just a new level. I like it!

Your timing is impeccable! In 12 hours from now I’ll be seeing phish live at merriweather so this was like my pregame

Used to write a lot of "fugue" type tunes!! Now, they're almost 60 so more Dad rockish. But, listen to early to mid 90's! They were INSANE!! Thanks for this! And basically, the "wash uffize" part is something that happened when Trey and Fish got a ride in Italy. The dude said something like that.

You hit the nail on the head! I hope you’ve made it to a show! Smooooooooth interpretation.

I love your reactions! You can never have enough Phish! Even if you find that you can like their music in a way that you never expected you’d be able to, you can never like their music as much as you can when you hear them at a live arena concert. Truly. Nothing else like it.

I love how in depth you get into the song before listening. Keep up the good phish stuff Doug

Congratulations. You are a Phish fan. You figured it out much faster than many, but that’s to be expected from a guy who clearly not only understands, but loves music. Hope to see you at a show someday. Good stuff man!

"Maybe the dude driving you is not a very good driver" cracks me up

SaraTOGA springs. It’s indeed their “hometown” about 150 miles away from their hometown

The "Phifth Phish" is Chris Kuroda, the LD. He's basically been there since the beginning and is the best in the biz. I'm a stage hand, and every lighting director knows who he is. You can be the 6th though. They are the most unique. That's why I love them so much, and they definintely are hella entertaining. You never know what will happen. It's a thrill. "Our Intent Is All For Your Delight"

Great stuff, Doug. I was a big Phish phan during the 90s, from the albums, but in particular the tape trading network. Phish always supported fans taping and sharing shows, providing no money was involved, and I'm sure this was a big factor in their huge success. Of course, the music was and is great: ambitious and fun! I saw them a couple of times them, at the tiny Shepherds Bush Empire venue in London, the audience being many American students, me and a few other obvious progressive rock fans. They were great, and, as usual played for about 3 hours so I didn't at the time register them referencing a favourite piece. When the tape arrived (the 1997-02-13 show) I realised that, between Punch You in the Eye, and Slave to the Traffic light, they had thrown in an 8 minute jam based on Close to the Edge!

Also, the Uffizi part was classic. I loved watching that and your very quick catch and disection of what it all means and doesn't mean. They used to put out a newsletter, and people would ask what they were saying there, and they always had fun making up silly things to respond. I love watching people get into Phish. It's a beautiful thing....especially when it is a musician who knows what is going on. I always jump with them at the shows, BTW haha Best band ever. I'll follow them until the end. They have played the soundtrack of my life, almost daily, since I was 15 (I'm 35).

Best way to describe the experience of being a Phish fan: I've heard this YEM at least a dozen times and I still couldn't help but start dancing when the phunk started up. And look how badly Doug wanted to jam along with them. It's not the best music in the world, but it's for SURE the most fun. Look at the smile on this man's face. If you love music, you will love Phish.

As a highly accomplished and classically trained composer in my own right Mr.Helvering, I suggest to you that the key to understanding Phish's unique compositional craftsmanship, is for one to experience the notable psychological intoxicant of the cannabis plant.

This was great to see someone react to Phish with such enthusiasm. He was totally sold and wanting to go to a show after hearing them play. Please sir go to a show you will have such a blast!!!!

Doug, on your own time check out the YEM performed at Red Rocks on 6/11/94. No video but the audio will more than make up for it

We seem to have very similar musical tastes, Doug. The only part that you are missing is that, when seeing them live, like many other jam bands, there is a community feeling, a sharing of great bursts of joy shared over many people. The feeling of them live can not truly be experienced alone. For example, when they play a song that you've heard dozens of times, they play some phrase exceptionally well, you turn and smile at your neighbor at the concert, he smiles back, you 100% understand or grok one another. This feeling of oneness and togetherness, is what keep people coming back for more jam bands. And, their ability to fail musically puts a feeling of humanity into their music. Very tribal. Musical Shamanism.

Actually, (#TheDailyDoug @DougHelvering #DougHelvering), I don’t know where TF in the world you are, or what TF in the world you have going on this coming week (9/1/22-9/4/22), but it’s my 11th consecutive pilgrimage to Phish’s annual Labor Day Weekend show run, which occurs this coming Thursday, Fri, Sat, Sun - at Dick’s Sporting Goods Arena, in Commerce City, Colorado (5 minutes from Denver proper). In my opinion , it’s been my consistently favorite place to see Phish play, out of all of the 50+ arenas and other assorted places where I’ve seen them play, since my first show in 1996 when I was 15. They have done ten straight years of 3-night long weekend runs, always the Fri-Sat-Sun over Labor Day Weekend. BUT, for some mystery reason, they are doing FOUR (4) shows in Denver this time/2022, for the first time ever, and so I am positive they have got something special up their sleeves. Not that they always don’t, but it’s gonna be EXTRA PHENOMENAL this coming weekend! I’m actually sure the boys (of the band) would love to have you! Let me know if you’d like to attend, and I’ll look around with friends and friends-of-friends for some tickets for you (it is ALWAYS sold out, of course, even with a 25,000 seat capacity, it’s never enough for Phish). is just something about Colorado in early September……the sound is great, the dance space is superior to every other arena dance space, the vibe is the chillest, and the weather is always 110% perfection), and most of all, it ALWAYS provides the EXACT, PERFECT, JOYOUS, LOVELY, and LEVITY-filled end of summer that everyone needs in their life to send them into fall/winter in the best mood. the summer perfectly! Last year was their 10th annual performance at this Dick’s Arena in CO (minus the year of 2020 for COVID). They got waaaaaaay too big for Red Rocks (a more gorgeous and iconic venue of course, versus this arena that otherwise serves as a soccer field. But Phish can’t really do a show at a venue with only 8,000 seats and bring joy to all of the fans that they know want to attend, so they play here, honestly it’s better (in my opinion for whatever reason, just a vibe and dance space thing), and they do what they do and make the fans happy by bringing their joy! Also, it is NEVER the same every time. Never, ever ever!!! Never even twice is it the same, and I think as a music expert such as yourself, you’d appreciate that more than almost anyone. Actually, I’m absolutely POSITIVELY SURE that it may be one of the most fun weekends of your life. Recordings of live Phish concerts are the best, but physically BEING at a Phish concert……especially the summer wrap-up concert run in CO, is an experience like nothing else in the world! Really it is! I’ve been a huge fan for 28 years, and even for me, the difference between listening to Phish recordings and then BEING at a show myself, there just is no comparison. None! Sorry for the long responses, but I’ve had a rough few years (like so many other people), and for stressful reasons, I didn’t know if I could attend this year. But I figured it out, I am definitely f***ing getting on a plane in approximately 60 hours, and I’m going! But before I figured things out, I could not even let myself listen to a Phish recording, because it would have made the FOMO of missing my annual pilgrimage too devastating. But now that I’ve figured it out, this recording of yours reacting to Phish is the first I’ve listened to Phish at all since last summer 51-weeks ago when I was AT the same concert venue with them, and this post of yours just filled my heart with so much joy, excitement, and pure smiles. I couldn’t encourage anything stronger than I encourage an intuitive, experienced, intelligent, and curious music fan to attend a Phish show. Nothing in the world like it!

Go see them live. The past two years have been especially tasty. My first show was in 1997 and I've been going to see them live ever since. It's an experience you will never forget. FYI, CK5 is the fifth member of the band. Keep exploring, Doug. So much great music out there and so little time to enjoy it. Peace to you, brother.

Doug, What a pleasure watching you hear my favorite band Phish. I look forward to checking some of your other episodes. A couple things that might help you: Many (most?) Phish fans go see many shows on a tour. They know all these songs perfectly. When the band stops playing, the fans know what's coming next and are excited about it. I've seen them wait several minutes in the middle of Divided Sky. Trey says he likes listening to the ebbs and crescendos of the cheers. Phish fans love the live shows, but the versions on the records are sometimes the cleanest, most well-written, often providing an understanding of structure that makes the jammed version interpretable. Maybe best to know the studio version to fully get the live.

This dude would have an absolute blast at a show

July 1998 just outside Nashville at my first Phish show and a storm set in during 2nd set. The rain and myself were coming down and lightning was flashing outside the amphitheater and I was ready to leave... And YEM started and with the lights thru the rain I had my aha moment. One of the coolest experiences of my life, love them dearly.

I was at their show last night, at the same venue that I first saw them 27 years ago (Great Woods, Mansfield MA). Going back tonight, up to Bangor ME tomorrow. 3 nights on the beach on the Atlantic City Boardwalk in early August. There are many reasons why we keep going back. Music, inside jokes, connections, community, shared experience... Pure joy. Get out and see them!

When they played YEM in Los Angeles in October 2021, it was the first live show I'd seen since Covid shut everything down. I brought my 15 year old nephew to his first live concert ever. YEM was the 2nd song up, and when they hit the first "Boy!", the whole arena had goosebumps, everyone shouting it together. It was so palpable. Here was Phish bringing us all together again. I can't even describe that feeling, but you can hear the show on Relisten. It's definitely there in the recording, and the jam is even crazier. They get really comfortable in the darkness, then Mike hits the Taurus pedals with a "Mike Bomb" that bass note went right through my chest, and it turns the whole thing around into a frenzy. 10-24-2021 at the Los Angeles Forum.

LOVE LOVE LOVE Phish

OMG this was my first show! My brother brought me to this show without me ever hearing them before and I'm very glad he did. Due to some shenanigans we walked in a bit late just as they were starting Wilson and hearing everyone chanting WILSON!

I have been seeing Phish since 1990, and watching you get turned on to them for the first time brings me back to when I first found them. Great video Doug!

Thanks Doug!! Such a treat to watch you enjoying this! I am not the most informed, musically, and it's a lot of fun to listen to you break things down. I work as an Interpretive guide in Yellowstone, and your interpretations of the music on your channel are fantastic!!! Thank you so much!!!

I really enjoyed you jamming along with the band. Would love to see more of that!

Divided Sky has so many hills and valleys that I’ll continue to travel on these forever.

I think you'll appreciate Phish's song "Tela". It's not the most popular song, but it was written as a part of a musical and Trey has said it was one of his most challenging compositions.

Reba next Doug. You’ll love it!

ever since I first ran across your "Terrapin Station" video when it came out, this is what I've wanted you to cover (I adore this song; however, and this may be somewhat controversial among the Phish community, there has been exactly one vocal jam that I've thought was good-to-great: the "we love Dick's" one from a few months after this show. Almost every other one I could do without). I love seeing new people give these guys a real chance and start to understand what we've all been obsessed over for so long, and it's even better when it's someone coming at it like this. Really hope you do some more. They've got quite a catalog. I'd be surprised if someone else recommended it, but I think you'd like "The Curtain (With)." It's another of their oldest songs, though it's really only played about once a year or so. And it follows a similar format to "Divided Sky" or this, long instrumental intro, a few lyrics for 20 seconds, and then more instrumental leading to improv. It's one of my favorites, for sure.

I'm glad you took our recommendations to spin YEM! It's my favorite. It has everything, and the vocal jam really is a great way to showcase the spirit of listening to each other and improvising. An homage to jamming...after some jamming! I honestly love the studio version probably the most. I don't know why, but there is just something about the sound of it. The live versions get rowdy, and the recent one in Indiana was incredible, but I will always have a lot of love for Junta and especially that track. Honorable mention for the snare instead of cowbell pop in the studio version, right before the one of the major arpeggio grooves (11mins into this video). I just always loved that, somehow even more than the cowbell, of which Fishman always uses tastefully.

I've never enjoyed someone playing over Phish until now. Nice job!❤

One of the most comfortable and listenable long-form songs of modern times. I first heard this song 30 years ago. When I first heard the happy sound after the introduction has made me smile for all these years. Very talented musicians, true masters and reigning Kings of the Jam Band.

“Ha……….fun!” That’s pretty much it, right there.

reviewing Phish, wearing a snoopy shirt...a man after my own heart. 2 of my favorite things

I cracked up when you said this is getting weird! You can go do a rabbit hole on this song alone with its jams and a cappella improvs. And Yes! We need more Phish in this world right now! Great reaction video! Thank you!

YEM! I’m from Saratoga Springs and was at this show. Thank you for your interpretations, it’s always interesting to hear what non Phans get from this song. And SPAC is the best place in the world to see them.

Thanks for the Vid bud !! That was FUN !!

Just came across this. Great stuff! I loved when you started playing along. When you said "I'll let them play it", I think we all wanted to hear you keep going.

i’d love to see more videos of you reacting to phish performances, this was very wholesome & exactly what phish is all about!

Enjoyed this one. Thanks for showcasing our favorite little band.

Doug you win the trophy for the best ever interpretation of any phish lyrics ever. 20:55 serious

One interesting part of this song that you missed b/c you were distracted when it happened, is the part where they straight-up lose a half-beat at the beginning of a phrase, only to tack it on at the end of the phrase. Check out timing 3:40 to 4:00 on the studio version. I turned my mother on to Phish when I was in high school (she was a music teacher) and this was something that she found intriguing. Also, COME TO A SHOW!

Phish if you've never heard them, is nothing short of a musical journey. Add them the fact they've been at it for over thirty five years now, as the SAME four guys, and the rabbit hole opens up beneath your feet and becomes similar to the endless rabbit hole that Alice falls down to arrive in Wonderland. It's truly a never ending journey with these guys. They are warriors of their craft and they will be so until the day the shuffle from this mortal coil. Phish is one of the last "great American" adventures. Hitting the road with bands like Phish is a once in a lifetime decision that will subsequently provide a lifetime of joy, experience and wonder.

"Hey, we're all here together so let's have some fun, shall we? Just make sure that you wash your feet so we can all drive to Firenze." That's bible talk. Divided Sky, YEM, Terrapin Station, and Morning Dew have changed your life forever.. :) Surrender to the flow my good sir!

This is so lifting. Watching him poke around and jam along was awesome. Unreal! Phish fan of course, but first time coming across Doug. Great stuff.

Anyone not familiar, go see them live or look up some on RU-vid. One of the coolest live acts youll ever see. The setup and lighting incredible, to the extent fans consider the guy doing it as the 5th member of the band. Theyll go play 4 shows in a row at like 3 hours plus, and possibly not repeat a single song. Guys are so into the fans its just great, and its not some lip service. These dudes can fill a 100k festival without any regular promotion or radio play. When covid shut down madison square garden where theyd usually play 4 new years shows. Guys went out and played all those shows daily free to stream in an empty theater and then still came back and honored all of those tickets. Theres just no other band like them, its so impressive as indvidual parts alone. But all together, its even more unique and like no other.

You mentioned you want to catch them live... They're playing 2 nights at the Mann Center in Philly later this month and then on the beach in Atlantic City for 3 nights in early August. Hopefully we'll see you there!

10:58 cowbell knock into bliss. 13:05 😮 wish I could hear that for the first time again. Never gets old 13:50 then the explosion 14:22 then the fun 17:19 (this guy gets it, gets it more than many jam phans after just two songs. Respect) meandering into some classic phish dad nerd goofiness 21:51

Doug, your passion for music, and expressing the positive it does in our world by bringing people together, is both refreshing & inspiring. Glad You Enjoyed Yourself with this one, and you definitely “get it”. Thanks for all the content. Hopefully you’ll see them live sometime soon.🎸🎹🌵⭕️

Totally dig your vibe Doug. Obviously well studied and classicly trained but with out any snobbery and just a total openness to music as a form of unbounded individual or communal expression. As Zappa famously said, “A composer is a guy who goes around forcing his will on unsuspecting air molecules, often with the assistance of unsuspecting musicians" and "Information is not knowledge. Knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom is not truth. Truth is not beauty. Beauty is not love. Love is not music. Music is THE BEST." Happy to subscribe and like all your content. Would that I had had a music teacher like you.

Hi Doug, new to you. Love reaction videos and love Phish. This video came up on my feed and I'm so glad I watched, thank you! It's so fun to watch someone delight, like I do, in their irreverence and whimsical fanfare , but don't be fooled - these boys can get, as a good friend of mine used to say, "Hot and Greasy"! They jam like no one else. Please please PLEASE at some point take yourself to see them. Nothing is like a live show. I've been a fan now for over 30 years. Back in college, a friend called me to his room, got me very high and put on "Reba"... mind blown, I never looked back. I had studied voice for 12 years and was chronically involved with music somehow, either singing or listening but Phish for me was like a new world. The fusion of rock and jazz and funk and lord knows what else with them, and quirk and long drawn out sections that are more like a story than a song, taking you up and down like a carnival ride. Larger than life. I saw my first show in "93. I saw my last show around 2013 and that makes me sad. I can't wait until I can get on that ride again. I hope that you get on that ride sometime yourself. You wan't be disappointed :)

I love these Phish reaction videos...but this one in particular is my favorite one I've seen. This guy is great and the research he did and appreciation is genuine. Also killer version of YEM!

About a month ago, I left a comment on your Divided Sky video suggesting you listen to YEM. I am just now finding your YEM video that you did two months before I even left that comment. This video was very enjoyable! You earned a sub! Thanks! I would suggest Stash for your next Phish tune.

Hi Doug - I thoroughly enjoyed watching and hearing you play. I hope to see that more often. I was never drawn to Phish. Not that I dislike them. In fact, this song is pretty cool. I was just drawn to other bands. Thanks for the great analysis as always.

I LOVE your videos. Love the way you break it down. This layman has been listening to them for almost 30 years now, and they still sound fresh today as they did when I was 15.

G-damn your Phish reactions are sooo fun. Please do more!

Yes! I needed this dance party today!

Thank you for the talking about the tonal centers and chord voicings !! 😊I love your videos and analysis

I'd like to know if OP ever got around to seeing a show yet :) phish is fantastic and to answer your question yes the vocal jam is improvised every time, and yes it's all nonsensical fun, that is the essence of Phish!

Thank you Doug! You definitely need to get yourself to a show! If you're wondering which Phish song to review next, I highly recommend their performance of the song Petrichor on 12/31/16. I won't spoil anything for you but your jaw will be on the floor. Search RU-vid for "Phish 12/31/16 New Year's Eve".

This made me smile. Phish fan since ‘95. New subscriber of your as of 12-1-23.

The composed section (first few minutes) of this tune is played identically every time but I never get tired of it. It’s one of the most thrilling pieces of music I’ve heard. The jammy section (the rest of it) is best appreciated in person (in concert).

As you pointed out in the Acapella part, Phish is organized chaos at times, but it all works out beautifully in the end! Just let yourself go and enjoy the ride!

Phish - Foam (it's a fugue) A perfect pair for your ears and pure Phish music.

Cool you recorded this on 1/6 my birthday being that saw Phish on my bday in 1987 at a tiny little club called Nectar's, I'd see them as often as I could, way before they became so famous.

in response to a song lyric -> "either way it's fun" = congrats, you solved Phish