''Crimes of the Mind'' is the debut album from

The Dude of Life Steve Pollak (born ), best known by his stage name The Dude of Life, is a musician and lyricist. Early life Steve Pollak is from White Plains, New York. He attended high school in the early 1980s. He earned the alias Dude of Life in high school ...

, a childhood friend of

Phish Phish is an American rock band formed in Burlington, Vermont, in 1983. The band is known for musical improvisation, extended jams, blending of genres, and a dedicated fan base. The band consists of guitarist Trey Anastasio, bassist Mike Gordon ...

leader

Trey Anastasio Ernest Joseph "Trey" Anastasio III (born September 30, 1964) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Phish, which he co-founded in 1983. He is credited by name as composer of 152 Phish o ...

and a lyrical contributor to many of Phish's early songs. Phish is the

backing band A backup band or backing band is a musical ensemble that typically accompanies a single artist who is the featured performer. The situation may be a live performance or in a recording session, and the group may or may not have its own name, such ...

for the entire album. The album was recorded in 1991 but wasn't released until 1994, following Phish's surge in popularity. The Dude of Life performed several of the songs in a live setting with Phish on a number of occasions. The main riff of Phish's "Chalkdust Torture" was used in the song "Self."

Critical reception

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

called the album a "loopy, stoned excursion that winds through Dead-style rock and hippie folk-rock." ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...

'' deemed it "inconsequential silliness," writing that "the nice part is that the Dude’s ditties force Phish to keep its penchant for kitchen-sink jamming in check." ''

Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference to ...

'' wrote that "the music is a bit tighter than the hish��s — but only a bit."

Track listing

#"Dahlia" #"Family Picture" #"Self" #"Crimes Of The Mind" #"Bitchin' Again" #"TV Show" #"Trials and Tribulations" #"Lucy In The Subway" #"Ordinary Day" #"Revolution's Over" #"King Of Nothing"

Personnel

: vocals

- guitars, vocals :

Page McConnell Page Samuel McConnell (born May 17, 1963 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American multi-instrumentalist most noted for his work as the keyboardist and a songwriter for the band Phish. In addition to having been a member of Phish since 1985, ...

- keyboards, vocals :

Mike Gordon Michael Eliot Gordon (born June 3, 1965) is an American bass guitarist and vocalist most recognized as a founding member of the band Phish. In addition to bass, Gordon is an accomplished banjo player, and is proficient at piano and guitar. He ...

- bass, vocals :

Jon Fishman Jon Fishman (born February 19, 1965) is an American drummer known for his work with the band Phish, which he co-founded in 1983, and which was, in part, named after him. He is credited with co-writing nineteen Phish songs, eight with a solo cr ...

- drums, vocals

References

1994 albums Phish albums The Dude of Life albums Elektra Records albums {{1990s-album-stub