''Rift'' is the fourth studio album by the American rock band

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 ...

, released on February 2, 1993 by

Elektra Records Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the 1 ...

. The record is a

concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...

, detailing the experience of a man dreaming about the rift in his relationship with his girlfriend. It is the second time that the band had recorded an album with such a central concept, the first being the

rock opera A rock opera is a collection of rock music songs with lyrics that relate to a common story. Rock operas are typically released as concept albums and are not scripted for acting, which distinguishes them from operas, although several have been ad ...

-styled '' The Man Who Stepped into Yesterday'' from 1987, which has never been officially released. ''Rift'' was recorded in September and October 1992 and produced by

Muscle Shoals Muscle Shoals is the largest city in Colbert County, Alabama, Colbert County, Alabama, United States. It is located along the Tennessee River in the northern part of the state and, as of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, the populati ...

music veteran

Barry Beckett Barry Edward Beckett (February 4, 1943 – June 10, 2009) was an American keyboardist, session musician, record producer, and studio founder. He is best known for his work with David Hood, Jimmy Johnson, and Roger Hawkins, his bandmates in th ...

. ''Rift'' was certified gold by the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

on October 15, 1997.

Production

All songs were written by

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 Phish lyricist Tom Marshall except "Mound" and "Weigh" by bass guitarist

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 ...

and "Lengthwise" by drummer

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 ...

. The instrumental, "All Things Reconsidered", is an intentional variation on the theme to the

National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other n ...

news show ''

All Things Considered ''All Things Considered'' (''ATC'') is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio (NPR). It was the first news program on NPR, premiering on May 3, 1971. It is broadcast live on NPR affiliated stations in the United ...

'', and has been featured on the show itself several times. An orchestral version of the song appears on Trey Anastasio's 2004 solo album '' Seis De Mayo''. Gordon stated that ''Rift'' was "more integrated", as the different styles of the band were mixed together within each song, rather than between each song like on their previous album, ''

A Picture of Nectar ''A Picture of Nectar'' is the third studio album by the American rock band Phish. The album was released on February 18, 1992, by Elektra Records and was the band's debut release for a major record label. The album is dedicated to Nector Rorris ...

''. Gordon also stated that he thought the album was a "little bit mellower", and that the songwriting showed more maturity.

Cover art

The cover art was created by New York-based painter

David Welker David Welker is an American painter and poster artist known for his elaborate, narrative imagery and mastery of multiple styles. His poster art for bands like Phish, Pearl Jam, Primus, The Black Keys, and the Grateful Dead has brought him in ...

, who worked closely with the band during winter 1993 in order to visually depict each of the album's tracks in a single image, with the notable exception of "The Horse". (For this reason, a horse intentionally appears on the cover of Phish's next album, '' Hoist''.) ''

Relix ''Relix'', originally and occasionally later ''Dead Relix'', is a magazine that focuses on live and improvisational music. The magazine was launched in 1974 as a handmade newsletter devoted to connecting people who recorded Grateful Dead concert ...

'' magazine listed ''Rift'' as one of the ten most iconic album covers of all time in 2007.

Promotion

Elektra promoted ''Rift'' with a videotape sent to college radio stations and record stores that featured a six-minute promotional film about the album.

Track listing

Personnel

– guitars, lead 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, backing vocals, co-lead vocals on "Rift", lead vocals on "It's Ice" and "Silent in the Morning" *

– bass guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals on "Mound" and "Weigh" *

– drums, backing vocals, lead vocals on "Lengthwise" * Production *Engineered by Kevin Halpin, assisted by Jon Altschiller *Mixed by Justin Niebank, assisted by Mark Nevers *Recording engineer – Pete Greene, assisted by Greg Parker *Mastered by Bob Ludwig at Masterdisk *All songs published by Who Is She? Music, BMI *Pedal steel on "Fast Enough For You" – Gordon Stone *Illustrations –

*Photography – David Gahr *Design – Mike Mills

References

External links

Phish.com
– Official site: discography, album info, lyrics, and audio files.

– ''Rift'' Painting (Full)
EmilsTabs.org
– A community–run archive of tabs and related resources. {{Authority control Phish albums 1993 albums Concept albums LivePhish.com Downloads Albums produced by Barry Beckett Elektra Records albums