Released a mere two years after Phish’s first live album, Slip, Stitch & Pass, the group’s second live record, surpasses its predecessor in many ways, drawing a more complete picture of the Phish concert experience. Spanning two discs, A Live One had the scope of a Phish concert but there’s actually more adventure and surprise on Slip, Stitch & Pass, whether it’s in the group’s improvisations or the inventive cover of Talking Heads’ “Cities.” It’s not the kind of record that will convert the skeptical — there are simply too many long, involved instrumental passages that many doubters will label “indulgent” — but it’s the closest Phish has come to capturing their live spirit on record. – Stephen Thomas Erlewine
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