ARTIST: Phish 
TITLE: A Picture of Nectar
YEAR RELEASED: 1992
CHART ACTION: None
SINGLES: Chalk Dust Torture, Cavern
OTHER SONGS YOU MAY KNOW: Tweezer, Llama, Stash
LINEUP: Trey Anastasio, Page McConnell, Mike Gordon, Jon Fishman. Gordon Stone played pedal steel and banjo.
WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT: Phish’ major label debut is a long, sprawling album full of various styles and genres. Most of it works, but some things sounds like goofs and that detracts somewhat from the flow of it all.
SOME WORDS, PHRASES AND CLAUSES ABOUT THIS RECORD: Even though Phish signed with Elektra Records, they didn’t change their approach or style in the least. Their well-honed stage jams again morphed into surprisingly tight, taut tracks.
The musical virtuosity by the band is all over the album. Trey Anastasio’s guitar work is fantastic throughout, and there is a playful spirit, especially on songs like “Tweezer”.
Yet, they suffer from the bane of many bands at this time – since CD’s had a lot more time than vinyl, bands felt they needed to fill most of the available minutes. Thus, there’s some tracks here that are just mindless noodling around, or things that probably sounded neat at the time, but didn’t work out that way.
NOTES & MINUTIAE: Nectar’s was the club in Burlington where they first played.
IS THERE A DELUXE VERSION: No
GRADE: B: Great at times, indulgent at other times.
