True to an extent, however its interesting how they CAN do things on stage that will bring them more monetary gain (more LivePhish sales, CD's, DVD's, etc)...maybe not for that night, but in the future, however they are as pure as a band can be within reality.

It is true in the sense that it is on the spot artistic creation that can only be experinced live once.

On the flip side, shows that stand out can be downloaded heavily and sold as DVD's. However, I think the fact that the band donates so much of its merchandise and live phish money to charity keeps it pure!

@PHiSHEAD22 said:

I agree with that for the most part except for the opening statement. Music is NOT the universal language.

How is music not a universal language? Maybe not for Deaf people. I took a global music class where I listened to Indian, Chinese and Arabic music. I enjoyed the majority of it and was able to decipher mood and feeling from all of it. Please explain....

@MrMinersBrother said:

@PHiSHEAD22 said:

I agree with that for the most part except for the opening statement. Music is NOT the universal language.

How is music not a universal language? Maybe not for Deaf people. I took a global music class where I listened to Indian, Chinese and Arabic music. I enjoyed the majority of it and was able to decipher mood and feeling from all of it. Please explain....

Yes, and being an American, I'm sure you were already somewhat familiar with most, if not all of that music through some medium or another, whether it be in movies, television, or the incorporation of some of the sounds and techniques those cultures value incorporated into music you have heard here. HOWEVER, for people who come from those cultures, Western music can make little to no sense to them. Other cultures may have different tuning systems, not to mention ideas about rhythm, melody, harmony (or the lack thereof) they have grown accustomed to throughout their entire lives, which affects their perception of Western classical and popular music of any kind. For example, a very accomplished Asian musician once attended a symphony orchestra concert for the first time in Europe. When his hosts asked him how he liked the performance and what his favorite part was, he replied something to this affect, "Very well. I enjoyed the first part the most." His hosts, of course, thought he was referring to the first movement of the symphony, but in reality, he was talking about when the musicians were tuning. The rest of the performance, what we would call the "music", to him didn't make much sense and seemed like it all sounded the same. An Armenian musician once also said, speaking of Western classical and pop music, that everything had this "mush" (which we refer to as harmony) that seemed to make everything sound alike and that the regular, driving rhythms made pop music sound undeveloped and boring, not only because of the rhythm but because of the melodies placed on top of that, that were, to him, so confined. Also, as @atkins450 said, without knowledge of American culture, one from another country wouldn't be able to understand a lot of the themes that not only Phish, but many other American bands incorporate into their music, because it's just not familiar to them. Therefore, music cannot be the "universal language". Your world music teacher should've taught you that. Shame on him/her.

I think Trey probably meant that music in general is the universal language, not specifically one kind or another. The reason there are so many different sounds throughout the history of music across the world is because it affects each person differently. It does, however, affect everyone in some way.

Show me somebody who doesn't like some form of music.

While I love the intent of the quote, even back then, there was something they could do onstage to make more money...and that was shred it so people came back the next night. Which Phish did (shredded it) and the fans did (came back).

I would also say that Phish comes closer than almost anyone else to being a "universal language"-like band. Reason being, while their lyrics are a large part of who they are, in plenty of their songs they are so nonsensical as to be irrelevant. And thus, it is the played music that carries more weight (rather than the lyrics), at least to me. And anyone, anywhere, can listen to an epic jam and like it.

@white_lightning said:

I would also say that Phish comes closer than almost anyone else to being a "universal language"-like band. Reason being, while their lyrics are a large part of who they are, in plenty of their songs they are so nonsensical as to be irrelevant. And thus, it is the played music that carries more weight (rather than the lyrics), at least to me. And anyone, anywhere, can listen to an epic jam and like it.

Good Point

Actually, mathematics is the true universal language. Yes, everybody loves some form of music, but what you like might be completely foreign to someone else. Nowhere is that more true than with Phish. People sometimes think I'm from another planet for listening to these guys. But math is the same for everybody no matter where you live, what you believe or what other languages you speak.

@docgonzo said:

Actually, mathematics is the true universal language. Yes, everybody loves some form of music, but what you like might be completely foreign to someone else. Nowhere is that more true than with Phish. People sometimes think I'm from another planet for listening to these guys. But math is the same for everybody no matter where you live, what you believe or what other languages you speak.