It's no secret, Phish is perhaps the most successful cover band on the road today. Whether it be playing full albums back to back like they do at their Halloween shows (White Album, Remain in the Light, Loaded, etc.) or adopting a cover as one of their own (Also Sprach Zarathustra, Rock n Roll, Crosseyed n Painless), laying covers is part of their DNA. They take pride in being able to show respect to the bands that have inspired and continue do so throughout their career.

But this post isn't to talk about all of those songs we have grown to know and love. No, this post is about those covers you may not have been aware Phish actually pulled off. And in some cases, pulled off exceptionally well to the point where some might argue "why not keep it in the rotation?". And with another Halloween upon us, it was fun to look back at these covers and start adding them to my long list for potential albums they will dress up as this year.

A few things to note about our selections.

• No sit ins - just the four members playing the cover without any outside help

• Only one time ever played

• It has to be a complete front to back cover of the song and not a spontaneous jam like say "Billy Jean" in 2001 from Camden in 2010

• All of the traditionals, bluegrass and jazz songs were left out as there are just too many. Perhaps that will be a post all on its own

• Finally, no Fish covers. 

For those of you who use Soundcloud regualrly, I created a set for all of the songs in this list. 

Pavement - "Gold Soundz"

Where Performed on 7/21/99 at Starlake Amp in Burgettstown, PA

Notes: There's been a lot of talk over the past few years with Phish picking up on the whole indie band thing, especially with Trey collaborating with bands such as The National. But the truth is they've always had their ear to the indie scene. As far as Pavement goes, they are one of Trey's favorite bands, which makes sense since Stephen Malkmus is one heck of a guitar player. But what he's not is a great singer so this actually worked out pretty well from a vocal stand point. Musically, so so. 

Play again material? Sure

Nirvana - "Smells Like Teen Spirit"

Where: Performed on 11/2/98 in Utah

Notes: The forever classic Utah 98 show where they performed the bust out of all bust outs by playing in it's entirety Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon to a half empty arena. They've always been known to bust out big shows when they play in random locations where chances of an under sold show is eminent but this was taking that to a whole new level. The Floyd covers were more spirited and energetic that this was actually happening then they were performed well. The encore, on the other hand, is grunge rock and since Phish practically grew up among the grunge scene, this was an easy one for them to cover. Yeah, hard to cover Cobain but the music itself sounds ok with a few hiccups from Trey and his guitar work. This was clearly a last minute back stage selection. But most of those musical miscues are overshadowed by the fact that they are playing NIRVANA!!!

Play again material? Maybe - has that one time specialty thing going on. 

Grand Funk Railroad - "We're an American Band" 

Where: First time played was in 96 in Omaha, NE. There was a second in Vegas in 2010 but Kid Rock handled vocals so not gonna count that one for this list.

Notes: This song fits right into Phish's rock n roll wheel house. Pretty sure it's Page on vocals at the beginning but for the chorus the whole band comes roaring in - "We're an American Band!" - with the crowd going nuts. Then Trey takes the second verse, which includes a nod to Omaha, which may have been why they covered this song this very night? Who really knows why they decided to cover this tune on this very night but all I know is they should do it more often as an encore. 

Play again material? Yes! 

The Police - "So Lonely" 

Where: Performed on 11/14/98 at The Crown

Notes: Sting + Page = uncanny. I was at this show and I just remember this show having a ton of energy and this encore fit the vibe of that night perfectly. The set list may not look too sexy but don't be afraid to give this show a spin. Combined with Tweezer Reprise, this was a fantastic encore and heck of a way to end the show.

Play again material? Yup 

Buddy Miles (and Hendrix) - "Them Changes" 

Where: Performed in Worcester on 11/30/97. 

Notes: In a show that included a 30 minute Wolfman's in the first set and an unfinished Stash in the second, what else can you really do to close out the night but to cover a Buddy Miles / Hendrix tune. This is first and foremost a Buddy tune that he sings but of course it's best known for being on the Band of Gypsies album, of which Buddy played drums on that album. Page does the Buddy vocals perfectly. Would certainly enjoy this one being played on a more regular basis. Would be a great supplement to the many Funky Bitches we here show in and show out these days. The one and only version sure is taken for a ride, most likely due to the high energy throughout the night and that run. This closed out the three night run so they were holding on to this one for as long as they could. 

Play again material? Yes! 

Van Halen - "Runnin with the Devil" 

Where: Performed on 8/6/98 at Lakewood

Notes: The 98 summer tour was well known as the "summer under the covers" tour given all of th debut covers, most of which never saw the light of day past this summer. In the case of this Van Halen cover, at first glance it seems like Phish should easily nail this cover but the music is a bit choppy surprisingly. Maybe Trey just can't hang with Eddie's chops? Or he was burnt out from a long, epic show or could be the fact that they learned it back stage before the show. Either way, it's a fun cover and if practiced, could have potential.

Play again material? Sure

Modern Lovers - "Roadrunner" 

Where: Performed on 9/11/2000 at Great Woods. 

Notes: Once again Phish tackle an indie scene darling. Here the choice is made for the obvious reason that they are playing in Massachusetts and Modern Lovers are originally from Boston. This simple yet infectious song is all about driving down the highway (Rt. 128 to be exact) with your radio on high. A familiar past time for many Phish heads who travel from city to city to see their beloved Vermont foursome play. I wouldn't say Phish does a great job with this tune but given Jonathan Richman's unique vocal style, I'd say they did as best as anyone could. 

Play again material? Nah 

Neutral Milk Hotel - "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" 

Where: Performed on 6/26/2010 in Merrweather

Notes: Oh boy. Many kids were rolling over in their Brooklyn bunk beds when word got around that Phish covered the indie icon of icons, Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel fame. I have to admit, I too was a bit shocked to see this one show up on the set list. Not that Phish hasn't covered indie bands before. Heck, they even have one in heavy rotation with TV On The Radio's "Golden Age". But with NMH you are getting into more iconic territory. Also, Jeff's vocals are about as unique as they get so hearing anyone else try and play his music is going to sound odd. They gave it their best and you have to give them credit for at least introducing many in the crowd to a new and unique artist. 

Play again materials? No

Sly and the Family Stone - "Stand!"

Where: Performned on 6/13/97 in Dublin. 

Notes: Starts out a bit shaky but as soon as they get going with the jam section it's clear that the funk era was upon us here in the early part of 1997. They segue perfectly into "Izabella", a Hendrix classic that they would go on to cover many more times. unfortunately this was the one and only (so far) Sly cover for Phish. 

Play again material? Yes! 

Smashing Pumpkins - "Rhinoceros"

Where: Performed on 8/3/98 at Deer Creek.

Notes: Another "summer under the covers" selection. There are a handful from this tour that stick out as being a bit outside the norm for Phish to play and this one sure threw some folks off guard. When you listen back to the recording you can tell many in the crowd have no clue what they are playing. I must say that while they made a valiant effort here, this is one that they can leave tucked away. 

Play again material? No 

Brian Eno - "I'll Come Running"

Where: Performed on 5/16/95 in Lowell, MA

Notes: This show was a Voters for Choice benefit show. Historically Phish has remained relatively low key when it comes to national politics as they tend to focus more of their attention on local charities, especially around their home state of Vermont. There were a boat load of debuts at this show, including this Eno track off of Another Green World. This song fits Gordon perfectly, both musically and lyrically. The band as a whole has always been a fan of Eno's style, even going as far as staging an entire late night set at the Lemonwheel centered around Eno's ambient approach. But of all the members, Gordon is perhaps the one that is most influenced by Eno. If I were Mike, I'd advocate for more Eno covers.

Play again material? Sure 

Al Green - "Rhymes"

Where: Performed at Great Woods on 6/7/2011

Notes: The 2010 and 2011 tours saw Phish introducing a lot of new covers. Many of the covers were carried over from their respective solo acts. Here Mike brings one of favorite Al Green Songs that he covers regularly with his solo band. It's got a great bouncy rhythm and is a great Phish cover that features the band well. There's a great little Page organ solo section. 

Play again material? Yes!

Tom Waits - "Cold Water" 

Where: Performed at nTelos Pavilion on 6/15/2010

Notes: The original is a great down and dirty blues song. Phish's version polishes up that dirt a bit and makes it more poppy sounding. Would have preferred leaving the dirt on as it was originally intended. 

Play again material? Nah. Only if Trey starts up a really bad smoking and whiskey habit and can sound like he has a frog in his throat when he sings.

Rage Against the Machine - "Killing in the Name"

Where: Performed on 7/4/2010 at Encore Park in Alpharetta, GA

Notes: Performed as part of the Harpua story, this is a full on rager of a cover and on par with the Sabotage bust out. But unlike Sabotage they have yet to bring this one back out for a spin. Fishman is perfect for the screaming vocals. And what better crowd of music fans to get everyone yelling in unison "Fuck you I won't do what you tell me"? I'm sure the cops assigned to manage this crowd afterward sure didn't appreciate the extra angst injected in to the crowd. 

Play again material? Maybe - kind of a one time special deal, you know what I mean?