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Lawn Boy
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| Lawn Boy | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 21, 1990 (cassette) June 30, 1992 (CD) April 20, 2013 (deluxe vinyl) | |||
| Recorded | May–December 1989, Archer Studios, Winooski, Vermont | |||
| Length | 47:45 | |||
| Label | Absolute A Go Go, Rough Trade, Elektra, JEMP | |||
| Producer | Phish | |||
| Phish chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
Lawn Boy is the second studio album by the American rock band Phish. It was released on September 21, 1990, by Absolute A Go Go Records in the United States, with distribution by Rough Trade Records. The album was reissued on June 30, 1992, by Elektra Records.[2]
The original Absolute A Go Go compact disc release featured "Fee" from the band's debut album Junta as a bonus track. The album was certified gold by the RIAA on July 7, 2004. The Elektra Records reissue was remastered by Bob Ludwig and does not include "Fee".
The songs on Lawn Boy include many progressive rock and fusion elements featured on the band's first studio album, Junta, as well as incorporating elements of bluegrass, jazz and barbershop quartet.
According to Phish Archivist Kevin Shapiro:
"Lawn Boy was recorded and mixed at Archer Studios in Winooski, Vermont, in 1989 and 1990 on 16-track 2" tape and was mixed to 1/4" stereo reels. The band won the initial studio time with a first-place Rock Rumble performance on April 21, 1989, at a downtown Burlington, Vermont, club called The Front. The Lawn Boy sessions that followed consisted of mostly live takes with a few effects and overdubs. Engineer Dan Archer acquired a baby grand piano specifically for the recording, Fishman played his drums squeezed into a vocal isolation booth and the band utilized local musicians including members of what would soon be called the Giant Country Horns. Like Junta before it, Phish self-produced Lawn Boy on a hands-on level, surrounding the console for group fades without aid of automation."[3]
In February 2009, Lawn Boy became available as a download in FLAC and MP3 formats at LivePhish.com.
JEMP Records released Lawn Boy on Record Store Day 2013 as a Limited Edition Deluxe 2-LP vinyl set. The LE Deluxe 2-LP vinyl set was limited to 7,500 individually numbered copies and was created from the original 1/4" stereo master reels with lacquers cut by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering. Each LP is pressed onto 180g audiophile grade vinyl. Deluxe packaging includes an 8-page photo booklet and an etched D-side.
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Squirming Coil" | Anastasio | 6:02 | |
| 2. | "Reba" | Anastasio | Anastasio | 12:26 |
| 3. | "My Sweet One" | Jon Fishman |
| 2:09 |
| 4. | "Split Open and Melt" | Anastasio | Anastasio | 4:42 |
| 5. | "The Oh Kee Pa Ceremony" (instrumental) | Anastasio | — | 1:41 |
| 6. | "Bathtub Gin" |
| Anastasio | 4:29 |
| 7. | "Run Like an Antelope" |
| Anastasio | 9:50 |
| 8. | "Lawn Boy" |
| McConnell | 2:31 |
| 9. | "Bouncing Around the Room" |
|
| 3:55 |
| Total length: | 47:45 | |||
Personnel
[edit]Phish:
- Trey Anastasio – guitars, lead vocals, arranger
- Page McConnell – piano, organ, backing vocals, co-lead vocals on "My Sweet One" and "Bouncing Around the Room", lead vocals on "Lawn Boy"
- Mike Gordon – bass guitar, backing vocals, co-lead vocals on "My Sweet One" and "Bouncing Around the Room"
- Jon Fishman – drums, vacuum cleaner, backing vocals
With guests on "Split Open and Melt":
- Giant Country Horns:
- Joseph Sommerville, Jr. – trumpet
- Dave "The Truth" Grippo – alto saxophone
- Russell B. Remington – tenor saxophone
- Christine Lynch – vocals
Notes
[edit]- ^ Allmusic review
- ^ Phish: Lawn Boy Phish.com. Online. Accessed: September 14, 2011.
- ^ Phish: Lawn Boy Phish.com
External links
[edit]
Lawn Boy
View on Grokipediafrom Grokipedia
Background and Writing
Novel Development
Jonathan Evison had long aspired to write a novel exploring class dynamics in America, drawing from his own experiences growing up in an affluent community with a single mother and working odd jobs from a young age, including as a landscaper in wealthy neighborhoods.[4] The concept for Lawn Boy originated from a blog Evison started, where he chronicled stories inspired by his labor-intensive past, capturing the struggles of working-class life.[5] Development accelerated when Evison abandoned a different novel he was under contract for, which had lost momentum. "There was no heartbeat. I decided to throw it away and start something else," he recalled, shifting focus to a narrative about a young landscaper named Mike Muñoz navigating economic hardship and personal growth.[6] This pivot allowed Evison to infuse the story with semi-autobiographical elements, reflecting his observations of familial pressures and societal inequalities in the Pacific Northwest setting.[7] The protagonist's voice and themes evolved through Evison's intent to portray the resilience of marginalized communities, blending humor with social critique on identity, masculinity, and the American Dream—elements honed from his earlier works like West of Here (2011) and The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving (2012).[1]Writing Process
Evison wrote Lawn Boy over several years leading to its publication, employing an organic and intuitive approach that emphasized character-driven storytelling over rigid outlines. He incorporated details from his time as a caregiver for developmentally disabled individuals to authentically depict Mike's brother Nate and the family's challenges.[4] The process involved iterative revisions to balance introspection with the novel's episodic structure, reflecting Mike's nonlinear reflections on his past amid present-day job struggles. Evison aimed for a compassionate tone, avoiding sentimentality while highlighting working-class realities. The manuscript was acquired by Algonquin Books, his longtime publisher, and released on April 3, 2018.[1] Despite no formal "recording" phase typical of music, the writing emphasized capturing authentic dialogue and cultural nuances of Mexican-American life in contemporary Washington State.[5]Music and Lyrics
Musical Style
Lawn Boy exemplifies Phish's fusion of progressive rock, jazz fusion, bluegrass, and funk, characterized by intricate compositions that blend structured sections with extended improvisational jams. The album's nine tracks span a total runtime of 47:49, allowing space for expansive instrumental explorations that reflect the band's jam-band ethos, where studio versions serve as blueprints for live expansions often lasting far longer. Tracks like "Reba" (12:25) and "Run Like an Antelope" (9:52) feature multi-part structures with shifting tempos and rhythmic complexities, incorporating fugal elements and thematic variations that draw from jazz traditions while maintaining rock energy.[8][9][10] Trey Anastasio's guitar work stands out for its integration of complex time signatures—such as 9/8 and 2/2 shifts—and modal jazz influences, evident in chromatic descents and augmented chord progressions that create tension and release within jams. Page McConnell's keyboards, rooted in Hammond organ traditions, provide syncopated support and contrary motion lines, enhancing the album's rhythmic drive and harmonic depth, as heard in the big band-inspired arrangements of "Split Open and Melt." The rhythm section, with Mike Gordon's bass locking into funky grooves and Jon Fishman's drumming incorporating unconventional percussion like vacuum cleaner sounds, adds playful texture to the overall sound.[10][11][12] Unconventional vocal arrangements further distinguish the album's style, including barbershop quartet harmonies in tracks like "Reba," which contrast with the instrumental intensity. Compared to Phish's debut Junta, Lawn Boy features tighter production and more accessible melodic hooks, bridging their experimental roots with broader appeal while preserving the core improvisational spirit.[13][14]Songwriting and Themes
The songwriting for Lawn Boy marked a significant collaboration between Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio and his childhood friend Tom Marshall, who provided lyrics for several tracks, including the title song, "Reba," and "The Squirming Coil." This partnership, which began in their youth and continued via long-distance phone calls between New Jersey and Vermont, emphasized surreal and whimsical elements, often blending abstract imagery with stream-of-consciousness narratives. Marshall's contributions introduced a poetic layer to Anastasio's compositions, fostering a dynamic where musical riffs inspired lyrical responses and vice versa.[15] Central themes in the album's lyrics revolve around absurdity, nature, and personal introspection, reflecting Phish's penchant for imaginative storytelling. In "Reba," Marshall's words depict a disjointed tale of a character's futile quest to create something extraordinary—possibly a recipe or invention—through non-linear, dreamlike progression that evokes whimsy and frustration without resolution. The title track "Lawn Boy" uses synesthetic metaphors, such as smelling colors and tasting sounds during a nocturnal sensory journey, to symbolize breaking free from mundane routines and embracing introspective wonder. Similarly, "The Squirming Coil" explores emotional release amid absurd encounters, with references to Satan on the beach and a escaping "coil" suggesting themes of inner turmoil and cathartic escape tied to natural cycles like sunset.[16][14][17] Band members beyond Anastasio and Marshall also shaped the songwriting, incorporating their instrumental ideas into the lyrical framework. Bassist Mike Gordon contributed bass-driven motifs to "Split Open and Melt," enhancing its abstract, improvisational feel with rhythmic pulses that underscore the song's chaotic energy. Drummer Jon Fishman added rhythmic innovations across tracks, providing percussive foundations that allowed lyrical absurdity to unfold dynamically. These collective inputs ensured the songs balanced structured verses with open-ended sections primed for live improvisation.[14] Many songs evolved from extended live jams into more polished studio versions, retaining space for spontaneity while refining narratives. The album's first inclusion of humorous, narrative-driven pieces, such as "The Oh Kee Pa Ceremony," drew playful inspiration from the Mandan O-kee-pa ritual—a Native American tradition involving endurance and communal celebration—but adapted it into a brief, ceremonial interlude with whistling and drum rolls for lighthearted effect.[18]Release
Initial Release
_Lawn Boy was released on September 21, 1990, by the independent label Absolute A Go Go Records, with distribution handled through Rough Trade.[12][19] The album's initial commercial launch occurred primarily on cassette format, following a limited self-distribution of cassettes earlier in the year.[19] This marked Phish's second independent studio album after their self-released debut Junta in 1989, maintaining the band's status outside major label deals at the time.[12][20] Promotional efforts centered on live performances rather than traditional singles, with no dedicated radio singles issued to support the album.[21] To capitalize on their burgeoning fanbase in Vermont and the Northeast U.S., Phish scheduled a dozen regional tour dates in September and October 1990, including an official release party at the Somerville Theatre in Somerville, Massachusetts, on the day of launch.[21] These shows, starting with a performance at the Wetlands Preserve in New York City on September 13, emphasized the band's live energy to drive exposure and sales through grassroots college scenes and regional venues.[21] The album's artwork, credited to photographs by B.C. Kagan and design by Media Ministers with Kagan, featured playful imagery aligned with the title track's whimsical theme.[12] The back cover prominently depicted drummer Jon Fishman as "Lawn Boy," covered in green body paint to evoke suburban, lawn-care motifs.[22]Reissues and Packaging
Following its initial release, Lawn Boy saw a CD reissue by Elektra Records on June 30, 1992, which was remastered by Bob Ludwig at Masterdisk to enhance sound quality and facilitate broader distribution through a major label.[12][23] In 2013, JEMP Records issued a deluxe 2-LP vinyl edition exclusively for Record Store Day, pressed on 180-gram audiophile-grade vinyl from the original analog reels and limited to 7,500 copies in gatefold packaging.[24][25][26] Digital versions of the album became available for purchase through LivePhish.com in FLAC and MP3 formats, expanding accessibility for fans seeking high-quality lossless audio or compressed files.[27] Reissues featured evolving packaging, such as the 1992 Elektra CD's standard jewel case with basic credits and the 2013 vinyl's gatefold sleeve including an 8-page booklet with lyrics, photos, and detailed session information; liner notes across editions consistently credit lyricist Tom Marshall for contributions to tracks like "The Squirming Coil" and "Reba," alongside production details from the 1989 Archer Studios recordings.[12][26][28] None of the reissues introduced major remixes or bonus tracks, maintaining fidelity to the original 1990 mixes without alterations or additions.[29]Reception
Commercial Performance
Lawn Boy was published in March 2018 by Algonquin Books and achieved steady sales as a midlist title, bolstered by positive word-of-mouth and Evison's established readership.[30] While specific sales figures are not publicly detailed, the novel's visibility increased significantly following its inclusion on lists of challenged books starting in 2021, leading to a reported spike in sales and heightened public interest.[31] As of 2024, it maintains strong availability through major retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble, with over 9,900 Goodreads ratings reflecting sustained reader engagement.[32]Critical Response
Upon release, Lawn Boy received widespread critical acclaim for its humorous yet poignant exploration of working-class life, identity, and the American Dream. Kirkus Reviews praised its "razor-sharp" writing and unerring eye for detail, calling it a "vibrant coming-of-age novel and a sharp social commentary."[33] The Seattle Review of Books described it as the "goddamn Great American Landscaping Novel," lauding Evison's enthusiasm and the book's engaging pace.[34] On Goodreads, it holds an average rating of 3.8 out of 5 from nearly 10,000 readers, with reviewers highlighting its witty dialogue, relatable protagonist, and honest portrayal of marginalized experiences.[32] The novel earned the 2019 Alex Award from the American Library Association, recognizing it as one of the top adult books appealing to young adults.[35] Critics often compared it to J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye for its introspective voice and youthful perspective.[30] However, Lawn Boy has faced significant controversy, becoming one of the most challenged and banned books in U.S. schools and libraries since 2021. It ranked second on the ALA's list of most challenged books in 2021 and seventh in 2022, primarily due to objections over its depictions of sexuality, profanity, and LGBTQ+ themes.[3] Despite these challenges, defenders, including library committees, have upheld its value for its authentic representation and literary merit.[36]Credits
Track Listing
Lawn Boy is Phish's second studio album, featuring nine original tracks composed by band members, with a total runtime of 47:45.[8] The track listing is as follows:| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Squirming Coil" | Trey Anastasio (music), Tom Marshall (lyrics) | 6:02 |
| 2. | "Reba" | Trey Anastasio | 11:54 |
| 3. | "My Sweet One" | Jon Fishman | 2:09 |
| 4. | "Split Open and Melt" | Trey Anastasio | 4:43 |
| 5. | "The Oh Kee Pa Ceremony" | Trey Anastasio | 1:37 |
| 6. | "Bathtub Gin" | Trey Anastasio (music), Suzannah Goodman (lyrics) | 4:28 |
| 7. | "Run Like an Antelope" | Trey Anastasio (music), Steve Pollak (lyrics) | 9:53 |
| 8. | "Lawn Boy" | Trey Anastasio (music), Tom Marshall (lyrics) | 2:27 |
| 9. | "Bouncing Around the Room" | Trey Anastasio (music), Tom Marshall (lyrics) | 3:55 |