On yesterday’s The Howard Stern Show host Howard Stern played a number of clips recorded on Phish lot by a correspondent at a summer show. While we were a bit disappointed Howard and the gang didn’t discuss the actual music of Phish very much on Monday, they gave the band’s tunes plenty of airtime on today’s episode. While the reaction was mixed, we appreciate the “deep dive.”

Right at the beginning of today’s episode Stern mentioned he received a number of emails about Monday’s Phish-related segment and that most were spirited defenses of the band. Howard reiterated he doesn’t know much about them, but does feel he was correct in stating that people generally don’t know Phish like they know The Beatles. Then, during Robin Quivers news segment, Robin pulled a number of clips containing the music of Phish for Howard to play.

As we noted yesterday, it’s a comedy show so we weren’t surprised they went for the drug angle on Monday’s show. That said, we appreciate they took the time today to give the band’s music a chance, no matter what they thought of it.

Listen to segment from today’s show starting at the 23:50 mark:

Redditor sonoma12 recapped the section of the show that discussed Phish:

(Robin) played some Phish so everyone could hear what they’re like. She started with Divided Sky and started at the “DIVIDED SKY THE WIND BLOWS HIGH”. Howard was like, I kinda like this. Then they completely lost him during the mary had a little lamb section. But he perked up again when they got back into the “normal” part of the song.

Then she played Simple. Howard really, really liked the riff. When the singing came on he completely tuned out. To his credit, that vocals were not the greatest on that particular version.

Next was Limb by Limb. Again, Howard really loved the opening riff. He then made a remark about how Phish seems to write great riffs but they can’t base songs around them the way David Lee Roth did with Van Halen’s riffs. Once they got into the reggae groove he kinda tuned out.

Next was Walls of the Cave, which Robin mistakenly called Walls of the One. Not sure why she called it that but she often makes (redacted) mistakes like that. I immediately knew this wasn’t a good idea. To my surprise Howard liked the little drum groove at the beginning, but when Page’s piano comes in Howard goes “What is this the fuckin tango?”

Stash was up next. But they didn’t play any of the guitar part, just the lyrical parts. Howard and Robin literally groaned in sync. It was actually pretty funny. Fred remarked, “It’s been done before and done better. Grateful Dead did it better, Zappa did it better.”

Howard then said he was kinda done playing Phish songs. Gary the producer, or Baba Booey as he’s better known, then said exactly what I was thinking: that they’re going to get all kinds of mail about how they didn’t play the right songs, or didn’t play the right part of the songs they did play. My guess is he’s been through this routine before, where someone tried to get him into Phish and when he said he didn’t like it the other person said it’s because he didn’t listen to the right songs. (We’ve all been there right??)

Fred in his Benjy voice: “You didn’t play Tweezer man” “Or Reba”

Steve (Brandano), the one staffer who does like Phish, came in and said Howard might like some of their covers. Mentioning the Halloween tradition, they played While My Guitar Gently Weeps. Howard seemed to be into (it), but Fred noted how bad the vocals were. Phish isn’t exactly known for their singing as we all know. They also played Sweet Jane and Good Times Bad Times. Howard said at least they cover good songs and that those were the songs he’d cover if he had a band.