The Unlikely Corporate Rock Band: Phish Page 3

On to MTV

While under the blanket of a major label, it was not before long that Phish had developed "a dual reputation: one as a stunning live act, the other as a mediocre band on record" (Artist Direct). Possibly due to this reputation, in 1994 Phish went for a more accessible sound on their album Hoist. Along with the album, Phish filmed their first ever music video for the song "Down with Disease". For many fans, their beloved band, Phish, had crossed a line that they thought would never happen. Their favorite, hard working band that had been the epitome of aesthetically pure for nearly a decade had switched teams and made a video for the other side, MTV, the epitome of commercial.

Unfortunately for Phish, this would turn out to be a double-edged sword as, "fans of the band cried 'sellout' while MTV said 'no thanks' " (Artist Direct). Songwriter and lead guitarist Trey Anastasio commented about the fan backlash from the video in a Guitar World interview saying, "We learned our lesson a little bit. I can understand why they were upset. Sometimes I think that people's being upset about things we do is a little nuts. But during the time of Hoist we got a lot of nasty letters that in my heart I had to agree with. The combination of all the things that happened around that album signaled to me that we had caved in to the pressures of commercialism. I can't look myself in the mirror and deny that" (Paul).

Though fans were not thrilled, they were won back by Phish doing what they do best, taking their tunes on the road. As it turns out, Phish's music video has become only a small footnote in their storied career; however, the video's sociological and commercial significance is amplified when given the proverbial "what if" treatment. What if Phish's "Down with Disease" video had been a hit on MTV? Would they have "caved in to the pressures of commercialism" even more? Furthermore, did Phish return to their fans because they realized that they had made a mistake or because after failing commercially, they had no choice? These questions are indeed hypothetical, yet still very relevant due to the nature of Phish's apparent "non-commercial" reputation. Regardless, the mere conception of the "Down with Disease" video only helps further the notion that Phish had become susceptible to the powers of commercialism.

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