Junta (album)
Encyclopedia
Junta is the first official studio release from the American rock band Phish
. The album was independently recorded and released on tape in 1988, and did not appear in stores officially until May 8, 1989. The album was re-released by Elektra Records
on October 26, 1992. According to members of Phish, the title of the album is pronounced JUHN-tuh (not JUNE-tuh, with a hard "J" sound).
In addition to a few more traditionally structured songs, Junta contains symphonic-like epics, large-scale improvisation
and multi-part progressive rock
suites. "Union Federal" was recorded at Paul Languedoc's home during one of the band's longform improvisational "Oh Kee Pa ceremonies". "Sanity" and "Icculus" were recorded live in concert at Nectar's in Burlington, Vermont
, on July 25, 1988, (incorrectly labeled as 5/3/88 in the Elektra release liner notes).
The album was certified gold
by the RIAA
on October 9, 1997, and was certified platinum on July 7, 2004.
In February 2009, this album became available as a download in FLAC
and MP3
formats from LivePhish.com.
Gordon Hookailo - engineer
Bob Ludwig - mastering
Michael F. Mills - design
Jim Pollock - artwork
Phish
Phish is an American rock band noted for its musical improvisation, extended jams, and exploration of music across genres. Formed at the University of Vermont in 1983 , the band's four members – Trey Anastasio , Mike Gordon , Jon Fishman , and Page McConnell Phish is an American rock band...
. The album was independently recorded and released on tape in 1988, and did not appear in stores officially until May 8, 1989. The album was re-released by Elektra Records
Elektra Records
Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
on October 26, 1992. According to members of Phish, the title of the album is pronounced JUHN-tuh (not JUNE-tuh, with a hard "J" sound).
In addition to a few more traditionally structured songs, Junta contains symphonic-like epics, large-scale improvisation
Musical improvisation
Musical improvisation is the creative activity of immediate musical composition, which combines performance with communication of emotions and instrumental technique as well as spontaneous response to other musicians...
and multi-part progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
suites. "Union Federal" was recorded at Paul Languedoc's home during one of the band's longform improvisational "Oh Kee Pa ceremonies". "Sanity" and "Icculus" were recorded live in concert at Nectar's in Burlington, Vermont
Burlington, Vermont
Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
, on July 25, 1988, (incorrectly labeled as 5/3/88 in the Elektra release liner notes).
The album was certified gold
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
by the RIAA
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
on October 9, 1997, and was certified platinum on July 7, 2004.
In February 2009, this album became available as a download in FLAC
FLAC
FLAC is a codec which allows digital audio to be losslessly compressed such that file size is reduced without any information being lost...
and MP3
MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
formats from LivePhish.com.
Disc one
- "Fee" (AnastasioTrey AnastasioTrey Anastasio is an American guitarist, composer, and vocalist most noted for his work with the rock band Phish...
) – 5:23 - "You Enjoy MyselfYou Enjoy MyselfYou Enjoy Myself, commonly abbreviated to "YEM" is a Phish song written by Trey Anastasio. It is the band's most frequently played song, having been featured —as of August 2011— at about 36% of their 1,496 shows. The song is also one of the oldest in Phish's catalog, having been first performed...
" (Anastasio) - 9:47 - "Esther" (Anastasio) – 9:21
- "Golgi Apparatus" (Anastasio, MarshallTom Marshall (singer)Tom Marshall is a lyricist, keyboardist and singer/songwriter best known for his association with Trey Anastasio and the rock band Phish...
, Szuter, Woolf) – 4:35 - "Foam" (Anastasio) - 6:50
- "Dinner and a Movie" (Anastasio, PollakThe Dude of LifeSteve Pollak, best known by his stage name The Dude of Life, is a musician and lyricist, who has co-written numerous Phish songs, including "Suzy Greenberg", "Fluffhead", "Slave to the Traffic Light", "Run like an Antelope", "Sanity", "Crimes of the Mind", "Dinner and a Movie", and most recently,...
) - 3:42 - "The Divided Sky" (Anastasio) - 11:50
- "David Bowie" (Anastasio) - 10:59
Disc two
- "Fluffhead" (Anastasio, Pollak) – 3:24
- "Fluff's Travels" (Anastasio) – 11:35
- "Contact" (GordonMike GordonMike Gordon is a bass guitar player and vocalist most noted for his work with the rock band Phish. Gordon is also an accomplished banjo player, and is proficient at piano, guitar, harmonica and percussion...
) – 6:42 - "Union Federal" [Live]* (Anastasio, FishmanJon FishmanJon Fishman is an American drummer best known for his work with the band Phish. He is credited with co-writing 19 Phish originals, 8 of them as a solo credit....
, Gordon, McConnellPage McConnellPage Samuel McConnell is an American multi-instrumentalist most noted for his work as a songwriter and keyboardist with the American rock band Phish....
) – 25:31 - "Sanity" [Live]* (Anastasio, Fishman, Gordon, McConnell, Pollak) – 8:22
- "Icculus" [Live]* (Anastasio, Marshall) – 4:24
Personnel
PhishPhish
Phish is an American rock band noted for its musical improvisation, extended jams, and exploration of music across genres. Formed at the University of Vermont in 1983 , the band's four members – Trey Anastasio , Mike Gordon , Jon Fishman , and Page McConnell Phish is an American rock band...
- Trey AnastasioTrey AnastasioTrey Anastasio is an American guitarist, composer, and vocalist most noted for his work with the rock band Phish...
- guitars, vocals, producer - Page McConnellPage McConnellPage Samuel McConnell is an American multi-instrumentalist most noted for his work as a songwriter and keyboardist with the American rock band Phish....
- keyboards, vocals, producer - Mike GordonMike GordonMike Gordon is a bass guitar player and vocalist most noted for his work with the rock band Phish. Gordon is also an accomplished banjo player, and is proficient at piano, guitar, harmonica and percussion...
- bass guitar, vocals, producer - Jon FishmanJon FishmanJon Fishman is an American drummer best known for his work with the band Phish. He is credited with co-writing 19 Phish originals, 8 of them as a solo credit....
- drums, vocals, trombone, producer
Gordon Hookailo - engineer
Bob Ludwig - mastering
Michael F. Mills - design
Jim Pollock - artwork