Phish Biography Set for Nov. 23 Release; Latest News from Around the Web

Apparently there is a Phish biography bagged, tagged and ready for the storeroom Nov. 23. Simply called Phish: The Biography, it's was written by Parke Puterbaugh and published by Dacapo Books.

On the Dacapo web site, Puterbaugh's brief biography says he is "the author, co-author, or editor of nine books, including two books on the music and culture of the 1960s. A former editor and longtime contributor to Rolling Stone magazine, (Puterbaugh) lives in Greensboro, North Carolina."

Puterbaugh also has been a freelance curatorial assistant and writer for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland since its inception. He has annotated more than 30 albums for such labels as Rhino Records, Time-Life Music, and Sony Music.

I've never heard of the guy, and don't recognize his name from magazine bylines either, and I have been an avid reader of Rolling Stone since the mid 1980s -- but that doesn't mean anything.

I wish Phish would have let a long-time fan, who is also a professional writer, put together their biography (someone like, uhm, hmmm, I dunno, me :). Amazon.com says Puterbaugh is a long-time insider. Hopefully the boys had input in this book and it's not 100 percent independently written, especially since the preview says it delves into "the real role drugs played in their breakup," because for whatever reason people outside the world of Phish tend to get things wrong when writing about them. We'll see.

With all of the killer photos out there of the band performing, or otherwise, I really hope the publishers pull their head out of their collective asses and come up with a better cover for the book, which you can see at the top of this page. I mean, seriously ...

LATEST PHISH NEWS FROM AROUND THE WEB

Guilty Pleasures, Final Four: Phish (16) vs. Barry Manilow (2) (EntertainmentWeekly.com)
EW.com has been running a contest over the last month or so searching for the Greatest Guilty Pleasure Musical Act of All Time. (I don't consider Phish a guilty pleasure, any more than someone would consider the Rolling Stones or Neil Young a guilty pleasure, but what do I know.) As of this writing, Phish was leading in the voting 84% to 16% over Barry. If they're gonna be in this stupid contest they might as well win. Cast your vote by clicking here.

Phish Celebrates Happy Reunion (Joy review) (Toledo Blade)
CD Review: Phish's 'Joy' (LA Times)
Jam Central Station 09.19.09: Phish Profiles Part 2-Mike Gordon (411mania.com)
Test Spin: Phish (The Cornell Daily Sun)
Joy Isn't Off-The-Hook Phish, But It's Still Pretty Catchy (Washington Post)
Swimming solo, Phish bassist rocks (Boston Herald)

And for those of you looking for the rumored Fall Tour and New Year's Eve dates, you can find them by clicking here.