Mike Gordon / The Green Sparrow July 29, 2008 - Downtown Money Waster By Martin Halo Album Review - The Green Sparrow Comparable to Page McConnell's solo pressing, released in March of 2007 on Legacy Recording, the members of Phish are plagued by mortality in the face of venturing out on their own.Ê For Mike Gordon the trend is no different; God while swimming in the sea but mortal while flying in the air.Ê What is encased in Mike Gordon's The Green Sparrow, is a mix of funk-driven, hippie-infused, pop songs that find a common ground between Steve Miller Band's most beloved recordings and the project that made Gordon known around the globe.Ê Recorded at Gordon's home studio in Vermont the disc sports feature appearances by Page McConnell, Trey Anastasio, Bill Kreutzmann, and Chuck Leavell.Ê ÊÊ A hooky "Another Door" starts off the pressing as clean guitar licks accompany Gordon's vocal melody. A slap bass drives the jazzy "Vision," as the tunes effortessly slide over the speakers.Ê Mike Gordon's vocals carry the mix as his harmony provides a monochromatic color to the tonal brush strokes.Ê A short jam ensues.Ê Things get mixed up for "Dig Further Down" as drums lead off the number and a tension driven backbeat tugs against the melody.Ê ÊFinishing up the first half of the recording is the Gordon ballad "Pretend."Ê With the hype of Phish's reunion surrounding the 2008 Jammy Awards a distant memory, alongside a tease at Rothbury, the story of Phish continues to live on only in legend; for now at least.Ê Ê Article © 2008 Downtown Money Waster. All Rights Reserved.