Crimes of the Mind is the debut album from The Dude of Life, a childhood friend of Phish leader Trey Anastasio and a lyrical contributor to many of Phish's early songs. Phish is the backing band for the entire album. The album was recorded in 1991 but wasn't released until 1994, following Phish's surge in popularity. The Dude of Life performed several of the songs in a live setting with Phish on a number of occasions. The main riff of Phish's "Chalkdust Torture" was used in the song "Self."

Critical reception

AllMusic called the album a "loopy, stoned excursion that winds through Dead-style rock and hippie folk-rock." Entertainment Weekly deemed it "inconsequential silliness," writing that "the nice part is that the Dude’s ditties force Phish to keep its penchant for kitchen-sink jamming in check." Trouser Press wrote that "the music is a bit tighter than the [Phish]’s — but only a bit."

Track listing

Personnel

The Dude of Life: vocals Phish