Phishin' for Music

In high school, one of my favorite pastimes was wandering aimlessly around my town's record store. I made lists of CDs I hoped to purchase, studied jewel cases that caught my eye, and figured out all sorts of new ways to piece my body by conversing with the store’s cashiers. Since the rise of the mp3, however, CD shopping has become a distant memory, a fading friend I no longer visit. But, before Dark Star Orchestra, I had some time to kill so I ventured across Times Square to visit the Virgin Mega Store. They'd already sold out of this month's Relix, but still had plenty of Phish in stock (go figure). Junta was actually stuck behind Round Room and Undermind, so I took it upon myself to reorganize the Phish section. Maybe some budding stoner will wander by and kick-start his collection, the right way. As for my personal Phish collection, It kind of grew like this:

A Live One (a gift from mom and dad for Chanukah)

Junta (purchased two days latter when I realized A Live One didn’t contain “Fee)

Hoist (I still hope to place “If I Could” on my wedding mix)

Lawn Boy, A Picture of Nectar and Rift (I joined once of those CD club to buy these simultaneously…kind of like Damn Yankees for music-dorks)

Billy Breaths (I had no idea what happened to Phish; now it’s my favorite album)

Story of the Ghost (I ran out of school during third period to buy it and spent all sixth period obsessing over it; I don’t think its hit my player this millennium)

Farmhouse (the first time I heard Sam Goody spin Phish through its PA)

Round Room (I heard it as the MP3s leaked to the web before I purchased the album)

Undermind (We got an advance at Relix; It was dark, dangerous and the beginning of the end).