''Round Room'' is the tenth studio album by the American rock band

Phish Phish is an American rock band formed in Burlington, Vermont, in 1983. The band is known for musical improvisation, extended jams, blending of genres, and a dedicated fan base. The band consists of guitarist Trey Anastasio, bassist Mike Gordon ...

released on December 10, 2002, by

Elektra Records Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the 1 ...

. The album was recorded over the span of four days in October 2002, and its release marked the end of the group's two year hiatus from touring and recording.

Production and release

Initially, Phish planned to record the album live at their December 31, 2002 concert at

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...

in New York City, their first concert since October 2000, but they decided instead to release the songs they had recorded that fall instead. As with previous Phish albums, the songs originated in collaborative writing sessions between frontman Trey Anastasio and lyricist Tom Marshall (with two songs contributed by bass guitarist Mike Gordon). ''Round Room'' is unique, however, in that the final tracks were taken from the band's unedited rehearsal sessions at The Barn, Anastasio's studio in Vermont. ''Rolling Stone'' notes that this approach gives the album a "decidedly live" feeling, and "breathes with an anxious, edge-of-the-seat intensity that's missing from their previous studio efforts." Though largely positive, the review criticizes Anastasio's singing and the "Phishspeak" quality of the lyrics. In the liner notes for the album, ''Round Room'' is dedicated to the memory of Widespread Panic guitarist Michael Houser, who died in August 2002, and Scott Schertzer, a Phish fan who was killed in the September 11 attacks in 2001. Phish appeared on TV twice before their official return to the stage on New Year's Eve 2002. "46 Days" was debuted live on the December 14, 2002, episode of '' Saturday Night Live'', and "All of These Dreams" debuted five days later on the ''

Late Show with David Letterman The ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the The Late Show (franchise), ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by ...

''.Phish.net Setlists: 2002-12-19
Phish.net. Online. Accessed: Sept. 2, 2011. About a week after the release of ''Round Room'', Phish recorded an impromptu jam session in a studio in New York City, excerpts of which were later scheduled for release as ''

The Victor Disc ''The Victor Disc'' is an instrumental studio album by the American band Phish. The material was recorded December 19, 2002, at LoHo Studios in New York during an impromptu jam session after the band's appearance on the ''Late Show with David Lett ...

''. However, this instrumental album has not yet been officially released.

Track listing

Personnel

: Trey Anastasio – guitars, lead vocals : Page McConnell – keyboards, backing vocals, co-lead vocals (tracks 6, 12) : Mike Gordon – bass guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals (tracks 3, 5, 7) : Jon Fishman – drums, backing vocals

References

External links

Phish's official website
{{Authority control 2002 albums Phish albums LivePhish.com Downloads Elektra Records albums