HT Giveaway: Win A Phish Joy Box Pt. 2

Recently, Phish announced pre-order details for one of the most ambitious merch products they’ve ever created – the Joy Box. This monstrous limited edition box set includes the CD plus 10 posters dedicated to each one of Joy’s 10 tracks each designed by a different artist, an extensive hard-bound booklet, as well as a “complete second album” called Party Time along with a  DVD featuring some of Phish’s live performances from the first half of 2009.

As we told you last week, we’ve got two Joy Boxes to give away and you’ll have eight chances to enter our sweepstakes. Today, we’ve got our second question of eight and each answer you give will count as one entry in the contest. That’s right, you can enter eight times by answering all eight questions. Just don’t get greedy and answer the same question twice. This contest will run until September 25, 2009 at 11:59PM.

Just follow the rules below and we’ll announce our winners on 9/28:

  • To enter the contest leave a comment below telling us about your favorite Phish studio track of all-time.
  • All comments must be longer than 10 words and shorter than 50
  • Your comment must be left by 11:59 PM EST on Friday,  Sept. 25
  • Don’t be greedy, only one entry per person, per question
  • Winners will be selected at random from all entries to all 8 questions
  • Winners receive one copy of the Joy Box each

So there you have it. As you see, question #2 is “what is your favorite Phish studio track of all-time?” Keep on checking Hidden Track as you never know when we’ll post the next question.

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261 Responses

  1. I love the studio version of “My Friend, My Friend”. The crispness of the acoustic guitar at the beginning gets me every time!

  2. Moma Dance is my favorite studio track. I like how it blends with “ghost” at the end of the song. Nice work fellas.

  3. My favorite Phish studio track has to be “Rift”. The playing is so clean and flawless. The title track from the best concept album makes it arguably a better studio song than live song.

  4. If I Could – Such an absolutely beautiful song and with the addition of Allison Krauss on vocals it just comes across so smoothly. Throw in Page’s wonderful piano work and what you have is studio genius.

  5. I would have to say Billy Breathes. I probably listened to that song and album about a 20 times in about the first three days it was out.

  6. Maze, it was the song that made me “get” Phish. I understood the pieces and parts of them, all the members, their instruments and vocals.

  7. Theme from the Bottom.

    It’s a great midpoint for the album, a mature composition, and actually has some of the best lyrics the band has ever written. Lillywhite did a masterful job producing it.

  8. GUYUTE

    after being played for 4 years on tour, and being one of the fan favorites for years, this one finally got the studio treatment in 98 on SOTG. I always referred to guyute as the bands “stairway”. it has lyrics, slow parts, fast parts, and enough changes to keep even the causal listener interested.

  9. there are a numerous amount of good phish studio songs but it may be corny but YEM is probably my favorite studio recording…for me it embodies all that is phish and anytime i send someone a phish song who is just beginning to listen, i usually start them with that

  10. Probably “Free”. I can listen to it over and over again and never get tired of it. There is a lot going on and it is something you can put on and immediately get pumped up and relaxed all at the same time.

  11. The studio version of YEM is a classic. It is one of the first Phish songs I ever heard, and a big reason why I love the band.

  12. I would have to choose, Sample in a Jar. No matter how many times I hear it, that song never fails to excite and energize.

  13. Gotta say my favorite studio track to this day is First Tube. Its the closest they’ve come to capturing live energy in the studio IMO. Love it…

  14. Even though it was not released, I am going to go old school and bring up The White Tape. Minkin is just bizarre, loco, and so so Mike. Love it love it love it…

  15. “The Wedge”. I remember hearing it the first time in HS and I was convinced I had heard it somewhere else before, even though there was no way I could have. Thats when I knew I loved Phish, brand new music seemed immediately familiar and I loved it.

  16. It’s not my fav. Phish song, but my fav studio track is ‘Round Room.’ The breakdown into ‘Take Me to the Round Church’ is epic.

  17. Lifeboy. No question. Still gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. It’s also the track that I always play when I’m testing out new audio equipment. And most of the time, the dude at the shop is like “wow, who is this? This is unbelievable. Phish?!? No freaking way.”

  18. David Bowie from Junta. Blew my mind the 1st time I heard it, and it is my go-to tune to play for newbies. I also have memorized all of the lyrics.

  19. ‘My Friend, My Friend’ – this track has everything that is great about Phish all in one. Composed sections, alternating tempos, shredding solos, weird and mysterious lyrics, all in a relatively short and rocking song. I love it!

  20. Bug off of Farmhouse. As for a studio cut this is as perfect as you can get. All four heads of the monster that is Phish knock this out of the park and it gives me goosebumps every time it comes on on my iPod. The imagery and the guiatr work are a perfect compliment to each other.

  21. The studio version of FREE really does it for me. Billy Breathes is such a “clean sounding” album and Free is my fav.

  22. My favorite studio track is without question Billy Breathes, such a beautiful song, Lillywhite did a fantastic job on the entire album.

  23. WHat’s The Use? A studio B side that actually made it to the stage multiple times. My favorite!

    Joy Box here I come!

  24. First Tube the final track on Farmhouse is my favorite Phish studio track -What can I say I’m a sucker for instrumentals.

  25. I’m gonna go with something more recent: ‘A Song I Heard The Ocean Sing.’ The studio cut has such a big and up front feel to it. For my money, Undermind is the best engineered of all their albums.

  26. I am going to go with Guyute. Perfect location on the album with tension build up from the 1st 4 songs, which then releases and guides you into the rest of album.

  27. gotta be fee the first time i listened to phish was on a cassette of junta, i couldn’t believe what i was hearing

  28. Stash is my favorite because that was the first Phish song I have ever listened and I didn’t get hooked on Phish immidiately. On the contrary, it took me a while to digest the song and that made it even more special…

  29. “minestrone,” better known now as “the inlaw josie wales” has to be my favorite phish studio track. Although mostly comprised of trey’s playing, I love the studio version because it includes bela fleck as well. Great tune live and on wax

  30. theme from the bottom. TFTB following 5 on BB represent a rare sequence that’s incredible on the album, though none are ever standouts live. Gotta love the vocal breakdown, too.

  31. Lengthwise – “when you’re here I sleep lengthwise, but when your gone I sleep diagonal in my bed”

    perfect.

  32. Maze. I love hearing the studio version! You can’t really go wrong with anything on Rift, but Maze is just awesome.

  33. Julius. The studio environment gives it just the right amount of polish while it still jams. Plus the horns are sooooo tight. It also doesn’t hurt that it was the first Phish track I ever heard.

  34. My favorite studio track is “If I Could,” for the Alison Krauss vocals. What a special guest she would be!

  35. ‘twould be Reba for me. Once they break down and go into the “jam” part, it sends chills through my body every time. One of the best recorded guitar “solos”/

  36. “Secret Smile” from Undermind is criminally underrated. The few times the band played it on stage were all horrible, but the studio version is where it shines. Listen to those strings!

  37. FREE- I feel the feeling I forgot – Billy Breathes makes me want to WASTE as much time as I can listening to PHISH.

  38. The whole BB album but from Theme onward to Caspian and all in between had some good captured Phish…always kinda reminded me of the flow of the songs closing out Abbey Road.
    I am hoping Joy will also be a good snapshot of the Phish!

  39. “Silent In The Morning”. Since the first time i listened to it YEARS ago, this song’s lyrics & music continues to hit home with me.

  40. Quadraphonic Toppling fron the Siket Disk. Why? One reason is because I don’t think anyone else has said it and another reason is that they played this weird tune at Big Cypress.

  41. Reba, Antelope, Julius, Guyute, and Free are all so good…but there is something about Pebbles and Marbles and i just gotta go with it.

  42. I love almost everything off Junta, but my favorite Phish studio track is David Bowie. The band meshes so well. It is a perfect version.

  43. I really like Birds of a feather off of Ghost! To me, it was the culmination of the late 97-98 sound and i really dig Mike’s loud bass! Woah! Check it!

  44. Pebbles and Marbles. It was the first song on Round Room, the first thing we heard from them following the hiatus. And you can tell the version was originally a run-through because there are imperfections throughout, which is what makes it all the more enjoyable.

  45. my favorite phish studio track is seven below, i know it is a wierd pick but the raw energy of the album really does capture the band it is best situation. seven below is just a really groovy song!

  46. Maze. The first song that was played to me back in 1994 as a college freshman that got me into the band.

  47. Fluffhead. Because the song is composed, the studio version doesn’t suffer from lack of jam section. I’ve always felt it is the bands masterpiece.

  48. Back on the Train. directly from the first Phish album I was given, and will always remain my favorite! Plus its super significant on all Phishy levels!

  49. My favorite studio Phish track of all time has to be David Bowie. This song is what sucked me in back in 9th grade. Junta still tops all other Phish studio albums to this day.

  50. Reba! It was the first Phish I ever heard back in ’91 when a intern teacher played it for me. It blew my mind and ultimately set me on the music path. I still consider it one of the greatest Trey solos ever recorded.

  51. Maze. Some of my other favorite live songs don’t reach their potential on the album version, but the studio Maze is fantastic.

  52. Backwards down the Numberline, heard it on 91.9 WFPK here in Louisville for the first time the other day, and was absolutely beside myself. Not only did it get me really pumped for my joy box, but I immediately thought it was better than any other studio effort I had heard.

  53. Summer – Friend’s car: Esther’s crescendo commences – the soaring solo. I say “So this is the music I’ve been waiting to hear for my entire life?” An intoxicating amalgam of piqued interest, awe, and chills that only this band can tap into, which keeps me in their audience to this day.

  54. Fast Enough For You off of Rift was the first song that got me interested in the band. It’s really well produced and Gordon Stone’s pedal steel adds an extra dimension to the tune as well. Antelope off of Lawn Boy is a close second though.

  55. i’ve got to say Fluffhead is my favorite… it’s just so beautiful & interesting. I definitely wondered what the hell was with this band the time i heard it, and it hooked me forever!

  56. I’ve got to go with Divided Sky. Killer vocal harmony with a great, long composition that builds on itself like a classical piece does.

  57. My favorite Phish studio track is “Guyute”. The first time I listened to this song I completely lost it. I was giddy.

  58. this is the toughest question HT could’ve asked. My Sweet One with fishman lyrics and the delicious page solo. lawn boy to me is the phishiest album.
    “and if your dog or cat ever dies, I’ll buy You a Ewe”

  59. The Reba from Lawn Boy. Axilla from Hoist. Riker’s Mailbox from Hoist. It’s Ice from Rift. Split from Lawn Boy.

    But if I had to pick ONE song, it has to be:

    Free from Billy Breathes. Theme is up there too, as is Billy Breathes, the song.

    And the album, Billy Breathes will take the cake against all others.

    In the end, it’s Free. Great studio work.

  60. Demand. There was jukebox at bar we hung at in college with hoist in it and we would always play it because the sweet split jam would keep the phish tunes going for a while with one play!

  61. It’s Ice from Rift because the lyrics seem to fit with my Gemini horoscope, the main character battling his darker “evil” reflection in the ice, excellent imagery throughout the song.

  62. Crap – tough to say. It’s not going to be a popular pick, but probably “Farmhouse.” More of a personal fave than some sort of objective choice.

    Otherwise, give me “YEM” or “Reba.” 🙂

  63. Would have to go with Foam, Junta was the first Phish album I ever heard and my buddy from high school played it for me to convince me to go see them at the wetlands – 19 years later I’m still looking forward to my next show

  64. Rift has always been special song to me. The whole album is what got me into the band and I think this song had the biggest impact on me.

  65. If I Could from Hoist…yeah, it’s uber-produced, yadda, yadda, but it’s beautifully arranged, and Allison Krauss’s (as well as the band’s) vocals are amazing. Song hit’s me in “that spot” everytime I hear it.

  66. I’ll go outside of the box, as the band did on my favorite track, and name FAHT as the pick! Love the sparse nature opening > discord > foghorn closer…classic.

  67. Definitely Julius. It’s really unfortunate though that unlike most other Phish songs, it doesn’t get better live, it actually gets worse.

  68. Probably If I Could, because the studio version is so clean and perfect it’s hard to add variation to make it better live. Plus, they can’t get Allison Krauss to sit in on every show.

  69. I’m going with Llama s my favorite studio track. They never pound it out live like the studio version, especially the opening drums,and I just love Trey’s distorted vocals!

  70. I’m going with Llama as my favorite studio track. They never pound it out live like the studio version, especially the opening drums,and I just love Trey’s distorted vocals!

  71. I’d have to go with Theme From The Bottom. Beautifully recoreded and performed, and I cna listen to it over and over again. I really think it’s a masterpiece.

  72. Theme From the Bottom has got to be my favorite studio track. I love to jam that one with the windows down in the car.

  73. A Song I Heard The Ocean Sing. I think it has such a different sound than other othe Phish song. I am mesmorized everytime I hear it.

  74. If I could. You would think this is a difficult one but i would say most Phish songs are better heard live than in the studio, however I feel If I could stands out as one soulful song that was best captured in the studio.

  75. Overall my favorite studio track would have to be Taste on Billy Breathes. I also really like the blob in between swept away/steep. A more obscure favorite studio track of mine would be What’s the Use on the Siket Disk.

  76. I think that studio YEM is just incredible! They do insane things with it live, but the studio version is just as raw

  77. Axcilla II. Cause it’s the rawk with such a nasty groove. “Don’t shine that thing in my face man. I’m serious.”

  78. It was Spring of 93 and Phish was touring promoting their new album “Rift”. I remember it well. Attending little Bloomsburg University in Central PA, we took a chance and asked Phish to come play our Haas Center for the Performing Arts on Feb 11th of that year. They said yes !!! A day that has changed my life for the better.

    And to that end I’ll also go with the title track “rift” from this spectacular album that has brought us so many enjoyable live show staples for years to come. 49 words once again, I counted.

  79. I’d have to say my all time favorite studio track is PROBABLY “Brian and Robert”. The entire GHOST album is amazing (obviously), and B&R is so filled with emotion and love- just like JOY!

  80. I would have to go with The Wedge. I’ve seen it live, but its one of those rare phish songes where I prefer the studio version.

  81. David Bowie or any long composed Trey song. Help’s the fan realize what is composed and what is improvised. Some people unfamiliar with this tunes may not be able to differentiate the two.

  82. You Enjoy Myself! The first Phish song I fell in love with, and the first Phish song I heard live. The intricate composition combined with an open area for improvisation. Perfect.

  83. Without a doubt it must be “Esther” from Junta. The sound of Fishman’s ride cymbals during the “tumble and dive through the clouds” part make me shiver. I set my clocks to it. Let’s hear it for this fabulous analog recording!

  84. Billy Breathes. Flying down I-81 South, traveling through Virginia, with the warm spring sun seeping through breaks in the clouds. As the music peaks, the light blue horizon shines immaculate, pulling you forward, and everything is right with the world.

  85. always loved cars trucks and buses. Has a great jazz funk groove that would fit right in on a Groove Holmes or Jimmy Smith album.

  86. No doubt about it- Bouncin Round the Room- because that is the song that I use to turn other people on to Phish- gotta spread the joy…

  87. In 1992 I was a sophmore in highschool and I loved Phish but none of my friends got it…until I played them my favorite tune off Junta, David Bowie. Fast forward to 2009 and many of those friends still go to Phish shows. Thats powerful music.

  88. “If I Could” from Hoist. With Allison Krause on the vocals, it’s a track that unique and unlike the version you hear live.

  89. I like Run Like an Antelope from Lawn Boy. I think it’s as close as you can get to a definitive version of a Phish song.

  90. YEM always did it for me – I always prefer a live version, but hearing the studio version brings back a lot of memories for me

  91. My favorite studio track is Fee off of Junta for the sole purpose that this song is the reason that I got into Phish. I have never jumped off the wagon since. The song is so unlike the rest of their songs, yet was the bridge that took me into the rest of their catalog.this song is the one that hooked me! Pun intended.

  92. answer to question 2:

    favorite phish studio track is “moma dance” from the story of the ghost, because they reprise the title track of the album during the jam and it is just so funky. may the moment never end…

  93. This is a Question that can be unanswered, but I have always given my complete truthful answer and Tweezer from Picture of Nectar is definately it. It flows in and out never knowing when it will end, and when you think its gone it Reprises back. WOW!!

  94. Well it changes every few weeks but at the this time I still love dancing to Haley’s Comet..but I couldn’t tell ya the last time I listened to a studio album

  95. My favorite studio track of all time is my friend, my friend from Rift because its the last song I listened to.

  96. Has to be something off of Junta as that was my first studio album. Probably YEM or Bowie, I definitely wasn’t prepared for the epicness I was about to experience.

  97. My favorite track off a studio album is Union Federal. Had my first experience with mushrooms while listening to that one. Yikes!

  98. my favorite studio phish track of all time is probably theme from the bottom, for it’s lush production, chaotic composition, and for just sounding pretty.

  99. How about the “If I could” with Allison Kraus. I wish they could get her to come up on stage and sing that one if there paths ever cross.

  100. Fast Enough for You– the pedal steel, the spot on lyrics (its place in the dream sequence…) and the George Harrison-esque solo Trey was so proud of when it came out.

  101. Moma Dance~ I thought that Ghost was such a dark and eerie composed album that phlows perfectly from start to finish. I feel like the Moma Dance is a culmination of the dark phunk and harmonizations that pulsate throughout the album. The Moment Ends!!!

  102. Favorite studio cut would have to be Esther – so well written, with words and music so well intertwined/meshed, it’s practically program music.

  103. There are so many to choose from, I like the ones that aren’t necessarily played live. If I could comes to mind with the string arrangement and the female backing vocals.

  104. My favorite Phish studio track of all time has to be “The Inlaw Josie Wales” from Farmhouse. Listening to Trey’s fingers glide along the guitar strings in this lovely acoustic instrumental sends feelings of love and peace to me each and everytime.

  105. Way back when I was in high school I submitted Fee as a poem for an English class and recieved a B for a grade. This lady obviously didn’t not know how great a studio track this song was and how important it was to me!

  106. Billy breathes transcends a studio recording into something greater. You could say this about most of the album, but the title track leaves me breathless every time.

  107. My favorite all time studio tune by phish is Headphone Jam. Released separately and captured by accident it proves that studio work was fun for the guys. I listen to it regularly.

  108. I love the studio version of “Free”. Sometime live the harmonies can be off on the chorus but on the record……..air tight!

  109. HOIST, as an album is really one track. The down time in between songs, when present at all, is the result of fade outs and not abrupt endings. I have always seen HOIST as one long multipart song

  110. Without a doubt, “Magilla” is my favorite phish studio track of all time. If you have not cranked this baby up to 11 on a bumping stereo system, you are not living life to the fullest.

  111. I’ll go with Reba on Lawn Boy as this was a track that really showed me how groundbreaking the band could be at an early stage in their career. The jam on this studio version is still on of my favorites. Focused and just explosive.

  112. Easily for me it’s Billy Breathes. It shines in the studio like no ther Phish ballad has. It’s a tough one for them to pull off live, but on the LP, it’s gorgeous!

  113. My favorite studio song by Phish has to be Fee off Junta. It was of the first songs I listened to, and has been a favorite ever since.

  114. Bug. It is just perfect. I imagine it being chiseled out of a fantastic piece of marble and put on display in the Louvre.

  115. My favorite studio song by Phish is “Backwards Down The Number Line” mainly because I’m not too familiar with their songs even though I’ve seen them in concert and they’ve been playing this one on the radio a lot lately.

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