Joy is the twelfth studio album by the American rock band Phish, released on September 8, 2009, on the band's own label, JEMP Records. Joy was Phish's first studio album since Undermind in 2004, and their first since they reunited in March 2009. The sessions also reunited the band with producer Steve Lillywhite, who last worked with Phish on their 1996 release, Billy Breathes. The album's second single, "Backwards Down the Number Line", was successful on Billboard's Adult Alternative Songs chart, reaching a peak of #9 in October 2009.
Contents
The first single, "Time Turns Elastic"—originally a multi-movement work for strings, guitar and vocals released as an album earlier in the year by Anastasio—was released for iTunes-only download on May 26, 2009. The album's second single, "Backwards Down The Number Line", was released on iTunes and began radio rotation on August 17, 2009. Amazon.com released an exclusive live version of "Backwards Down the Number Line", recorded at Red Rocks during the band's summer tour, as a download-only bonus track. All ten songs were performed live during the band's 2009 summer tour, and have been generally well received by fans. However, "Time Turns Elastic" has been criticized as being too overly composed for ready translation to the live stage, and the album's nostalgic ballads are sometimes thought to dampen the energy of Phish's typically acclaimed live shows.
Reception
Joy received generally favorable reviews upon its release, with a 65/100 critic score on Metacritic, based on nine reviews. The New York Times commented that "Steve Lillywhite’s clear and ungimmicky production makes Joy sound like the band members onstage responding to one another," while Billboard simply stated "Joy is a journey not to be missed." Many critics also made reference to the band's enthusiasm, with Rolling Stone commenting that "what's most impressive here is how much they seem to be enjoying themselves—truly, deeply, gratefully." Noting that 2009 marked the band's 25th anniversary together, Rolling Stone described Joy's songs as something akin to "a belated birthday party" characterized by nostalgic, reflective lyrics that appear to be influenced by guitarist Trey Anastasio's struggle with drug abuse during the intervening years. Rolling Stone praised the album as "genuinely great" and "a deeper trip than most Phish LPs".
It was announced on August 10, 2009, that Joy would be made available for pre-order in several different formats, including CD, vinyl and the "Joy Box" which, in addition to the Joy CD, "will include ten individual Limited Edition posters designed for each of the album’s 10 songs, a complete second album titled Party Time, and a DVD capturing live performances from the first half of Phish’s summer 2009 tour—including footage from the 2009 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival and the tour’s opening date at Fenway Park in Boston." A limited edition vinyl was also released at Superball IX, Phish's 2011 summer festival. Party Time is available as a LivePhish download, but has not yet been made available for stand-alone purchase as a physical CD. Some of the songs on Party Time have become a part of Phish's live rotation, with Alaska and the title track appearing frequently, as well as appearances of Windy City, Gone, The Birdwatcher, and Let Me Lie. Liquid Time was soundchecked at Festival 8 in Indio, CA. Mike Gordon has played Only A Dream regularly with his solo band, and Trey Anastasio has played Gone and Liquid Time with his solo outfit.
