Bouncing Around The 'Room' December 10, 2002 - Billboard Magazine by Jonathan Cohen The potency of the creative partnership enjoyed by the four members of Phish is well documented via the group's nine Elektra studio albums and improvisation-heavy live shows. But when the eclectic Vermont combo regrouped in September after a nearly two-year hiatus, the idea of quickly recording a studio album of entirely new material was by no means a certainty. After working up 22 fresh songs in just short of two weeks of rehearsal at guitarist Trey Anastasio's Vermont studio, the group opted to record the material right then and make a decision about its future at a later date. That later date wound up being only a matter of days, and with its members so enthused with the results, Phish selected 12 of its favorite cuts for "Round Room," due this week from Elektra. The set is quite unlike any prior Phish studio offering, according to keyboardist Page McConnell. "It's probably the longest single album we have ever made," he says. "Yes, there is more soulfulness, but there is also way more jamming than on any other Phish album. I think it runs the gamut and is kind of like when you see us in concert. We don't just play one long jam after another." Phish returns to the stage Dec. 31 at New York's Madison Square Garden and has shows on tap through March 1. The group also appears Saturday (Dec. 14) on "Saturday Night Live" and Dec. 19 on "The Late Show With David Letterman."