Despite having only traveled outside Vermont occasionally, hitting the New England college and club circuit, Phish embarked on a storied adventure West. The band played seven shows in ten days to tiny crowds in small bars and restaurants in the ski towns of Telluride and Aspen. Colorado '88 culls, in chronological order, the best of those shows, providing a vivid glimpse into the days before the three and four-night stands at amphitheatres and arenas that would distinguish Phish in the years to come.

     Mastered from the original analog cassette tapes, Colorado '88 contains recordings of songs that, until now, have not been widely traded or heard with such clarity. Several of the tracks found in the collection have never before appeared on an official Phish release.

     The material on Colorado '88 depicts the young band at a height of their characteristic adventurousness and showcases the compositional and improvisational potential that eventually defined Phish shows worldwide. From extended forays into their Gamehendge mythology to covers and cult gems, Colorado '88 is a treasure chest of hard-to-find early Phish. The CDs flow as a single show, touching upon all aspects of the band's developing talents and highlighting the unique symbiosis shared with their audience from the beginning. Until now, only the dozen or so people who attended these shows could attest just how enchanting these shows were. With the release of Colorado '88 we can all share the experience of hearing the band in such an intimate setting.