As someone who recently stood in a Tennessee field, staring at four men on a stage and attempting to discern why everyone around me was flailing their limbs so joyously to the not-unpleasant-but-not-like-mindblowing sounds emitting from said stage, I have a great deal of empathy for former Sleater-Kinney guitarist Carrie Brownstein as she attempts to become a fan of Phish.

Carrie’s been documenting the journey on her very intelligent blog for NPR; her latest post includes a video of her trip to the used CD store, where she hocked old records and bought Phish albums with the proceeds.

Buying My First Ever Phish CDs from Carrie Brownstein on Vimeo.

I applaud Ms. Brownstein for being stronger than me, and for pursuing her quest in such an aggressive fashion. I am also insanely curious about what CDs she sold, and if she is regretting the decision yet. But what about you, Music Mixers? Would any of you ever begin a full-immersion Phish education program? For you Phish-heads out there, what albums or live bootlegs would you recommend for those willing to join Carrie in her quest? And would anyone care to take up the “Sleater-Kinney was and is a better band than Phish” argument, just for kicks?