Co-produced by Steve Lillywhite and released as 
Elektra #61971 in 1996, Billy Breathes peaked at No. 7 at 430,000 copies (according to Billboard 10/3/98).
On it's released, Billboard Magazine reported (11/2/96), "Rock'n'roll journeymen's latest album is a typically diverse excursion into the edges of rock, jazz, and blues, highlighted by Trey Anastasio's adventurous writing and the band's improvisational talents. .... the album paints a colorful stylistic palette that will no doubt appeal to the group's large and loyal fan base, despite the absence of a clear radio hit."
Outtakes reportedly included Spock's Brain, Strange Design, Flip, The Blob (at least the full-length version, from which Steep, Talk, and Waste were taken), Grind (performed 12/30/98 with Tom Marshall), and several instrumentals.
The miniature Doniac Schvice included with the liner notes is a "greatest hits compilation:
Tom Interview - Feb 93 (technically pre-Schvice)
Fish's Forum - June 95
Burgess- Spring 94
Inside Joe's Nose- Feb/Mar/Apr 93
Schvice letter- Spring 94
DWD letter- Oct 94
A tabulature book for the album is available through Phish Dry Goods, and in the Doniac Schvice. (Note that all of the lyrics to "Swept Away" are repeated in "Steep", and that the book reveals the chorus of Character Zero.)
Alternate titles, as listed in liner notes and posted to RMP: THE WRONGS OF SPRING - your name here - boom marengue - IF THEY'RE PHISH, THEY'LL BITE - Thanks for letting us use your phone - A wet one - IF YOU'RE Phish I'LL BITE - FIRST TAKERS - BITE - skin - XOXINASTIC (ed a sticker) - NOTHING COULD BE FUNNER - spatial relation distinction confusion - Dave Matthews Band Crash (ed the sticker label from a CD, complete with bar code) - POP SEX - MOTHRA - Psychadelic Is Better Than Funky - Folk psyche - not think about it even more - page against the machine - solace white guys - bad clef - sweeps of the barn - LIKE A VERSION - HUNDRED - Big Blob of Music - Beanbow Music - It's About Time - >From Nothing to Still in the Background - Blowin the Hootie - The Other White Meat - Blah Blah Blob - Stock Riffs - No One to Blame but ourselves - Third Ball - Wrong Again - I Could Hear My Brain Getting In The Way - I Hear My Brain A-Comin' - Cut the Shit - From Boomp to Blap - Fish and Chips (Fishman w/ Ponch + Jon) - Welcome to Corsackie - If you don't like this album; Fuck this album - From Pussbag to Meathead - If you've got a dwarf you've got a party - Third Bowel - (a fishook symbol) The artist formerly known as Phish - Like India - Beware of Peace (a peace sign with a line through it) - Torque Lug Torque - Peace is head - Peace's Head - S-WORD - More ass than Head - Imperialism - No Pain Rogaine - Weird Design - B.O.R.D.E. - inectymop - insectafuct - HIGH FOUR - ratio problem - penile smile - cardboard kick - VAAZ - Third - Song in the key of D - Captain Chris and the Microscopic Chubby - SCHROEDER VIBE - R&B - r and b - songs for the charts - The Acceptable Sound of Rock Guitar - Lassiecollie - Elektra-wish - onelektra - talk - A thousand Pictures - crossover - no Hits - NO HITS BUT BONG - india - LIKE - The beverage - bypass filter - labor of like - DICA - MUSIC TO TAKE ACID TO - ACID TONES - 6 Week Repair - An album for your money - "jam?" "no... jelly please" - TREY SMOKED POT - Martha's Vineyard!!! - No pain yes gain
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