So many great memories of this album. It was the only thing spinning on my Discman for years. I still remember the feel of the brown paper liner notes. Always flipping back and forth as to whether Blue or Red was my favorite. I listened to the last four tracks of Blue before I went to sleep every night. I would wait in front of MTV for hours until a video came on so I could record it onto a VHS. The idea of something like YouTube at the time would have fully blown my mind. Also my first SP concert. They announced a special ticket release on the radio and I dragged mom down to Blockbuster Music (!) to score some. We rushed out to the store, but mom only had her checkbook when we got to the front of line. Random stranger behind us saw the look of devastation on my face and offered to take my mom’s check. I rewarded my mom’s efforts by taking a friend to the concert instead because I was in junior high and a total dick, so she waited for us in the parking lot, commenting on the beautiful music floating out from the arena. I got the concert tee and was so excited to wear it to school the next day that I tried to iron it (wrinkles from sleeping in it), and it still has the scars to show for it. Only concert shirt from those days I have managed to hold onto. Many conversations were had where I earnestly explained to mom, friends and whoever would listen what Billy meant with such and such lyric. 😉 At the time, my childhood bedroom was floor to ceiling Pumpkins on two walls, so I was a bit psychopathic with my devotion. And the album never ages for me. I put it on every few years and am transported back to the time while simultaneously the words take on new meaning as I “age out.” I remember listening to Thirty-Three in my early thirties and being struck at how quickly it has all passed. Thank you SP for such a tremendous gift.