Jellyfish C/D? S/D

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One of the great lost bands? Classic Or Dud? Search & Destroy etc

― Gringo, Saturday, 17 May 2003 23:02 (10 years ago) Permalink

Picked up that box set that came out for a ridiculous $15 or something used -- figured for that price I could/should give it a chance. And it was pretty good -- sorta like them and Enuff Z'Nuff were weird twin brother bands with the same metaseventies-via-Beatles dreams somehow but Jellyfish were the ones with more (self-defined) artistic goals. Though Enuff Z'Nuff lasted longer in the end...

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 17 May 2003 23:08 (10 years ago) Permalink

Too melodic.

― Geir Funkro, Sunday, 18 May 2003 00:12 (10 years ago) Permalink

Near classic, although the members who went on to form The Grays did a better job (and Jason Faulkner's solo albums aren't too terrible).

― Paul Cox (paul cox), Sunday, 18 May 2003 00:26 (10 years ago) Permalink

when i lived in LA, i had a really cute scenester friend who was in love with Jason Faulkner. when she was out at a bar with him, and really drunk, i think she either said, "I want to know what you taste like" or "I want to fuck you in the mouth"

haha, my kinda girl

― JasonD (JasonD), Sunday, 18 May 2003 01:45 (10 years ago) Permalink

Jellyfish's second album was rilly good*, and Jason Falkner's first solo album was rilly good, and the one Grays album was OK.

*for the playing and production; the lyrics and vocals were sorta bad.

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 18 May 2003 01:58 (10 years ago) Permalink

Also search: Falkner's cover of "Do Ya."

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 18 May 2003 02:03 (10 years ago) Permalink

and yeah, he's QUITE the k-rowr:

http://www.jasonfalkner.net/pix/misc/jfheadshot.jpg

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 18 May 2003 02:07 (10 years ago) Permalink

I have the Imperial Drag album, and it's pretty good. I used to play "Are You a Boy or a Girl" when I used to dj. Has anyone else heard this?

― Sean (Sean), Sunday, 18 May 2003 02:17 (10 years ago) Permalink

I'm not so into the Imperial Drag record; it's just not songy enough.

But this thread inspired me to dig out the Merrymakers' Bubblegun (a great little Swedish power-glop album from 1997, produced by Jellyfish's Andy Sturmer). It's held up better than I thought it would; I thought the mid-'90s corporate-alternative production was a bit hard to stomach at the time, even though I liked the band.

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 18 May 2003 02:33 (10 years ago) Permalink

(Jody I knew you'd have it)

― Sean (Sean), Sunday, 18 May 2003 03:08 (10 years ago) Permalink

I just put on Spilt Milk. I find Sturmer's voice a little boybandy, but I don't mind it if I recontextualize Jellyfish as a boyband making really ace proggy Beatles-pop.

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 18 May 2003 03:28 (10 years ago) Permalink

Hey, and there's even a song on here called "Bye Bye Bye"!

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 18 May 2003 03:42 (10 years ago) Permalink

Search - a hyper-goofy B-side called Ignorance Is Bliss that's about Mario Bros. Oh, and New Mistake. That's a practically perfect song.

― Kim (Kim), Sunday, 18 May 2003 05:22 (10 years ago) Permalink

Search this at least: Andy Sturmer has written and produced much of Puffy's output since 1999 or so, from (I think) the "Ta Ra Ra Ran" single onwards. It certainly helps to give them that almost-indie western-sounding song structure that sets them apart from other J-pop.

― darren (darren), Sunday, 18 May 2003 11:27 (10 years ago) Permalink

"spilt milk" is the bomb. one problem: andy sturmer has a nice voice, but why does he have to enunciate so precisely? jellyfish lyrics give me headaches. what the heck does "the ghost at number 1" mean? "sebrina paste & plato?"

― Squirrel_Police (Squirrel_Police), Sunday, 18 May 2003 23:39 (10 years ago) Permalink

11 months pass...

im listening to "New Mistake" now, I still like it.

― Chris 'The Velvet Bingo' V (Chris V), Wednesday, 5 May 2004 11:15 (9 years ago) Permalink

Wow. It's a year later and we're still talking about Jellyfish.

I think "The Ghost at Number 1" was all about how pathetic it is to over-idolise rock stars just because they're dead.

"Sabrina Paste & Plato" was just about high school lurrve.

Agreed - search for "Ignorance is Bliss" - it's the anti-Mario song.

And "Bellybutton" was a great boyband / powerpop album.

― Neil Street (Herbie 4000), Wednesday, 5 May 2004 11:26 (9 years ago) Permalink

I really love that boxed set.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Wednesday, 5 May 2004 20:17 (9 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

I'm really surprised there isn't more love for Jellyfish—Harry Nilsson's favorite band when he died—here on the ILM...

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 20:55 (7 years ago) Permalink

i adore spilt milk! i remember i got into the band because WHTG in new jersey [which is what i listened to when i wasnt checking out WPRB] played "he's my best friend" all the time. ditto for paul weller and matthew sweet.

― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 21:02 (7 years ago) Permalink

There we go. I knew I could rely on you, Maria. Have you heard the box?

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 21:45 (7 years ago) Permalink

nope but i will check it out!

― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 22:03 (7 years ago) Permalink

"That is Why" was a nice song.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 22:48 (7 years ago) Permalink

...and "The Ghost at Number One" is a brilliant one.

Which reminds me: a friend of mine just asked me if the whole Spilt Milk record was written from the perspective of a ten year-old girl. I told him that since "New Mistake" was about loving the kid you didn't mean to have in the first place, I didn't think so. But...maybe it was. Anyone know?

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 22:55 (7 years ago) Permalink

The video for "The King Is Half-Undressed" was pretty far out for my high school mind; picked up the record and dug it, even (especially?) the sappy ballad "I Wanna Stay Home". "Baby's Coming Back" has some nice pop staying power. For some reason I couldn't ever stand Spilt Milk, except for the single "Glutton of Sympathy".

What was with that weird early 90s pop-psych revival thing? World Party, the first Lenny Kravitz record, Jellyfish. For the most part it's a sound that hasn't dated well...nor has the clothing, cf. the cover of Bellybutton, which'll remind you of what it was like at the first Lollapalooza (cat in the hat hats, etc)

― dyngus Tatis (aarana), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 22:57 (7 years ago) Permalink

The singer in Jellyfish sounds too much like Richard Marx.

― QuantumNoise (Justin Farrar), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 23:10 (7 years ago) Permalink

blasphemer

― Kim (Kim), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 23:50 (7 years ago) Permalink

Well I've been subscribed to the Jellyfish mailing list for the last 8 years so you'll get no argument from me as to their classic status. Two great albums and if you like those then the box set is well worth it though i would guess hard to find now. Great live also, sounded really impressive and could hit all those harmonies.

A lot of great related records - Umajets, Falkner solo, Moog Cookbook, Imperial Drag also worth checking out and of course Roger Manning has played keys for everyone (incl. Johhny Cash and the last Morrissey record). It's just a shame that Sturmer has been writing for others - Puffy, Brady Seals etc rather than doing something himself. Apparently he's just not interested in it.

― mms (mms), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 23:56 (7 years ago) Permalink

if the whole Spilt Milk record was written from the perspective of a ten year-old girl

I'm starting to think that the title Spilt Milk refers to the accident that produced the New Mistake and the rest of the album consists on the implications of it on everyone in its sphere, including the child herself.

But the album, while nearly classic, is nowhere near the gorgeosity of the Bellybutton album, and I give all the love in the world to "Baby's Comin' Back," which is in my someday-wedding mix.

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 00:41 (7 years ago) Permalink

It's interesting -- I think there are just some people who hear knowing, metapoppy, wink-wink music like Jellyfish and find it thrilling, almost the way jazz fans would appreciate a great player brilliantly navigating chord changes. And like jazz, there are some (many, even) who just find the whole thing obnoxious and/or boring. There's definitely a sense of inside baseball.

I can't remember what they said about it in the box liners, but I would imagine that Nilsson's endorsement meant a lot to them.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 01:32 (7 years ago) Permalink

I have "Spilt Milk" and I like it, mostly. A bit Queen-y for me at times, maybe. My fave by far is "Russian Hill," a gorgeous song, and I also like "Joining a Fan Club." Just very musical at their best.

― edd s hurt (ddduncan), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 01:42 (7 years ago) Permalink

But, my god, they were shitty dressers -- in that inimitable early '90s way.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 01:43 (7 years ago) Permalink

So were The Posies, Alfred, and, well, everyone else from the West Coast in the early '90s.

And Edd, for me the Queen thing is part of their appeal. And you see: I HATE QUEEN.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 01:45 (7 years ago) Permalink

Anybody got the Logans Sanctuary record that Manning did a few years back?I found it second-hand last week. Falkner plays guitar and sings on one song. Its not bad, Keyboard wank in parts but some of its almost funky, which Jellyfish never were, for all their virtues.
Bellybutton>Spilt Milk, btw.

― David N (David N.), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 02:23 (7 years ago) Permalink

I give all the love in the world to "Baby's Comin' Back," which is in my someday-wedding mix.

Better that than "I Wanna Stay Home", that's for sure...

Also, Falkner and Manning's TV Eyes synthpop band is really fun. Great songs, terrific arrangements -- alas, no record deal that I know of...

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 03:10 (7 years ago) Permalink

yeah, maybe it's not exactly Queen-esque. I don't mind that one Queen album "Sheer Heart Attack," it's all right. anyway, what I most like about JF is the Jimmy Webb-ness of it all, I suppose, which is why I think "Russian Hill" is the best thing they ever did.

― edd s hurt (ddduncan), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 03:14 (7 years ago) Permalink

Queen are an abomination -- which is precisely what makes Jellyfish's appropriation of them on Spilt Milk so genius...

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 03:18 (7 years ago) Permalink

Oh, and here's a video for Falkner's TV Eyes: http://tveyes.net/shesastudy.html

I think Jody Beth might like this'n...

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 04:46 (7 years ago) Permalink

new falkner rekkid this spring.

― don weiner (don weiner), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 04:48 (7 years ago) Permalink

Jellyfish is the best band in the world ever. Ever.

― John Cocktolstoy (John Cocktolstoy), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 07:47 (7 years ago) Permalink

Didn't know that Nilsson had said he liked them although they did a really good cover of Think About Your Troubles from The Point on a Nilsson tribute record so maybe it came off the back of that.

Some of the TV Eyes stuff is really good and by all accounts the couple of live shows they did were really cool with synced projections behind them whilst they were playing. I just think they might have missed the boat in terms of the songs since they have that kind of 80's electro thing going on that The Killers and so on have picked up on. It would have been perfect timing had they released it when it was first recorded (must be at least 3/4 years ago now). Hopefully someone will pick it up and I know they were remixing the record again so fingers crossed.

Also if you go here
http://www.weedshare.com/artistsites/featuredmusic/rogerjosephmanningjr Roger Manning has a solo album though alas no deal yet for a CD release. He also has a website here htpp://www.rogerjosephmanningjr.com

― mms (mms), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 09:30 (7 years ago) Permalink

I just dl'd that Manning record this morning — it's incredible, actually.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 14:40 (7 years ago) Permalink

indeed.

― John Cocktolstoy (John Cocktolstoy), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 16:32 (7 years ago) Permalink

recently picked up that imperial drag album. not made it to the end yet. love LOVE track 2 though. will deffo dig it out for tomorrow.

― mark e (mark e), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 16:43 (7 years ago) Permalink

new falkner rekkid this spring

say more plz

― caspar (caspar), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 17:04 (7 years ago) Permalink

and god damn what is wrong with that Weed Share site. Do they not want anyone to listen to music, ever again? Roger, I'm sorry for owning a Mac. I hate the fact that artists have been forced into being platform advocates, I doubt the guy gives a shit. Anyway, is it good? Should I find my old Dell laptop to listen to his music? What a disgusting sentence that was.

― caspar (caspar), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 17:08 (7 years ago) Permalink

Also on that weedshare site are 34 Imperial Drag demos. Basically everything they had on their one album and a whole lot more. Well worth listening to if you liked that record.

There has been noises about a Mac version of that weed stuff but there's nothing available yet.

The Manning record is good, my fave is What You Don't Know About The Girl. But then I'm a sucker for a one man band pop record.

― mms (mms), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 17:15 (7 years ago) Permalink

The Manning record is good, my fave is What You Don't Know About The Girl. But then I'm a sucker for a one man band pop record.

Holy christ, yes. That song is like some piece of long lost AOR genius. When it comes to this sort of thing—melodic, hyper-arranged, metapop—Manning's really in a class of his own. It's kind of exciting, really.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 17:24 (7 years ago) Permalink

I, too, really liked Spilt Milk, all the while enduring a "wait, I HATE Queen" dissonance.

OUt of pure procrastination, I just read Manning's history of the Moog Cookbook on his website, it's like, such a sweet, positive thing.

I've never heard them tho.

― Hunter (Hunter), Thursday, 1 December 2005 05:06 (7 years ago) Permalink

This Manning album is making me swoon. I heart you all.

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Thursday, 1 December 2005 05:33 (7 years ago) Permalink

*Queen are an abomination -- which is precisely what makes Jellyfish's appropriation of them on Spilt Milk so genius...*

so OTM, well-put, sir!

for some damn reason this thread puts me in mind of Andy Pratt's '70s album "Resolution," which I think I've heard some of, and which is available on vinyl for three bucks at the Great Escape in N-ville. does anyone else remember this as being the kind of AOR pop we seem to be circling 'round here, or was the only good Andy Pratt song that "Avenging Annie" tune that was a sorta FM hit long ago? for that matter, what about Brian Protheroe (sp?), the guy who did "Pinball," was that also in this same vein? Ambrosia, who did "Nice, Nice, Very Nice"? sententious pop?

― edd s hurt (ddduncan), Thursday, 1 December 2005 19:52 (7 years ago) Permalink

death to Queen haters (unless you just hate everything they did post-The Game)

― Dominique (dleone), Thursday, 1 December 2005 20:00 (7 years ago) Permalink

What a fucked-up world it is when folks are praising Jellyfish and dissing Queen. Jellyfish owe their very existence to Queen, and Spilt Milk is not in the same league as A Night at the Opera.

― QuantumNoise (Justin Farrar), Thursday, 1 December 2005 20:13 (7 years ago) Permalink

No, Jellyfish owe their very existence to whimsicists like Nilsson, The Move and XTC — their interest in Queen was purely by way of their interest in The Beach Boys, and thank god Spilt Milk is not in the same league as A Night at the Opera.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Thursday, 1 December 2005 21:16 (7 years ago) Permalink

their interest in Queen was purely by way of their interest in The Beach Boys

I'm sorry, but I just don't buy this. Sure, the dudes in Jellyfish know their pop history, but the huge guitar riffs they toss into the middle of super-twee Penny Lane-like tunes is pure Queen. "Joinging a Fan Club" and "Sebrina" have Queen written all over them especially that opening riff on "Joinging a Fan Club." This is beyond obvious.

― QuantumNoise (Justin Farrar), Thursday, 1 December 2005 21:46 (7 years ago) Permalink

the huge guitar riffs they toss into the middle of super-twee Penny Lane-like tunes is pure Queen.

I'm not saying it's just the voices — I'm saying The Beach Boys were their portal into Queen. The huge guitar riffs thing is just as much "Brontosaurus" as anything else...

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Thursday, 1 December 2005 22:18 (7 years ago) Permalink

The huge guitar riffs thing is just as much "Brontosaurus" as anything else...

...still don't hear that.

The production and structure of those aforementioned Jellyfish tunes are more A Night at the Opera than the Move. Maybe I am way off, but it seems to me like you are a Queen hater in denial of Jellyfish's musical debt to one of the greatest pop bands ever (Queen). You are trying to connect Jellyfish to influences that are more obscure, more hip, and more romantic than Queen (the Move, Nilsson, etc.). But, it primarily goes back to Queen. Jellyfish even lifts that incredible (Rhoades?) organ sound from Queen's "My Best Friend." And ironically enough, Spilt Milk contains a song titled "He's My Best Friend," which is the chorus to Queen's "My Best Friend".

Hell, I will even say Jellyfish are more in debt musically to Supertramp's Breakfast in America LP than the Move and Nilsson.

― QuantumNoise (Justin Farrar), Thursday, 1 December 2005 22:33 (7 years ago) Permalink

You are trying to connect Jellyfish to influences that are more obscure, more hip, and more romantic than Queen

Ok, this is getting needlessly contentious, but:

1. In the box, Andy Sturmer describes "He's My Best Friend" as "Yet another love letter to Harry Nilsson."

2. On the box, they cover 1 Move song and 1 Nilsson song.

I say this not to point out that the band doesn't mention Queen in the liner notes (though they don't) or to say they don't cover any Queen songs (though they don't), but to point out that I'm not exactly plucking this out of thin air. As for your pointing out the Supertramp influence, you're absolutely 100% correct -- "New Mistake"'s chorus alone is evidence of that.

You're also right about another thing: I hate Queen. I think they're tasteless, garish and not nearly as fun as they imagined themselves. But I give Jellyfish credit for having the courage to recognize their merits. But you only need to hear their debut, Bellybutton, to know they don't "owe their very existence" to any one band.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Thursday, 1 December 2005 23:44 (7 years ago) Permalink

I have to chime in to say that regardless of how they got to Queen, they are certainly more them than the Beach Boys (except for that break in "Ghost At Number 1") on Spilt Milk. Seriously, "Joining A Fan Club" is the best song Queen forgot to put on Sheer Heart Attack or NatO. (that said, Spilt Milk is a lot more Queen than the album before it)

x-post

― Dominique (dleone), Thursday, 1 December 2005 23:46 (7 years ago) Permalink

I'd agree with all that.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Thursday, 1 December 2005 23:52 (7 years ago) Permalink

And so Matt learns the pitfalls of Debate 101: never state as fact an assumption, no matter how certain you may be.

In this instance that assumption was my belief that Jellyfish's motivation for adopting the Queen thing on Spilt Milk was via the Beach Boys. Frankly, I have no idea if that's true, since I don't believe they ever discussed it publicly.

But given that any debt to Queen is nigh impossible to detect on their debut, it's hard to argue that they were so much as an influence, to say nothing of a primary influence.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Friday, 2 December 2005 00:10 (7 years ago) Permalink

i have Beatnik Beach (was that the pre-Jelly band? It was something like that) on a cassette around here someplace, along with some other demo-y stuff from 80s Jelly playas.

And the way Ira Robbins savages Jellyfish in the Trouser Press book is pretty classic. Even though he was wrong, wrong, wrong.

Also, check out the first two Brendan Benson records, who are very Falkner-esque and in the same vein as Jellyfish (which is logical given Falkner's involvement in the writing and production.)

check out the Falkner fan site for more details on the new album.

― don weiner (don weiner), Friday, 2 December 2005 02:45 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, Beatnik Beatch were the pre Jellyfish band that Roger and Andy were in. There are a couple of Jelly b-sides Watching The Rain and Worthless Heart that were originally Beatnik Beatch songs. Not much cop compared to what they did after.

It's actually amazing to think of the number of records that the Jelly guys have had their fingers in over the years from Johnny Cash, Morrissey, Alice Cooper, Beck, Sheryl Crow, Puffy, Merrymakers, Brendan Benson, Magnet, Grays, Travis, Umajets, Moog Cookbook, Air, Brady Seals etc etc. Amazing.

― mms (mms), Friday, 2 December 2005 12:41 (7 years ago) Permalink

But you only need to hear their debut, Bellybutton, to know they don't "owe their very existence" to any one band.

You have a totally valid point. I should have limited my opinions to Spilt Milk. Ironically, I was a HUGE Jellyfish fan back in high school. The "King is Half Undressed" video blew my mind, and I listened to both Bellybutton and Spilt Milk (as cassettes) religiously. I even owned several 12"'s. They did a great live version of "Jet".

My criticism is harsh because I recently listened to BellyButton, and I was bummed out. I honestly thought it sounded a little too close to Richard Marx at times. I wish it was just a bit stranger. As for Spilt Milk, which is stranger and much better, I actually never heard A Night at the Opera until years after my Jellyfish phase, and when I finally did hear it, I seriously thought I was listening to the "real" Spilt Milk. (I know you are cringing at that statement!)

But, for what it's worth, I did spend alot of hours during my teens thinking about girls while Bellybutton was on my stereo (and Material Issue!)

― QuantumNoise (Justin Farrar), Friday, 2 December 2005 17:32 (7 years ago) Permalink

What the fuck? Haven't I been in this thread before?

Of course they were CLASSIC. VERY VERY VERY CLASSIC!

Search everything apart from their greatest hits compilation. The only reason for destroying the latter is that it contains nothing crucial that isn't already on those two flawless albums.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Saturday, 3 December 2005 00:08 (7 years ago) Permalink

Btw. whether or not you count Queen as a crucial influence I think depends on which album you prefer. There seems to be a lot of love here for "Spilt Milk", which is an excellent album IMO, and certainly heavily influenced by Queen.

However, their best work was "Bellybutton", which is more of a Beatles/Beach Boys/Byrds/Badfinger/Crowded House classic powerpop effort, only with somewhat less power and more pop than for instance Big Star.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Saturday, 3 December 2005 00:12 (7 years ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

i got that manning record for the Holidays from a windows-owning brother! It is very, very good. The lyrics are a bit earnest but that's my personal non-preference to deal with. Highly recommended if you like the brion/falkner/penn axis.

― caspar (caspar), Thursday, 5 January 2006 03:35 (7 years ago) Permalink

http://www.phototour.minneapolis.mn.us/pics/3893.jpg

― Baht Yolk, Thursday, 5 January 2006 04:27 (7 years ago) Permalink

2 years pass...

the 2008 Manning record catnip dynamite is (another) pretty awesome i'd say. shame to ignore him/it.

― Zeno, Tuesday, 19 August 2008 01:33 (4 years ago) Permalink

3 months pass...

Listening to said Catnip Dynamite album right now. "Down in Front" is essentially a dual tribute to cheap-and-cheery UK glam *and* Denim's revisiting of same.

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 2 December 2008 20:35 (4 years ago) Permalink

2 years pass...

I basically ignored them b/c of those stupid hats and their record covers...

― john. a resident of chicago., Friday, 7 October 2011 02:19 (1 year ago) Permalink

The big problem I have with Manning's recent solo albums is that every track seems to have either lack of editing or bad songwriting. It's like he got so excited about coming up with a good hook ("Wish It Would Rain", "Creeple People", "You Were Right") that he couldn't help but stretch the track out into a 5+ minute rhapsody, while the snappiest songs tend to have weak choruses ("The Loser", "What You Don't Know About the Girl"). Then there are the tracks that are in all around bad taste ("Dragonfly", "Til We Meet Again"). But at least most of Solid State Warrior/Land of Pure Imagination is memorable, unlike most of Catnip Dynamite.

Meanwhile Falkner's stuff is unimpeachable. TV Eyes is really fun - pretty mindblowing first listen if you are expecting something in the Jellyfish/power pop vein.

― skip, Friday, 7 October 2011 03:51 (1 year ago) Permalink

xp, i think their stupid hats contributed to their position as my least favourite band when i was ten years old.

I've never really appreciated Jellyfish for more than their obvious craft but Andy Sturmer's work with Puffy stands as some of the best pop music of our generation.

― Mohombi Khush Hua (ShariVari), Friday, 7 October 2011 07:28 (1 year ago) Permalink

Classic, imo. Spilt Milk has something ridiculous like a 6 song unfuckablewith run.

I know what you mean about Manning's album - once the shock wears off that it kinda sounds like a lost Bruce Johnston solo record, the songs aren't there. I'll say that What You Don't Know and Wish It Would Rain are the standouts, tho

― I'm not going leftfield on you... (hypehat), Friday, 7 October 2011 09:20 (1 year ago) Permalink

God, just seeing this thread title has got "Joining a Fan Club" stuck in my head.

― piper at the goats of j0hn (rustic italian flatbread), Friday, 7 October 2011 12:44 (1 year ago) Permalink

― piper at the goats of j0hn (rustic italian flatbread), Friday, 7 October 2011 12:49 (1 year ago) Permalink

great video!

― skip, Friday, 7 October 2011 13:37 (1 year ago) Permalink

I listen to "Glutton of Sympathy" when my hutch is being cleaned and I'm rolling around in my bunny ball. I replace the word "sympathy" with "green frisee."

― bunnicula, Friday, 7 October 2011 13:45 (1 year ago) Permalink

10 months pass...

So has anyone heard the new live album yet?

― skip, Thursday, 30 August 2012 14:59 (8 months ago) Permalink

I wonder what the chance these guys ever reform is.

― Naive Teen Idol, Thursday, 30 August 2012 17:40 (8 months ago) Permalink

fuckin a, retro 90s album cover

doin it right imo.

― how's life, Thursday, 30 August 2012 18:42 (8 months ago) Permalink

I remember buying Spilt Milk in the mid-90s and thinking that I should like this, but I don't. At all.

― Poliopolice, Thursday, 30 August 2012 19:28 (8 months ago) Permalink

I like a lot of Spilt Milk, although I don't own it anymore for some reason. Jellyfish is one of those bands where I presumably don't have a lot of the reference points for though. I wonder if I knew more power-pop and Queen or whatever, if I'd like them as much.

― how's life, Thursday, 30 August 2012 19:33 (8 months ago) Permalink

I dunno, you either embrace the cheese or you don't.

― skip, Thursday, 30 August 2012 19:40 (8 months ago) Permalink

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